Dr Rachel Parkinson has founded the MetaBeeAI consortium, representing a large international team of 30 researchers, which uses AI and large language models (LLMs) to synthesise research on pesticide impacts on bees, addressing critical gaps in ecological safety.
The project conducts LLM-assisted systematic reviews across biological levels, developing predictive models to link toxicity metrics with sublethal effects like impaired foraging and reproduction. Through Bayesian and AI-driven modelling, it evaluates pesticide impacts and interactions with other stressors. The project will deliver a systematic review pipeline including robustly designed software tools, a comprehensive meta-analysis, and workshops to engage policymakers to reshape toxicology research and drive sustainable pesticide regulations.
Rachel is an Eric & Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Fellow at Oxford. Her work aims to develop innovative AI tools that integrate sound and computer vision to automatically track insect behaviour. By classifying behaviours and assessing environmental stressors like pesticides and climate change, these tools will advance insect risk assessment, ecological research, and agriculture, with potential applications in pollinator identification and foraging studies. In December 2024, Rachel secured an Associate Professorship at Queen Mary, University of London in the School of Behavioural and Biological Sciences.
Dr Rachel Parkinson said:
The Schmidt AI in Science Fellowship has been transformative for my research, providing the resources and training to apply AI in new ways to the study of insect behaviour and environmental stressors. It has allowed me to adapt and integrate existing computational approaches from other disciplines, opening up research avenues I hadn't previously considered. Through this fellowship, I’ve expanded my network, established international collaborations, and shifted my research trajectory toward tackling pressing ecological challenges with AI-driven insights.
To read more about Dr Rachel Parkinson's research and career, visit her profile.
