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Prof. Alex Andrianopoulos

Research interests

Microbial and developmental genetics

  • Understanding the molecular genetic mechanisms that regulate cellular morphogenesis and virulence in the human pathogen Talaromyces marneffei
  • Understanding the molecular genetic mechanisms that regulate development in the eukaryotic model organism Aspergillus nidulans

A/Prof. Anthony Boxshall

Research interests

Marine ecology, coastal climate adaptation, pollution impact and management, and environmental sciences

  • Integrating environmental research into practice in Government
  • Pollution Impacts and Management (plastics, faecal matter, PFAS and other pollutants)
  • Marine and Coastal adaptation to climate change
  • Ecological engineering and habitat restoration
  • Citizen science
  • Science Communication

A/Prof. Andrew Drinnan

Research interests

Plant development, morphology, anatomy, architecture and evolution

I investigate the morphology and development of plants to model of plant architecture and evolution. Projects are available on all groups from liverworts to flowering plants. You will gain a wide range of core botanical knowledge and skills, including plant diversity and relationships, plant anatomy and developmental morphology, plant evolution, and microscopy techniques.

  • Development and evolution of non-flowering land plants
  • Floral development
  • Plant anatomy and morphology
  • Palaeobotany and the study of fossil plants

Dr Alex Fournier-Level

Research interests

Adaptive evolution

My group focuses on adaptive evolution, primarily in natural plant populations. We are particularly interested in adaptation to climate change and evolution of resistance to herbicide/insecticide

Dr Amanda Franklin

Research interests

Visual ecology

I am interested in the evolution of animal visual systems, animal colouration and the relationship between the two. I use behavioural, physiological and field based studies to understand the function of different animal colours and how these colours are perceived by other animals.

  • Behavioural ecology
  • Visual physiology
  • Camouflage
  • Visual signals
  • Animal vision
  • Animal colouration

Dr Alexandra Harvey

Research interests

Embryonic stem cells

  • Extracellular environment
  • The legacy of culture on cell function
  • Metabolism, mitochondria, cell signalling, oxygen regulation, redox, endocrine disrupting chemicals, neural differentiation, epigenetics

Prof. Ary Hoffmann

Research interests

Pest and environmental adaptation

  • Environmental stress adaptation
  • Integrated management of agricultural pests
  • Novel approaches for suppressing arboviral disease vectors

A/Prof. Alexander Idnurm

Research interests

Fungal biology

We study many aspects of fungi, primarily using molecular biology tools. Currently most of the research is focused on fungi that cause disease impacting the Australian grains industry, especially blackleg of canola.

  • Host-pathogen interactions
  • Plant pathology
  • Medical mycology
  • Evolution of mating-type determination

A/Prof. Alex Johnson

Research interests

Plant and food biotechnology

  • Plant nutrition
  • Genetic engineering
  • Plant cell and molecular biology
  • Biofortification

Dr Allyson O'Brien

Research interests

Innovation and Impact in BioSciences Education

  • improving conceptual understanding of biological concepts
  • supporting scientific skill development
  • improving online learning
  • improving assessment design

Dr Axel Newton

Research interests

Evolutionary and developmental biology

My research seeks to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying the development and evolution of the head and limbs between vertebrates. My reserach has a particular focus on the neural crest and lateral plate mesoderm, transient embryonic tissues which pattern the head and limbs, respectively. I utilize several different vertebrate models, including marsupials and avians, such as chicken and emu, to perform multispecies comparisons

  • Evolution and Development
  • Morphogenesis
  • embryonic development
  • patterning
  • craniofacial development
  • limb development
  • marsupials

Dr Allyson O'Brien

Research interests

Marine pollution, ecology, and environmental management

  • Multiple stressors in urban estuaries
  • Marine pollution
  • eDNA metabarcoding
  • Citizen science

Prof. Andrew Pask

Research interests

Evolution, development and reproduction

The Pask Lab researches a variety of topics encompassing evolution, development and reproduction using cutting-edge genome wide approaches, genetic engineering, developmental manipulations, morphometric and computational analyses across a range of human, mouse and marsupial models.

