Dr Penelope Watt

School of Biosciences

Senior Lecturer in Zoology

p.j.watt@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 0076

Full contact details

Dr Penelope Watt
School of Biosciences
Alfred Denny Building
Western Bank
91Ö±²¥
S10 2TN
Profile

I am a behavioural ecologist working on personality traits, the genetic basis of behaviour and the impact of stress on behaviour, including transgenerational effects and potential epigenetic mechanisms, in fish. We also work on earthworm behaviour, distribution and health with the view to improve soil quality.

Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Journal articles

  • Guevara-Fiore P, Stapley J & Watt PJ (2010) . BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 64(10), 1665-1672. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Guevara-Fiore P, Rosenqvist G & Watt PJ (2010) . BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 64(10), 1601-1607. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Guevara-Fiore P, Stapley J, Krause J, Ramnarine IW & Watt PJ (2010) . ANIM BEHAV, 79(6), 1191-1197. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Shohet AJ & Watt PJ (2009) . J FISH BIOL, 75(6), 1323-1330. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Guevara-Fiore P, Skinner A & Watt PJ (2009) . ANIM BEHAV, 77(2), 425-431. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Romey WL, Walston AR & Watt PJ (2008) . BEHAV ECOL, 19(1), 74-78. RIS download Bibtex download

All publications

Journal articles

  • Berthon K, Jaworski CC, Beacham JD, Jackson P, Leake J, McHugh NM, Capstick L, Daniell T, Krzywoszynska A, Cameron D , Holland J et al (2024) . Environmental Research: Food Systems, 1(2). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kitson JE, Ord J & Watt PJ (2022) . Biomolecules, 12(8). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ord J, Fazeli A & Watt PJ (2022) . Environmental Biology of Fishes, 105(6), 741-751. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Alfakih A, Watt PJ & Nadeau NJ (2022) . Journal of Experimental Biology, 225(10). RIS download Bibtex download
  • Berdeni D, Turner A, Grayson RP, Llanos J, Holden J, Firbank LG, Lappage MG, Hunt SPF, Chapman PJ, Hodson ME , Helgason T et al (2021) . Soil and Tillage Research, 212. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ord J, Holmes KE, Holt WV, Fazeli A & Watt PJ (2020) . Journal of Fish Biology, 96(2), 506-515. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Eachus H, Bright C, Cunliffe VT, Placzek M, Wood JD & Watt PJ (2018) . ESPE Yearbook of Paediatric Endocrinology, 15. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ord J, Fazeli A & Watt PJ (2017) . Advances in experimental medicine and biology, 1014(Periconception in Physiology and Medicine), 117-135. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Eachus H, Bright C, Cunliffe VT, Placzek M, Wood JD & Watt PJ (2017) . Human Molecular Genetics, 26(11), 1992-2005. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ariyomo TO & Watt PJ (2015) . Journal of Fish Biology, 86(6), 1852-1859. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ariyomo TO & Watt PJ (2013) . Behavioral Ecology, 24(6), 1320-1326. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ariyomo TO, Carter M & Watt PJ (2013) . Behav Genet, 43(2), 161-167. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ariyomo TO & Watt PJ (2013) . Animal Behaviour. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ariyomo TO & Watt PJ (2012) . Animal Behaviour, 83(1), 41-46. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ariyomo TO & Watt PJ (2011) The effect of variation in boldness and aggressiveness on the reproductive success of zebrafish. Animal Behaviour. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Watt PJ, Skinner A, Hale M, Nakagawa S & Burke T (2011) Small Subordinate Male Advantage in the Zebrafish. Ethology. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Watt PJ, Skinner A, Hale M, Nakagawa S & Burke T (2011) . Ethology, 117(11), 1003-1008. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Guevara-Fiore P, Stapley J & Watt PJ (2010) . BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 64(10), 1665-1672. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Guevara-Fiore P, Rosenqvist G & Watt PJ (2010) . BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 64(10), 1601-1607. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Guevara-Fiore P, Stapley J, Krause J, Ramnarine IW & Watt PJ (2010) . ANIM BEHAV, 79(6), 1191-1197. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Guevara-Fiore P, Stapley J, Krause J, Ramnarine IW & Watt PJ (2010) . Animal Behaviour, 79(6), 1191-1197. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Guevara-Fiore P, Rosenqvist G & Watt PJ (2010) Inbreeding level does not induce female discrimination between sibs and unrelated males in guppies. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 1-7. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Shohet AJ & Watt PJ (2009) . J FISH BIOL, 75(6), 1323-1330. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Guevara-Fiore P, Skinner A & Watt PJ (2009) . ANIM BEHAV, 77(2), 425-431. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Romey WL, Walston AR & Watt PJ (2008) . BEHAV ECOL, 19(1), 74-78. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Skinner AMJ & Watt PJ (2007) . BEHAV ECOL, 18(5), 905-909. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Skinner AMJ & Watt PJ (2007) . BEHAV ECOL, 18(1), 47-52. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Shohet AJ & Watt PJ (2004) . BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 55(4), 363-369. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Watt PJ & Shohet AJ (2003) . Journal of Fish Biology, 63(s1), 258-258. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Watt PJ, Shohet AJ & Renshaw K (2001) Female choice for good genes and sex-biased broods in guppies. J FISH BIOL, 59(4), 843-850. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Woodward M, Winder L & Watt P () . Fishes, 4(1), 22-22. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ord J, Heath PR, Fazeli A & Watt PJ () . Molecular Ecology. RIS download Bibtex download

