Madeleine Workman

I received my bachelor’s degree and integrated Master’s in Biology from Wadham college, University of Oxford, in 2024. My Master’s research examined how the phytohormone methyl jasmonate can prime immune defences in Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), enhancing resistance to the forest pest Hylobius abietis. Following my degree, I spent 18 months working as a research assistant at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, where I led a project evaluating dsRNA‑based biopesticides as a sustainable control strategy for Psylliodes chrysocephala in oilseed rape systems. In June 2026 I started my doctoral education at SLU Alnarp. Here, I will continue my research into plant-insect interactions and the role they play in sustainable agricultural systems, by exploring the ecological consequences of pesticide resistance evolution in the green-veined white butterfly (Pieris napi).

I am interested in plant-insect interactions in the context of sustainable agricultural systems. My doctoral thesis, Ecological consequences of pesticide resistance evolution, examines how pesticide resistance shapes life‑history traits in the green‑veined white butterfly (Pieris napi).

I combine field collection with laboratory and glasshouse experiments to investigate how resistant populations differ in host‑plant preference, larval performance, and sensitivity to pesticides. The broader aim of this research is to advance ecological theory while contributing to sustainable agriculture and effective resistance management.