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Jan Hoole

Lecturer in Biology, Keele University

I came to Keele University in 1992 as a PhD student and have been here ever since. My first degree, BSc (Hons), was in Science and the Environment from Leicester Polytechnic. After completing my PhD on the molecular conservation of endangered insects, I began teaching part-time at Keele, while carrying out post-doctoral research on the effects of the tapeworm Ligula on the gonads of infected roach. I continued to teach part-time while running Ashley Pet Behaviour Centre and practicing as a Pet Behaviour Counsellor. In 2008 I closed the Pet Behaviour Centre and returned to take on a greater role at Keele, being appointed as a lecturer, still working part-time.

My particular fields of interest are animal behaviour and human evolution. I have helped to set up, and now manage, a final year module on Human Evolution, and I am still pressing to have more animal behaviour included in the curriculum. In addition I have forged links with various local zoos and each year run a variety of final year undergraduate projects looking at the behaviour of captive animals. I also help to organise open and visit days, and take part in many outreach activities.

And in 2015 I took up the role of Programme Director for Biology. In this capacity I am at present helping to steer the new Single Honours Biology programme through its validation stages. In 2015 I also gained Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.

Dogs may reflect their owners' stress levels, finds research

Jun 07, 2019 15:56 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Stress is an unavoidable component of modern life. Many people worry about the effect of a stressful lifestyle on their long-term health, but how many of us think about how our lifestyle, and our own stress levels, affect...

Sloths are far more adaptable than we realised

Jan 20, 2019 06:21 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Unless you live in the tropical rainforests of South or Central America, most of the sloths youll encounter will be two-toed sloths. This is because they are able to eat quite a varied diet and are therefore relatively...

Do dogs have feelings?

Aug 28, 2018 15:33 pm UTC| Insights & Views Science

If you live with a dog you just know when its happy or miserable, dont you? Of course you do. Even the scientific community, now admits that dogs have emotions even if scientists cant directly measure what they are...

Economy

RBI Raises Repo Rate to 5.50% in Hawkish Shift on Inflation Risks

The Reserve Bank of India raised its benchmark repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50% on Wednesday, delivering its first interest rate hike since February 2023 as policymakers respond to rising inflation risks and...

European Stocks Fall as Oil Rises Ahead of Fed Minutes

European shares moved lower on Wednesday as investors took profits following recent gains, with rising crude oil prices and caution ahead of the Federal Reserves meeting minutes weighing on market sentiment. The...

US Stock Futures Flat as Fed Minutes, Earnings Loom

U.S. stock futures were largely unchanged in Asian trading Wednesday after the SP 500 and Nasdaq Composite reached record closing highs, with investors awaiting Federal Reserve meeting minutes and the upcoming...

Asian Currencies Mixed as Yen Weakens, Dollar Holds Firm

Asian currencies traded mixed on Wednesday as the U.S. dollar remained near recent highs, while the Japanese yen weakened toward 158 per dollar amid uncertainty over the Bank of Japans policy outlook and renewed concerns...

Gold Prices Fall as Stronger Dollar Weighs on Bullion

Gold prices fell on Wednesday as a stronger U.S. dollar pressured bullion, while improving Middle East oil supplies and easing Treasury yields reduced expectations for further aggressive Federal Reserve interest rate...

Politics

JD Vance Says Iran Must Cut Nuclear Enrichment to End War

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Iran must significantly reduce its nuclear enrichment capacity to meet Washingtons conditions for ending the seven-month war, putting Tehrans nuclear program at the center of efforts to...

Houthis Strike Aden Airport as Yemen Fighting Escalates

Houthi forces launched ballistic missiles and explosive drones at Aden International Airport early Wednesday as fighting intensified between the Iran-aligned group and Yemens Saudi-backed government. Yemens Transport...

Rapidus Seeks Chip Customers as Japan Pushes 2nm Semiconductor Revival

Japans Rapidus is expanding partnerships with global chip design companies as the state-backed semiconductor manufacturer races to secure customers for its planned 2-nanometre production facility. Backed by roughly $15...

Vance Demands Iran Cut Nuclear Enrichment to End War

US Vice President JD Vance said Iran must significantly reduce its nuclear enrichment capacity before Washington will agree to end the seven-month US-Iran war, stressing that concrete action rather than diplomatic...

North Korea Slams US Taiwan Arms Sales, Reaffirms Russia Support

North Korea has criticized the United States for supplying weapons and military support to Taiwan, accusing Washington of increasing tensions across the Taiwan Strait as Pyongyang also reaffirmed its backing for Russia. In...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Intel Reaffirms Role in Elon Musk’s Terafab Chip Project

Intel will continue working with Elon Musk on the ambitious Terafab semiconductor project, CEO Lip-Bu Tan said, reaffirming the U.S. chipmakers role despite speculation that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC)...

LG Electronics Shares Slide as Q3 Profit Misses Estimates

LG Electronics shares dropped sharply on Wednesday after the South Korean technology giant reported preliminary third-quarter operating profit that fell short of market expectations, despite delivering solid year-on-year...

SpaceX Seeks $40 Billion for Nvidia AI Chips

SpaceX is seeking to raise about $40 billion to finance a major purchase of Nvidia artificial intelligence chips, with Apollo Global Management expected to lead the fundraising effort, the Financial Times reported Tuesday....

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Warns Mythos AI Raises Cyber Risk Tenfold

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has warned that advanced artificial intelligence systems are dramatically increasing cybersecurity risks for global banks, calling cyberattacks the financial giants biggest threat. Speaking...

Anthropic Expands Claude Access for Cyber Defense Teams

Anthropic has expanded access to its most advanced artificial intelligence models for verified cybersecurity professionals and select government partners, aiming to strengthen defenses against threats targeting critical...