Dr Alison Gray

Lecturer

Mathematics and Statistics

Personal statement

I belong to the departmental Population Modelling and Epidemiology (PME) research group and am an associate member of the Stochastic Analysis group. I lecture in statistics, currently multivariate statistics and introductory probability and statistics. For many years I taught mathematical statistics and survey design and analysis, and also regression modelling.

My research interests cover pattern recognition and machine learning, image analysis, applied epidemiology, SDE models for epidemics, and applications of statistics for honey bee research. I am a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society, and a former long term member of the British Machine Vision Association.

I run an annual spring survey of beekeepers in Scotland, collecting questionnaire data to study colony losses over winter and other aspects of beekeeping practice and experience, together with a retired beekeeper colleague. We began this in 2006 and recently carried out our 11^th survey. Since 2010 I have been involved in the COLOSS (Prevention of honey bee COlony LOSSes); www.coloss.org) honey bee colony loss international research association and have been co-chair of its colony loss monitoring group since September 2014. This group co-ordinates colony loss surveys in more than 30 countries across Europe and beyond. I have been data co-ordinator/analyst of the same group since February 2016.

I was involved in the COLOSS CSI (Citizen Science Investigator) Pollen project for study of pollen diversity across Europe over the 2014 and 2015 foraging seasons, established this project in Scotland, acted as UK co-ordinator, and also as international co-ordinator for a one-year continuation of CSI Pollen in 2016.

In addition to the above a current project is examining bee race across Scotland, using wing morphometry and multivariate statistics, as well as DNA analysis.

Publications

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Publications

Honey bee hives as biomonitors of pesticide environmental pollution. The INSIGNIA-EU monitoring action: Fernandez-Alba Amadeo R, Murcia-Morales Maria, Oller-Serrano Jose Luis, Martinez Jose Antonio, Van der Steen Jozef JM, Brodscheider Robert, Gratzer Kristina, Hatjina Fani, Carreck Norman, Gray Alison, Pinto M Alice, Quaresma Andreia, Roessink Ivo, Buddendorf Bas, Pietropaoli Marco, Kasiotis Konstantinos M, Zafeiraki Effrosyni, Tzanetou Evangelia, Vejsnaes Flemming, Kilpinen Ole, Brusbardis Valters, de Graaf Dirk C, Danneels Ellen; Science of the Total Environment Vol 999 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180285
A comparative study of time series and decision tree models for forecasting water levels on the River Benue, Nigeria: Umar Nura, Gray Alison; UMYU Scientifica Vol 4, pp. 122-134 (2025); https://doi.org/10.56919/usci.2542.015
Honey bee colony population annual dynamics in northern Ethiopia's semi-arid region, Tigray: Hailu Teweldemedhn Gebretinsae, Wakjira Kibebew, Gray Alison; Journal of Apicultural Research Vol 64, pp. 797-806 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1080/00218839.2024.2309781
Honey bee colony losses and causes during the active beekeeping season 2022/2023 in nine Sub-Saharan African countries: Nganso Beatrice T, Ayalew Workneh, Wubie Abebe J, Assefa Freweini, Belayhun Lulseged, Ndungu Nelly N, Toroitich Daniel, Otieno-Ayayo Z Ngalo, Wambua Mbatha B, Oyieyo Yudah O, Elie Ntirenganya, Sikirou Rachidatou, Idrissou Souradji B, Mwiza Willy, Turner S, Bobadoye Bridget O, Fameni Sidonie T, Gaboe Sayemie, Agbodzavu Mawufe K, Mafwila Patrick, Tasse Taboue Geraud C, Emily Kimathi, Henri Tonnang ZE, Niassy Saliou, Fonkou Simplice N, Pirk Christian W W, Gray Alison, Brodschneider Robert, Soroker Victoria, Subramanian Sevgan, Babarinde Samuel Adelani; PLoS ONE Vol 20 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0322489
COLOSS B-RAP expert evaluation of beekeeping advice from ChatGPT, part 2: Fabricius Kristiansen Lotta, Morawetz Linde, Chlebo Robert, Gray Alison, Mazur Ewa, Dahle Bjørn, Diéguez-Antón Ana, Schaunitzer Georg, Gratzer Kristina, Oberreiter Hannes, Schorkopf Dirk Louis P, Fischer Johann, Brodschneider Robert; Bee World Vol 102, pp. 5-7 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1080/0005772x.2024.2418224
High rates of honey bee colony losses and regional variability in Ethiopia based on the standardised COLOSS 2023 survey: Hailu Teweldemedhn Gebretinsae, Atsbeha Alem Tadesse, Wakjira Kibebew, Gray Alison; Insects Vol 15 (2024); https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15060376