  • Urogenital development
  • Marsupial genomics
  • Genome evolution and function
  • Endocrine disruption
  • Bioinformatics, Epigenetics, Developmental biology

Dr Andrew Pomeroy

Research interests

Coastal adaption, restoration, engineering and protection

The Coastal and Estuarine Adaptation Lab tests the application of ecological engineering techniques for coastal resilience and restoration. We develop novel methods for shoreline protection using a diversity of restored or created coastal habitats (e.g., mangroves, saltmarsh, seagrass, kelp and shellfish reefs).

  • Climate change adaptation
  • Ecological engineering
  • Sustainable development
  • Coastal resilience

Dr Allison Van de Meene

Research interests

Plant cell biology using high-end microscopy techniques

  • Cell walls
  • Intracellular trafficking
  • Secretion and recycling
  • Live cell imaging
  • Electron microscopy and tomography

Dr Angela Van de Wouw

Research interests

Plant pathogen interactions

My research addresses the biology and genetics of Leptosphaeria maculans, the cause of blackleg disease of canola and the main threat to the canola industry in Australia and worldwide.

  • Evolution of plant resistance and pathogen virulence
  • Canola (Brassica napus) pathogens

Dr Andrew Weeks

Research interests

Conservation biology

  • Population genetics
  • Ecological genetics
  • Host-parasite interactions
  • Environmental DNA

Dr Berit Ebert

Research interests

Plant cell wall biosynthesis

  • glycosylation
  • plant cell wall
  • membrane transporters
  • glycosyltransferases
  • subcellular partitioning
  • endomembrane and Golgi apparatus
  • protein-protein interactions
  • cell wall analytics

Dr Brendan Houston

Research interests

Genetics of male infertility, spermatogenesis and sperm function

I research the genetic causes of male infertility and investigate the role of novel genes/proteins in sperm production and function. To do so, I use a variety of knockdown/knockout mouse, fly and cell models.

  • Spermatogenesis
  • sperm function
  • genetics
  • knockout mouse models
  • male infertility

Dr Belinda van Heerwaarden

Research interests

Climate change adaptation

My research aims to understand the potential for species to respond adaptively to environmental change and identify factors that underpin climate change resilience and vulnerability

  • Evolution
  • phenotypic plasticity
  • endosymbionts
  • species distributions
  • heat tolerance
  • fertility thermal limits

Dr Charles Robin

Research interests

Insect population genetics and molecular evolution

What is the role of adaptation in the shaping variation within and between species? We focus on insecticide resistance as our microevolutionary model, and the comparative genomics of enzymes from various insects in inter-species comparisons. Our applied aim is to control pests with methods that do not have adverse impacts on biodiversity eg. gene drives, RNAi or specific enzyme inhibitors

Dr Daniel Czech

Research interests

Innovation and Impact in BioSciences Education

  • supporting scientific skill development
  • developing employability through industry learning

Prof. David Gardner

Research interests

Reproductive biology

  • Human IVF
  • Preimplantation embryo culture
  • Nutrition
  • Metabolism
  • Embryo viability
  • Biomarkers
  • Epigenetics
  • Metabolic function
  • Metaboloepigenetics
  • Cryobiology

Prof. Devi Stuart-Fox

Research interests

Evolutionary ecology

  • Behavioural and sensory ecology
  • Animal coloration: mechanism, function and evolution
  • Macro-ecological patterns of colour diversity

Dr. Elizabeth Bromfield

Research interests

Redox biology, reproduction, germ cells, proteomics, lipid biochemistry

Our group uses proteomics and lipidomics to understand how reproductive cells (sperm and eggs) succumb to oxidative stress. Our goal is to design and implement new strategies to protect reproductive cells from oxidative damage. To do this we focus on preventing lipid peroxidation and bolstering protein homeostasis.

  • Fortifying germ cells against oxidative stress
  • multi-omics
  • preventing infertility
  • contraceptive development
  • stress communication between germline and soma

Dr Edwin Lampugnani

Research interests

Plant evolution and development

I use two genetic model systems from opposite ends of the evolutionary spectrum of land plants, the flowering plant Arabidopsis and the liverwort Marchantia, to better understand the molecular mechanisms of polysaccharide synthesis.

