Professor Dr. Nicholas Roberts

Biography

Nicholas W Roberts is a Professor of Sensory Ecology at the University of Bristol, where he heads the School of Biological Sciences and leads the Bristol Vision Institute. His research focuses on visual ecology and animal vision, emphasizing the impacts of light pollution on animal behavior and exploring new optical principles that animals use to guide their visually driven actions. His lab has pioneered innovative optical behavioral techniques, combining physics-based methods such as microspectrophotometry, laser tweezing, and optical modeling with behavioral studies, including operant conditioning and novel optomotor techniques. His ultimate goal is to understand how visual information influences various aspects of animal behavior. Roberts has contributed significantly to the field through various projects, datasets, and collaborations, investigating topics such as polarization vision in reef fish and the visual sensitivity of insects to different wavelengths of light.

Research Interests