Elected Reader Emeritus (2005)
Elected Honorary Life Member of the Helminthological Society of Washington. Bestowed in recognition of significant contributions to Helminthology. Limited to no more than 10 living parasitologists worldwide (2000)
Elected Fellow of the Linnean Society of London (1999)
Visiting Professor, Dept. of Parasitology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia (1990 - 1991) (Royal Society/University of Queensland)
Visiting Fellow, Seto Marine Biological Laboratory (Kyoto University) Japan (Royal Society)(1990)
Promoted to Reader (1981)
Visiting Fellow, Dept. of Parasitology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia (Royal Society)(1975 – 1976)
D.Sc, University of Birmingham (1974)
Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia (1963 – 1981)

Key Research Interests

I have a wide interest in parasite/host relations and focus in particular on the biology of monogenean (flatworm) parasites of fishes. I study parasite attachment, feeding, functional morphology of the reproductive system, host finding and other aspects of parasite behaviour. Much of my research career has been spent unravelling the relationship between the capsalid monogenean skin parasite Entobdella soleae and its host the common sole (Solea solea). Consequently E. soleae is now better known than any other monogenean and in recent years, in collaboration with Dr Ian Whittington (Adelaide, Australia), I have undertaken a major taxonomic revision of Entobdella that has led to descriptions of new species and creation of new genera. 

Current Research Projects

Descriptions of new species of capsalid and microbothriid monogeneans from the skin of Australian stingrays and rays (with Ian Whittington, South Australian Museum and The University of Adelaide)
The roles of self insemination and cross insemination in the reproductive biology of capsalid monogeneans (With Ian Whittington)
Nanomechanics of the protein in the adhesive used by Entobdella soleae for temporary attachment of the head to the host (with Anika Mostaert, Nanoscale Function Group, University of Dublin)
Research for a book on parasites.




 

Life in our research group



PhD Positions

Click here for current PhD opportunities in BIO. But feel free to email me to discuss projects outside these areas and alternative sources of funding.

Postdocs & Fellows



Research Group

External & Professional Activities

Keynote address: “Entobdella soleae – pointers to the future”. 4th International Symposium on Monogenea, University of Queensland, Australia, followed by presentation of Honorary Life Membership of the Helminthological Society of Washington (see Career Outline) (2001)
Invited lecture: “A Millennium of Platyhelminths – a personal selection of milestones of flatworm research”. International Conference on Interrelationships of the Platyhelminthes”, Linnean Society, London (1999).
Invited lecture: 50th Anniversary and 18th Congress of the Polish Parasitological Society, Olsztyn, Poland (1998)
Invited lecture: Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1996)
Invited Lecture: Mansoura University, Egypt (1996)
Invited Lecture: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA (1985)
Invited Lecture: Molteno Institute, University of Cambridge (1984)
Invited Lecture: Workshop on the Biology of Monogeneans at the 3rd European Multicolloquium of Parasitology, University of Cambridge (1980)
Author of two books: “Parasitism and the Platyhelminths”, Chapman & Hall, 1998; “Leeches, Lice and Lampreys. A Natural history of Skin and Gill Parasites of Fishes”, Springer, 2004.

Internal Administration & Teaching Activities

Nominated for an Award for Excellence in Teaching, University of East Anglia (2005)
Nominated for an Award for Excellence in Teaching. University of East Anglia (2004)
Since retirement module organizer and lecturer for Parasitology (BIO-3C19) (1993 – 2007)
Invited lecture to Sixth Form students at Milfield School (1997)

Recent Publications (2001-present)

Whittington, I.D. & Kearn, G.C., 2009,  Two new species of entobdelline skin parasites (Monogenea, Capsalidae) from the blotched fantail ray, Taeniura meyeni, in the Pacific Ocean, with comments on spermatophores and the male copulatory apparatus,Acta Parasitologica, 54, 12-21,  Full Text (subscription) Request Publication

Whittington, I.D. & Kearn, G.C., 2009,  Two new species of Neoentobdella (Monogenea: Capsalidae: Entobdellinae) from the skin of Australian stingrays (Dasyatidae),Folia Parasitologica, 56, 29-35,  Full Text (subscription) Request Publication

Whittington, I.D. & Kearn, G.C., 2008,  Trimusculotrema heronensis sp. nov. (Monogenea, Capsalidae) from the skin of the pink whipray Himantura fai (Elasmobranchii, Dasyatidae) from Heron Island, Queensland, Australia,Acta Parasitologica, 53, 251-257,  Full Text (subscription) Request Publication