  • Plant Evolution and Development
  • Plant cell wall synthesis
  • Protein-protein interactions
  • Intracellular trafficking
  • Live cell imaging

A/Prof. Ed Newbigin

Research interests

Pollen biology

  • Plant cell wall synthesis
  • Plant breeding systems
  • Self-incompatibility

Dr Fletcher Warren-Myers

Research interests

Marine ecology and aquaculture

  • Mass marking techniques for fisheries
  • Aquaculture technology

Prof. Geoffrey McFadden

Research interests

Malaria and endosymbiosis

The McFadden Lab identifies new drug targets in the malaria parasite and seeks strategies to control the ever increasing problem of drug resistance. We work with human and rodent malaria models and have a complete life cycle facility in which we infect mosquitoes to study transmission of the disease from vertebrate to vertebrate via insects.

Dr Lara Grollo

Research interests

Innovation and Impact in BioSciences Education

Lara Grollo is currently a Bioscience Lecturer at the University of Melbourne. Lara holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and PhD from the University of Melbourne, and her PhD thesis was titled 'Design and development of synthetic vaccine constructs and delivery systems'. Her research interests include enterovirus vaccine design and antiviral discovery;dengue fever virus vaccine design and antiviral discovery;and influenza virus antiviral discovery. Lara has recently completed a master's degree in education and is pursuing research in tertiary education within the field of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). Lara is now a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

  • improving conceptual understanding of biological concepts
  • supporting scientific skill development
  • improving online learning
  • improving assessment design

Dr Gerard Tarulli

Research interests

Reproductive and developmental biology

My research investigates the role of sex steroid hormones (estrogen, progesterone and androgen) in the development of reproductive organs, and how these hormones are disrupted by chemicals in our everyday environment. I am also part of a team developing genetic engineering techniques as a conservation tool for Australian marsupials.

  • Reproduction and development
  • Steroid Biology
  • Biomedical models of disease
  • Sexual differentiation
  • Molecular, cellular and hormonal regulation of tissue development
  • Endocrine disruption
  • Genetic engineering

Dr Hayley Bugeja

Research interests

Innovation and Impact in BioSciences Education

  • improving conceptual understanding of biological concepts
  • supporting scientific skill development
  • improving online learning
  • improving assessment design

Dr Heroen Verbruggen

Research interests

Marine genomics and microbiology

  • Environmental microbiology
  • Comparative genomics
  • Marine algae
  • Bioinformatics
  • Evolutionary biology

Dr Iliana Medina Guzman

Research interests

Evolutionary ecology

Our group uses a combination of field based experiments, laboratory experiments, and comparative analyses to understand the evolution of behaviours and ecological strategies in animals.

  • Behavioural and evolutionary ecology
  • Macroevolution
  • Avian brood parasitism

Dr Joanne Birch

Research interests

Plant Evolution

  • Systematics of flowering plants
  • Biogeography of Australasian and Pacific plant lineages
  • Genome evolution in Australian monocotyledons
  • Evolution of ecological and morphological diversity in Australian monocotyledons
  • Integrative taxonomic approaches to species delimitation
  • Molecular species delimitation methods

Dr Jessica Dunleavy

Research interests

Male reproductive biology, cell biology, spermatogenesis

My research focusses on the fundamental cell biology of mammalian sperm production and male fertility using mouse and cell models.

  • Spermatogenesis
  • cytoskeleton
  • knockout mouse models
  • male infertility

Dr Jane Fenelon

Research interests

Reproductive and developmental biology

My research focuses on two main research areas: embryonic diapause as a model for embryo-uterine communication and echidna development and reproduction

  • Embryonic diapause
  • Uterine-embryo signalling
  • Embryo development
  • Echidna embryology
  • Echidna sexual development and differentiation
  • Comparative reproduction.

Dr Jennifer Fox

Research interests

Innovation and Impact in BioSciences Education

I am currently a Lecturer in the School of BioSciences. I completed my PhD thesis on plant-herbivore interactions and continued my post-doctoral work in this area with an Australian Plant Biotechnology company. In 2018 I completed a Master of Teaching and since then my research focuses on innovation in biological science education. I use a mixture of qualitative and quantitative research methods to evaluate education innovations at The University of Melbourne.

