Simon Coppard

Dr Simon Coppard BSc Hons, PhD, FRSB

Senior Lecturer and Scientific Student Project Coordinator

Dr Simon Coppard is an evolutionary marine biologist and ecologist and gained his PhD from Queen Mary, University of London in 2002. His research uses morphology, ecology, palaeontology and molecular tools such as phylogenetics and transcriptomics to answer questions on how and when species diverged and how they interact with a changing environment. He is an expert on echinoids (sea urchins) and has described several new species including the first new species found on eBay. His current research focuses on venom in sea urchins and explores its complex components and evolution in relation to pests, predators and parasites.

Prior to joining the University of Greenwich Simon was a researcher at the Natural History Museum London and at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. He has taught at the University of the South Pacific (Fiji), Hamilton College (New York, USA) and at Bader College, Queens University (Canada), where he additionally managed the science program. He is currently (2020 to 2027) co-investigator on a $10 million CAD Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) research project ‘Environments of Change’ where Simon monitors critically endangered species using environmental DNA and measures the impact of climate change and disease on UK tree species and their rhizospheres (tree root microbiomes). Simon is also a collaborator on ‘Foresta Inclusive’ and ‘Being in Relation’ funded by SSHRC in 2025 until 2029, which explores the complex relationships between humans and forests.

Responsibilities within the university
  • Research Centre Leader: UoA3
  • Program Leader: Masters by Research (P11193)
  • Module Leader: MSc Open Course (OBIO-1071)
  • Module Leader and project supervisor: MSc Biotechnology (BIOT-1010)
  • Module Leader and project supervisor: MSc Pharmaceutical and Formulation Science (PHAR1059)
  • Module Leader and project supervisor: Life Sciences final year project (BIOL-0005)
  • Module Leader: Chemical Sciences final year project (CHEM-0018)

Awards
  • Bader College, Queen’s University (2022) David Baguley Award for outstanding teaching
  • Bader College, Queen’s University  (2021) David Baguley Award for outstanding teaching
  • Bader College, Queen’s University  (2020) David Baguley Award for outstanding teaching
  • Hamilton College Merit award for teaching and scholarly work (2018)
  • Hamilton College Merit award for teaching and scholarly work (2017)
  • Smithsonian Secretary’s Research prize for a paper co-authored in Science Advances (2017)
  • Hamilton College Merit award for teaching and scholarly work (2016)

Recognition
  • Royal Society of Biology
  • Society for Comparative and Integrative Biology
  • American Microscopical Society
  • Research Associate, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama
  • Research Associate, Natural History Museum, London

Research / Scholarly interests

Simon’s research has focused on speciation in the World’s Oceans, including barriers to gene flow and rates of molecular evolution. His research has identified biogeographic barriers to gene flow evidenced through molecular and palaeontological data that show how species have diverged morphologically and ecologically through time  in response to changing environments.

His current research focuses on the evolution of venom in sea urchins and selective drivers of toxicity. He uses transcriptomics to look at lunar clocks and photoperiodic genes that regulate spawning rhythms in sympatric species that prevent hybridization and the mixing of gametes from different species.

He also studies how sea urchin gut microbiomes vary between species and location and why specific bacteria are maintained. He is involved with monitoring programmes that assess changes in tree rhizosphere composition in response to disease and climate change and monitors endangered species using environmental DNA on the Sussex Coast.

Key funded projects

  • Social SHRC Insight Grant (2025 to 2029) Foresta Inclusive (Collaborator)
  • Diamond Light (2024) Synchrotron grant for three days of beam time (PI) (3 days)
  • Queens University internal research fund (2023) (PI) Establishing a Biodiversity Baseline for the -- Environmental DNA Monitoring in a Changing Landscape ( £9,552)
  • Diamond Light (2023) Synchrotron grant for three days beam time (PI)
  • SSHRC Environments of Change subaward (2022) – Twittering trees (PI) (£12,500)
  • SSHRC Environments of Change (Co-I) (CAD $10,000000), (£82,500 subaward)
  • Smithsonian Secretary’s Research prize (2017) for a paper co-authored in Science Advances (Co-I) (£50,000)
  • Linnean Society of London, Systematics Association Research Fund (2017) (PI) (£1,500)
  • American Microscopical Society (2016) (Grant for undergraduate research) (PI) (£6,000)
  • Smithsonian Next Generation Sequencing grant (2014) (PI) (£50,000)
  • Smithsonian Marine Science Network fellowship (2011-2014) (Co-PI) (£150,000)
  • Rubenstein fellowship, Encyclopedia of Life (2010-2011) (PI) (£15,00)
  • SENACYT (Panama) (2008-2010) (PI) (£190,000)
  • Queen Mary University of London (2008) (PI) (£8000)
  • Centre for Ecology and Evolution (UCL) (PI) (2008) (£6000)
  • CoSyst (Linnean Society of London) (2008) (PI) (£5000)
  • Systematics Association Research Fund (2007) (PI) (£1000)
  • Royal Society Conference Grant (2007): IUBS, Washington D.C. (£1000)
  • Gatsby Charitable Trust, UK. (2005-2009) ZooBank (£1 million in matched funding)
  • John Spedan Lewis grant, UK. (2006) (£5,000)
  • Welcome Trust grant, UK. (2005-2007) (£10,000)
  • Invertebrate Palaeontology grant, Natural History Museum, London. (2004-2005) (Co-I) (£30,000)

Recent publications

Peer Reviewed Articles

Jenkins, H.L., Graham, R., Porter, J.S., Vieira, L.M., Sousa de Almeida, A.C., Hall, A., O'Dea, A., Coppard, S.E., and Waeschenbach, A. (2022). Unprecedented frequency of mitochondrial introns in colonial bilaterians. Sci Rep 12, 10889. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14477-3

Koch, N.M., Thompson, J.R., Hatch, A.S., McCowin, M.F., Armstrong, A.F., Coppard, S.E., Aguilera, F., Bronstein, O., Kroh, A., Mooi, R., and Rouse, G.W. (2022). Phylogenomic analyses of echinoid diversification prompt a re-evaluation of their fossil record. eLife 2022;11:e72460 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72460

Coppard, S.E., Jessop, H. & Lessios, H.A. (2021). Phylogeography, colouration, and cryptic speciation across the Indo-Pacific in the sea urchin genus Echinothrix. Scientific Reports 11, 16568. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95872-0

A more complete list can be seen here : ORCID 0000-0002-8930-2923