Steve Foster

I gained a PhD in Genetics at Nottingham University by studying seaweed flies, which wasn’t very convenient as I was situated miles from the coast. This then allowed me to get a job at Rothamsted Research in 1992 working on the genetic and ecological aspects of insecticide resistance in crop pests. This has involved measuring selective advantages, in the presence of insecticides, and potential fitness costs in the absence of insecticides, particularly during times of stress such as bad weather.

My findings have been publicised in a range of ways: scientific journals, the trade press, BBC TV and radio, Resistance Alerts, Resistance Management Guidelines and talks to growers and agronomists. My work is also providing a useful insight into the processes driving evolution and selection, something that Charles Darwin would have appreciated greatly!

I play tennis and when I was a teenager I beat the Formula 1 World Champion, Nigel Mansell. I also play the drums in a six-piece band at functions such as weddings and birthdays, sometimes I even get paid.