  • improving conceptual understanding of biological concepts
  • supporting scientific skill development
  • improving online learning
  • improving assessment design

Dr John Golz

Research interests

Developmental regulation and translational research

Our group uses a combination of genetics, molecular, and cellular biology to investigate seed development. Specifically, we are interested in knowing how cell types are specified during the early stages of plant embryogenesis and in charactersing the genetic pathways that specify the unique properties of the seed coat, a protective tissue surrounding the embryo. We are interested in using synthetic biology to introduce agronomically important traits into crop plants and aim to use this technology to increase seed size as part of a strategy to enhace crop yields.

Prof. Joshua Heazlewood

Research interests

Plant glycomics

The biosynthesis of complex glycans within the plant cell requires a range of coordinated processes. My research group employs advanced analytical tools (mass spectrometry) to examine glycosylation processes and how metabolic partitioning influences their biosynthesis.

Dr James Maino

Research interests

Insect spatial ecology

  • Sustainable and integrated management of agricultural pests
  • Quantitative approaches to forecasting insect pests
  • Development of decision-making tools.

Dr Justin Maire

Research interests

Marine microbiology and coral reef conservation

  • Coral microbial symbiosis
  • Climate change adaptation and acclimatisation
  • Assisted evolution in reef-building corals/coral reef restoration

Dr John Morrongiello

Research interests

Marine and freshwater ecology and evolution

We are a group of ecologists and evolutionary biologists working in marine and freshwater systems investigating how animals respond to environmental change on contemporary and evolutionary time scales. We are keenly interested in the impacts of, and adaptations to, fishery activity, natural and human-induced flow variability, and environmental change. We ask questions at different levels of biological organisation, ranging from individuals (e.g. growth and behaviour) to assemblages (e.g. diversity and fishery productivity), using field-based and experimental techniques.

  • Climate change impact and adaptation
  • Evolutionary and behavioural ecology
  • Sustainable fisheries
  • fishig iduced evolution
  • River regulation and habitat restoration
  • Life histories

Dr Karen Rowe

Research interests

Ecology and conservation, ecoacoustics

Research in my lab covers a range of projects and taxonomic groups (primarily birds) and relies heavily on museum collections, field notes, biodiversity surveys, and fieldwork. Current topics include the use of bioacoustics to improve our understanding of species' distribution dynamics, threatened species detection and monitoring, and ecoacoustics and ecological disturbance (e.g., fire)

Dr Luke Barrett

Research interests

Marine ecology and sustainable aquaculture

My research is mostly concerned with understanding and minimising human impacts on the coastal marine environment, especially topics are around (1) maintaining biodiversity under pressure from fishing, poor water quality and invasive species, and (2) guiding responsible expansion of marine aquaculture as a source of sustainable food for the global population. I primarily work within Prof Tim Dempster's sustainable aquaculture lab (SALTT).

  • Marine ecology
  • kelp reef conservation
  • sustainable aquaculture
  • animal welfare in aquaculture

Dr Lisa Godinho

Research interests

Innovation and Impact in BioSciences Education

  • improving conceptual understanding of biological concepts
  • supporting scientific skill development
  • improving online learning
  • improving assessment design
  • equity and inclusion in STEM education

A/Prof. Mike Bayly

Research interests

Plant Evolution

We study the evolution, classification and biogeography of Australasian plants. Our research relies heavily on genetic markers, and involves field work, molecular lab work and comparisons of plant morphology.

  • Diversity, evolution and biogeography of Australasian flora

Dr Melissa Carew

Research interests

Freshwater biological monitoring

  • Aquatic macroinvertebrates
  • Ecological impacts of aquatic pollution
  • DNA barcoding
  • Application of next-generation sequencing
  • Environmental monitoring
  • Molecular taxonomy
  • Molecular ecology

Prof. Mark Elgar

Research interests

Evolutionary ecology

Members of my group investigate mating and social strategies of terrestrial invertebrates, and we are especially interested in how biotic and abiotic factors influence chemical communication that enables those strategies

  • Animal behaviour
  • Chemical communication
  • Mating strategies
  • Sexual conflict
  • Social behaviour
  • Signals and inter-specific mutualisms

A/Prof. Mark Green

Research interests

Reproductive biology

The lab focusses on understanding how factors in our environment, such as exposure to man-made chemicals, heat stress and parental diet, as well as assisted reproductive technologies affect our fertility and the health of offspring born.