Kearn, G.C., Whittington, I.D. & Evans-Gowing, R., 2007,  A revision of Entobdella Blainville in Lamarck, 1818, with special emphasis on the nominal (type) species "Entobdella hippoglossi (Muller, 1776) Blainville, 1818" (Monogenea: Capsalidae: Entobdellinae) from telost flatfishes, with descriptions of three new species and a new genus,Zootaxa, 1659, 1-54,  Full Text (subscription) Request Publication

Kearn, G.C., Whittington, I.D. & Euzet, L., 2006,  The handling and fate of spermatophores in Neoentobdella diadema and N. apiocolpos (Monogenea : Capsalidae : Entobdellinae),Folia Parasitologica, 53, 57-62,  Full Text (subscription) Request Publication

Kearn, G.C., 2006,  Sub-tegumental ventral fibres surrounding the vaginal opening of Entobdella soleae (van Beneden et Hesse, 1862) Johnston, 1929 (Platyhelminthes : Monogenea : Capsalidae),Folia Parasitologica, 53, 71-72,  Full Text (subscription) Request Publication

Kearn, G.C. & Whittington, I.D., 2005,  Neoentobdella gen. nov. for species of Entobdella Blainville in Lamarck. 1818 (Monogenea, Capsalidae, Entobdellinae) from stingray hosts, with descriptions of two new species,Acta Parasitologica, 50, 32-48,  Full Text (subscription) Request Publication

Whittington, I.D. & Kearn, G.C., 2005,  The precocious oncomiracidium of Neoentobdella parvitesticulata (Monogenea : Capsalidae : Entobdellinae),Parasitology Research, 96, 331-334,  Full Text (subscription) Request Publication

El-Naggar, M.M., El-Naggar, A.A. & Kearn, G.C., 2004,  Swimming in Gyrodactylus rysavyi (Monogenea, Gyrodactylidae) from the Nile catfish, Clarias gariepinus,Acta Parasitologica, 49, 102-107,  Full Text (subscription) Request Publication

Arafa, S.Z., El-Naggar, M.M. & Kearn, G.C., 2003,  Scanning electron microscope observations on the monogenean skin parasite Macrogyrodactylus congolensis (Prudhoe, 1957) Yamaguti, 1963,Acta Parasitologica, 48, 163-171,  Full Text (subscription) Request Publication

Kearn, G.C., Whittington, I. & Evans-Gowing, R., 2003,  Striated (stratified) muscle and the operation of the ventral hamuli of the ancyrocephaline monogenean Chauhanellus australis, from the gills of the blue catfish, Arius graeffei,In: Taxonomy, Ecology and Evolution of Metazoan Parasites, Vol 1, ,  Full Text (subscription) Request Publication

Kearn, G.C., 2002,  Monogenea,In: Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, second edition, Vol , Lower Metazoans and Lesser Deuterostomes, 213-224,  Full Text (subscription) Request Publication

Hamwood, T.E., Cribb, B.W., Halliday, J.A., Kearn, G.C. & Whittington, I.D., 2002,  Preliminary characterisation and extraction of anterior adhesive secretion in monogenean (platyhelminth) parasites,Folia Parasitologica, 49, 39-49,  Full Text (subscription) Request Publication

Kearn, G., 2002,  Entobdella soleae - pointers to the future,International Journal for Parasitology, 32, 367-372,  Full Text (subscription) Request Publication

Chisholm, L.A., Whittington, I.D. & Kearn, G.C., 2001,  Dendromonocotyle colorni sp. n. (Monogenea : Monocotylidae) from the skin of Himantura uarnak (Dasyatididae) from Israel and a new host record for D. octodiscus from the Bahamas,Folia Parasitologica, 48, 15-20,  Full Text (subscription) Request Publication

Sopott-Ehlers, B., Kearn, G.C. & Ehlers, U., 2001,  Evidence for the mitochondrial origin of the eye lenses in embryos of Entobdella soleae (Plathelminthes, Monogenea),Parasitology Research, 87, 421-427,  Full Text (subscription) Request Publication

El-Naggar, M.M., Arafa, S.Z., El-Abbassy, S.A. & Kearn, G.C., 2001,  Chaetotaxy of the monogeneans Macrogyrodactylus clarii and M. congolensis from the gills and skin of the catfish Clarias gariepinus in Egypt, with a note on argentophilic elements in the nervous system,Folia Parasitologica, 48, 201-208,  Full Text (subscription) Request Publication

Kearn, G.C., Evans-Gowing, R. & Rees, J., 2001,  An ultrastructural study of the haptor of the microbothriid monogenean Leptocotyle minor from the skin of the dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula (Scyliorhinidae),Acta Parasitoligica, 46, 254-260,  Full Text (subscription) Request Publication