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 11th 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

Honey bee colony loss rates in 37 countries using the COLOSS survey for winter 2019–2020 : the combined effects of operation size, migration and queen replacement
Gray Alison, Adjlane Noureddine, Arab Alireza, Ballis Alexis, Brusbardis Valters, Bugeja Douglas Adrian, Cadahía Luis, Charrière Jean-Daniel, Chlebo Robert, Coffey Mary F, Cornelissen Bram, Costa Cristina Amaro da, Danneels Ellen, Danihlík Jiří, Dobrescu Constantin, Evans Garth, Fedoriak Mariia, Forsythe Ivan, Gregorc Aleš, Ilieva Arakelyan Iliyana, Johannesen Jes, Kauko Lassi, Kristiansen Preben, Martikkala Maritta, Martín-Hernández Raquel, Mazur Ewa, Medina-Flores Carlos Aurelio, Mutinelli Franco, Omar Eslam M, Patalano Solenn, Raudmets Aivar, San Martin Gilles, Soroker Victoria, Stahlmann-Brown Philip, Stevanovic Jevrosima, Uzunov Aleksandar, Vejsnaes Flemming, Williams Anthony, Brodschneider Robert
Journal of Apicultural Research (2022)
https://doi.org/10.1080/00218839.2022.2113329
Spatial clusters of Varroa destructor control strategies in Europe
Brodschneider Robert, Schlagbauer Johannes, Arakelyan Iliyana, Ballis Alexis, Brus Jan, Brusbardis Valters, Cadahía Luis, Charrière Jean‑Daniel, Chlebo Robert, Coffey Mary F, Cornelissen Bram, Amaro da Costa Cristina, Danneels Ellen, Danihlík Jiří, Dobrescu Constantin, Evans Garth, Fedoriak Mariia, Forsythe Ivan, Gregorc Aleš, Johannesen Jes, Kauko Lassi, Kristiansen Preben, Martikkala Maritta, Martín‑Hernández Raquel, Mazur Ewa, Mutinelli Franco, Patalano Solenn, Raudmets Aivar, Simon Delso Noa, Stevanovic Jevrosima, Uzunov Aleksandar, Vejsnæs Flemming, Williams Anthony, Gray Alison
Journal of Pest Science (2022)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-022-01523-2
Flooding in Nigeria : a review of its occurrence and impacts, and approaches to modelling flood data
Umar Nura, Gray Alison
International Journal of Environmental Studies, pp. 1-22 (2022)
https://doi.org/10.1080/00207233.2022.2081471
How COLOSS monitoring and research on lost honey bee colonies can support colony survival
Brodschneider Robert, Gray Alison,
Bee World Vol 99, pp. 8-10 (2021)
https://doi.org/10.1080/0005772x.2021.1993611
Preservation methods of honey bee-collected pollen are not a source of bias in ITS2 metabarcoding
Quaresma Andreia, Brodschneider Robert, Gratzer Kristina, Gray Alison, Keller Alexander, Kilpinen Ole, Rufino José, van der Steen Jozef, Vejsnæs Flemming, Pinto M Alice
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Vol 193 (2021)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-021-09563-4
CSI pollen : diversity of honey bee collected pollen studied by citizen scientists
Brodschneider Robert, Kalcher-Sommersguter Elfriede, Kuchling Sabrina, Dietemann Vincent, Gray Alison, Božič Janko, Briedis Andrejs, Carreck Norman L, Chlebo Robert, Crailsheim Karl, Coffey Mary Frances, Dahle Bjørn, González-Porto Amelia Virginia, Filipi Janja, de Graaf Dirk C, Hatjina Fani, Ioannidis Pavlos, Ion Nicoleta, Jørgensen Asger Søgaard, Kristiansen Preben, Lecocq Antoine, Odoux Jean-François, Özkirim Asli, Peterson Magnus, Podrižnik Blaž, Rašić Slađan, Retschnig Gina, Schiesser Aygün, Tosi Simone, Vejsnæs Flemming, Williams Geoffrey, van der Steen Jozef JM
Insects Vol 12 (2021)
https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12110987

More publications

Professional activities

Honey bee colony losses, surveys in Scotland, and some international results
Speaker
12/4/2018
COLOSS Monitoring Group Workshop, Nitra, Slovakia
Chair
7/2/2018
COLOSS B-rap Workshop, Nitra, Slovakia
Participant
5/2/2018
Mapping bee race across Scotland.
Contributor
5/12/2017
Mapping bee race across Scotland.
Speaker
18/11/2017
Some findings from the monitoring group data 2017.
Contributor
2/11/2017

More professional activities

Projects

Citizen Science Investigation for Pesticides in Apicultural Products (INSIGNIA)
Gray, Alison (Principal Investigator)
Pilot study on environmental monitoring of pesticide use through honey bees
01-Jan-2018 - 30-Jan-2021
Pollen collection for assessing forage diversity for honey bees in Britain and Ireland
Gray, Alison (Principal Investigator)
01-Jan-2014 - 31-Jan-2017
Industrial Case Account 2012 | Young, Andrew
Marshall, Stephen (Principal Investigator) Gray, Alison (Co-investigator) Young, Andrew (Research Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2013 - 25-Jan-2017
Nanoscale characterisation of nitride semiconductor thin films using EBSD, ECCI, CL and EBIC.
Trager-Cowan, Carol (Principal Investigator) Gray, Alison (Co-investigator) Hourahine, Ben (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2012 - 30-Jan-2016
Aquaculture Sampling Approaches for Detection of Veterinary Residues
Gettinby, George (Principal Investigator) Gray, Alison (Co-investigator)
05-Jan-2011 - 31-Jan-2012

More projects

Address

Mathematics and Statistics
Livingstone Tower

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