  • Assisted reproductive technologies
  • Environmental endocrine disruptors
  • Developmental origins of adult disease
  • Oocyte quality
  • Embryo development
  • Sperm microfluidics
  • Mitochondrial function
  • In vitro fertilisation
  • Phenotype of IVF children
  • Health of cloned animals
  • Sex ratio
  • Anti-oxidants and reproduction

Dr Mike Haydon

Research interests

Plant cell signalling

We study circadian rhythms in plants with a focus on metabolic signalling. We use genetics and molecular biology, chemical biology and biochemistry to understand how metabolic signalling pathways control gene expression and drive adaptation to the rhythmic environment. Projects in the lab explore the interactions between metabolic signals such as sugars, reactive oxygen species and ethylene within the circadian system and how they help plants adjust metabolism, growth and development throughout the day and across seasons. This knowledge could generate tools to grow crops that are better adapted to their environment.

Prof. Mick Keough

Research interests

Marine ecology

  • Resilience of invertebrate communities to natural and anthropogenic disturbances
  • Evolutionary biology of invertebrate larvae

Prof. Margie Mayfield

Research interests

Plant and insect community ecology

The Mayfield Lab uses natural systems to explore how land use change impacts plant and insect communities. Our work ranges from theoretical studies on the development and testing of theory on species coexistence and diversity maintenance and more applied work in restoration, ecosystem services, and invasive species

Prof. Moira O'Bryan

Research interests

Male infertility and germ cell biology

My lab researches the key mechanisms required for male germ cell development, the aetiology of human male infertility and the interplay between fertility and health. This is achieved using a range of genomic, biochemical and cell biological methods, including the development of unique model systems.

  • Male fertility
  • infertility
  • spermatogenesis
  • andrology

Prof. Madeleine van Oppen

Research interests

Marine ecology and evolution

  • Coral microbial symbiosis
  • Climate change adaptation and acclimatisation
  • Assisted evolution in reef-building corals/coral reef restoration

Prof. Marilyn Renfree

Research interests

Reproductive and developmental biology

Our group studies reproduction and development in health and disease using marsupials and monotremes as biomedical models.

  • Reproductive biology of marsupials and monotremes
  • Developmental biology
  • Sex determination
  • Sexual differentiation
  • Endocrine disruption
  • Epigenetics
  • Genomic imprinting
  • Embryonic diapause
  • Lactation and growth
  • Limb development
  • Innate immunity
  • Comparative genomics.

Prof. Michael Kearney

Research interests

Physiological ecology, climate change responses, metabolic ecology, insect conservation, grasshopper biology

We combine field, lab and modelling work to understand what limits where species can and can't live, how they use their habitats, how they are adapted to their environments, and how we can use this information to manage species for conservation, agriculture and health

  • Climatic constraints and adaptation
  • Niche and distribution modelling
  • Life history
  • Biophysical ecology
  • Ecophysiology
  • Metabolic theory
  • Biogeography
  • Parthenogenesis
  • Conservation

Dr Marc Somssich

Research interests

The Role of the Cell Wall in Plant Immunity

I am interested in the plant cell wall as the first line of defense against invading pathogens

  • Plant-Fungal interactions, Plant Cell Walls, Protein-protein interactions, Advanced Microscopy, Plant biotic/abiotic stress

Dr Michael Stumpf

Research interests

Theoretical systems biology

  • Regulatory and signalling networks
  • Multiscale models of biological systems
  • Mechanistic models for cellular machines, evolutionary theory and statistical inference

Dr Matt West

Research interests

Applied ecology and wildlife conservation

  • Threatened species conservation and management
  • Wildlife population dynamics
  • Disease ecology including host-reservoir interactions
  • Captive breeding and reintroduction
  • Ecological modelling
  • Frogs, Fish and Fungus (Chytrid) plus things that fly (birds and bats)

Prof. Michelle Watt

Research interests

Plant root system discovery and application to human and environmental challenges in Earth and in Space

My group discovers and designs plant root systems to meet future challenges- on Earth and for Space habitation. We have a particular focus on engineering root carbon to capture CO2 and use water efficiently. We combine imaging, phenotyping and omics methods, and consider the whole plant and microbiome system.

