Chris Mackin is a Teaching Fellow in Biostatistics for the Applied Statistical Modelling and Health Informatics (ASMHI) MSc programme and Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics (BHI). Chris joined the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s in 2025, bringing expertise in evolutionary ecology, statistics education, and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in STEM.

Chris gained his PhD in Biology from the University of Sussex, where his research focused on floral trait evolution and population genetics in the context of plant range expansion and pollinator acquisition and loss. He had previously been a lecturer at the University of Essex and the University of Sussex. Over this time, he has taught across a broad range of topics including ecology, evolution, data analysis, and science communication. Chris is particularly passionate about making statistics in R engaging, approachable and empowering for students of all backgrounds.

Research interests

• Floral trait evolution and population genetics during plant range shifts
• Ecological interactions between plants and pollinators
• Inclusive and innovative approaches to teaching statistics and quantitative methods
• Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in STEM education and research

Teaching

• Introduction to Statistical Modelling
• Eportfolio Skills
• ASMHI Research Project

Publications

• Santangelo, J.S. et al., (incl. Mackin, C.R.) 2022. Global urban environmental change drives adaptation in white clover. Science, 375, pp.1275-1281.
• Ollerton, J., Trunschke, J., Havens, K., Landaverde-González, P., Keller, A., Gilpin, A.M., Rech, A.R., Baronio, G.J., Phillips, B.J., Mackin, C. and Stanley, D.A., 2022. Pollinator-flower interactions in gardens during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown of 2020. Journal of Pollination Ecology, 31, pp.87-96.
• Mackin, C., Goulson, D. and Castellanos, M.C., 2021. Novel nectar robbing negatively affects reproduction in Digitalis purpurea. Ecology and Evolution, 11, pp.13455-13463
• Mackin, C.R., Peña, J.F., Blanco, M.A., Balfour, N.J. and Castellanos, M.C., 2021. Rapid evolution of a floral trait following acquisition of novel pollinators. Journal of Ecology, 109, pp.2234-2246.