Dr Tierney is an Evolutionary Ecologist interested in animal behaviour and ecological interactions. Using field and genomic tool-kits, he aims to understand the interplay between whole organisms, their environment and their genes - with a particular focus on:
•    social organisation
•    vision
•    pollination

Simon currently combines these skills to understand and safeguard the pollination services of native bees. Drawing on experience from extensive field campaigns in Australasia, Africa and the Americas that afford key insights into the evolution and function of the natural world.

His PhD investigated bees that can switch between solitary and social lifestyles (Flinders University), followed by a series of postdocs exploring similarly social bees that are unusual in their habit of nocturnal foraging (Smithsonian Institution). This led to the development of research themes in visual ecology and molecular evolution of phototransduction genes (University of Adelaide). 

RESEARCH & TEACHING INTERESTS
Behaviour, Biogeography, Ecology, Evolution, Genomics, Pollination, Systematics, Vision.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION
•    Fellow of the Linnean Society of London (FLS)
•    President (Australasia) - International Union for the Study of Social Insects
•    Tupper Research Fellow - Smithsonian Institution
•    Editorial Advisory Panel - Encyclopedia of Social Insects
•    Associate Editor (Social Evolution) - Frontiers in Ecology & Evolution 
•    Associate Editor (Bee Genetics) - Frontiers in Bee Science 
•    Editorial Board - Insectes Sociaux
•    Editorial Board - Insects