  • Discovery and engineering of plant root systems
  • Soil carbon sequestration through root gene engineering
  • Water saving tricks of Australian native plants
  • Space plant system design and engineering
  • Food security and climate change mitigation
  • Radical solutions through lens of Space

Dr Nancy Endersby-Harshman

Research interests

Insecticide resistance, ecology and population genetics

As part of PEARG, I conduct research on the dengue vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti, in the fields of insecticide resistance, population genetics, Wolbachia pipientis and vector ecology.

  • Entomology, insecticide resistance, ecology and population genetics

Dr Nick Robinson

Research interests

Aquaculture breeding and genetics

  • Design of genetic improvement programs
  • Gene mapping
  • Genomics
  • Epigenetics
  • Genomic selection
  • Stress
  • Disease resistance

Prof. Nina Wedell

Research interests

Evolutionary biology

The Wedell research lab is focused on illuminating the role of genomic parasites in generating intragenomic conflict, predominantly working with insects. We explore the fundamental characteristic of selfish genes as agents of sexual selection and sexual conflict and aim to elucidate the consequences of these for hosts’ mating systems, the evolution of new traits, the creation of biological novelty, and the survival of populations.

  • evolutionary ecology of sexual reproduction
  • sexual selection and sexual conflict
  • selfish genetic elements
  • pesticide resistance
  • intragenomic conflict

Dr Laura Bibiana Ospina Rozo

Research interests

Biophotonics and bio-inspiration

I am passionate about understanding the adaptations that organisms have evolved to interact with physical phenomena around them, such as light waves. I use a cross-disciplinary approach to link questions of fundamental biology with technological applications. My experiments combine light, electron and atomic force microscopy, with colour quantification, computational models and ecological data.

  • Natural photonic/colourful materials: their wonderful properties, function and evolution
  • Bio-inspiration – from evolution to technology.

Prof. Phil Batterham

Research interests

Neurogenetics, behaviour and systems biology in insects

  • Role of insecticides in the demise of non-pest insect populations

Dr Pranali Deore

Research interests

Microalgae and Advanced imagaing techniques

I am developing super resolution imaging tools such as expansion microscopy, and mass spectroscopy imaging to visualises microalgae-bacteria association. I specialise in microalgal photosynthesis, infrared and fluorescence spectroscopy, and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). Currently, looking for a student with keen interest in microalgae-bacteria symbiosis.

  • Expansion microscopy
  • Microbial interactions (microalgae and bacteria)
  • Fluorescence lifetime Imaging Microscopy
  • Photosynthesis

A/Prof. Ben Phillips

Research interests

Population biology

My group works on evolution, ecology, and how spatial processes influence evolution. We have broad theoretical interests, but tend to work on empirical systems with applied value, including invasive species, parasites, pathogens, and species of conservation concern.

  • Invasive species
  • Population biology
  • Quantitative ecology
  • Statistical modelling
  • Simulation modelling

Dr Patricia Jusuf

Research interests

Neural development and regeneration, and disease modelling and treatment screening

Using the zebrafish model for visual neuroscience: Understanding gene networks during vertebrate development and pro-regenerative signals that drive adult nerve cell regeneration, modelling human visual disorders and screening for treatment strategies.

  • Retinal development
  • Regeneration in the adult central nervous system
  • Glaucoma
  • Myopia

Dr Perran Stott-Ross

Research interests

Environmental stress, evolution, entomology and endosymbionts

  • Integrated management of agricultural pests
  • Novel approaches for suppressing arboviral disease vectors

Dr Qiong Yang

Research interests

Insect pest and endosymbionts

As part of PEARG and AGPIP, I conduct research on the dengue vector mosquito and plant virus vector aphid, in the fields of Wolbachia genome, endosymbints screening and virus transimisson efficiency.

  • Integrated management of agricultural pests
  • Novel approaches for suppressing arboviral disease vectors

Dr. Rebecca Hull

Research interests

Innovation and Impact in BioSciences Education

I am a marine biologist and ecologist (BSc, MSc, PhD), working as an education-focused academic in the School of BioSciences. I work closely with colleagues to improve the delivery of subjects and to develop curricula (e.g., concepts/content, classes, assessment), including weaving Indigenous Knowledges into our subjects (e.g., field trips, practicals, tutorials, lectures, assessment).