Preprints

  • Llanos J, Hipperson H, Horsburgh G, Lappage M, Maher KH, Burke T, Leake JR & Watt PJ (2023) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. RIS download Bibtex download
Research group

Current graduate students

  • 2016 - Joseph Llanos. Earthworm distribution and population dynamics. PhD.
  • 2017 - Wafa Abudayah. Anxiety as a personality trait in zebrafish. PhD.
  • 2018 - Charlotte Redfern. Telomeres and stress in zebrafish. Masters.
  • 2018 - Joel Kelly. Transgenerational stress & gene expression in zebrafish. MRes.
  • 2018 - Stephanie Faulkner. Lateralisation and aggression in fish. MRes.
  • 2018 - Chloe Mcloughlin. Earthworm behaviour and immunity. Masters.

Recent graduate students

  • 2012-15 Helen Eachus. Behavioural and endocrine analysis of stress responses and the roles of epigenetic mechanisms in developmental plasticity of stress phenotypes in zebrafish. PhD.
  • 2014-18 James Ord. Parental stress and its effects on the offspring of guppies and zebrafish. PhD.
  • 2016-17 Juliet Kitson. Maternal chronic ethanol exposure influences social and anxiety-like behaviours in zebrafish offspring. Masters.
  • 2016-17 Poppy Craig. The effects of sex, drug naivety and the bold-shy continuum on anxiety of adult zebrafish during ethanol withdrawal. Masters.
  • 2017-18 Betsy Stanhope. Transgenerational effects of stress on anxious and aggressive behaviours in the zebrafish. Masters.
  • 2017-18 Grace Holland. The effect of tetracycline on the health of Lumbricus terrestris. Masters.

+ 8 other PhD students that successfully defended their thesis. 10+ masters students.

Grants
  • 2015 EpiStressNet: A biosocial systems approach to understanding the epigenetic embedding of social stress responses (co-investigator). ESRC/BBSRC (£249, 704).
Teaching activities

I am L1 and Senior Tutor, the Disability Liaison Officer and Head of Exams in APS. I was awarded APS Teacher of the Year in 2010.

In L2, I teach APS272 (Animal Diversity) and APS226 (Animal Diversity Practicals). As a zoologist, I have a real passion for animals and I hope to put this across in teaching.

In L3, I supervise projects (APS345) in behavioural ecology. I have an interest in science education in primary and secondary schools, which stems from being a school governor and being involved in science outreach, and I supervise students taking the Undergraduate Ambassador Scheme (APS340).

Professional activities and memberships
  • Member of the University Discipline, Appeals and Faculty Student Review Committees
  • External Examiner, University of Nottingham (Zoology) (from Oct 2017)
  • Member of Inner International Assessment Board, Irish Research Council, Dublin (March 2017, 2019)
  • Invited seminar, Merton College Biology Society, University of Oxford (Feb 2017) APS Christmastime Lecture (Dec 2016)
  • ASAB Easter 2014 Conference organizer, April 2014, University of 91Ö±²¥
  • Member of the Field Studies Council Executive Committee (from 2011-17)
  • Member of the Field Studies Council Education Committee (from 2011-17) & Chair (2016-17)
  • Invited speaker: Fishing for Clues – the mystery of the zebrafish revealed. LASA (2011)