  • improving conceptual understanding of biological concepts
  • supporting scientific skill development
  • improving online learning
  • improving assessment design
  • equity and inclusion in STEM education
  • Indigenous Knowledges

A/Prof. Rob Day

Research interests

Abalone aquaculture, fisheries, shark fishery effects, Effects of marine climate change

My sudents have worked with many applied projecs: abalone fisheries and aquaculture, modelling fisheries, rock lobster fishery biology, shark aging and reproductive biology, shark vulnerability, and also other aspects of the ecology of rocky shore molluscs. Currently I work with Dr Terry Walker on shark biology, and with D Roussel in France on abalone behaviour and the domestication process in abalone farms.

  • Abalone aquaculture: growth, stress and immune function
  • Climate change effects on aquaculture species
  • Shark and shark fisheries population dynamics and management
  • Reproductive biology of Sharks (With Dr Terry Walker)
  • Evolutionary change due to domestication in aquaculture

Dr Rebecca Morris

Research interests

Marine ecology and coastal climate adaptation

The Coastal and Estuarine Adaptation Lab tests the application of ecological engineering techniques for coastal resilience and restoration. We develop novel methods for shoreline protection using a diversity of restored or created coastal habitats (e.g., mangroves, saltmarsh, seagrass, kelp and shellfish reefs).

  • Climate change adaptation
  • Ecological engineering
  • Sustainable development
  • Coastal resilience

Prof. Raoul Mulder

Research interests

Behavioural ecology

We are fascinated by the causes and consequences of variability in mating systems, particularly the relative importance of sexual and natural selection, the role of visual and acoustic signals, and the way in which cooperation and conflict interact in complex social systems.

  • Animal behaviour
  • Social behaviour
  • Mating systems
  • Sexual selection
  • Cooperation
  • Communication anthropogenic impacts

Dr Kevin Rowe

Research interests

Integrative mammalogy: taxonomy, evolution, genomics, morphology, conservation biology

Students in my lab work on a wide range of topics related to the origins, evolution, and conservation of mammalian biodiversity, particularly rodents. Relying on and building museum collections we integrate remote fieldwork, biodiversity surveys, genomics, morphology, ecology, geography, and time series data to adress diverse questions. How have species responded to climate change and what are the impacts of bushfires on threatened species? How does biogeography shape the diversification of species? How do genomes and phenotype evolve across the tree of life? How threatened are species by loss of genetic variation?

  • Mammalian evolution
  • Biogeography
  • Systematics
  • Comparative Genomics
  • Threatened species conservation and management
  • Molecular and integrative species delimitation

Dr Robert Walker

Research interests

Plant, soil and microbe interactions

  • Plant-microbe interactions
  • Microbial phosphate cycling
  • Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria
  • Rhizobia-legume interactions
  • Geomicrobiology

Dr Lauren Salo

Research interests

Innovation and Impact in BioSciences Education

  • improving conceptual understanding of biological concepts
  • supporting scientific skill development
  • improving online learning
  • improving assessment design

Dr Simon Baxter

Research interests

Applied insect genetics

  • Genetic technology to improve insect pest control
  • Evolution and spread of insecticide resistance
  • Whole genome sequencing of insect pests
  • Adaptive evolution

Dr Stephen Frankenberg

Research interests

Development, reproduction, genomics, genetic biocontrol and synthetic biology

Research in my group covers two broad themes: synthetic biology, with ecologically therapeutic applications;and evolution, development, reproduction and genomics of vertebrates, especially marsupials

  • Synthetic biology
  • Genetic biocontrol (gene drive)
  • Marsupial stem cells and germ cells
  • Evolution of reproduction and development in vertebrates
  • Genomics

Prof. Stephen Leslie

Research interests

Statistical and population genetics

Developing methods for, and applying them to, studies of population structure and immunogenetics including:

  • methods for detecting and controlling for population structure
  • human population structure and population history
  • indigenous genomics
  • imputation of HLA alleles and other complex loci
  • the population genetics of HLA
  • disease studies, including GWAS and beyond
  • autoimmune diseases
  • indigenous genomics
  • imputation of HLA alleles and other complex loci
  • the population genetics of HLA
  • disease studies, including GWAS and beyond
  • autoimmune diseases

A/Prof Suzie Reichman

Research interests

Pollution impact and management

Our interdisciplinary research concentrates on the impacts and management of pollution in terrestrial ecosystems and soil. Our research focuses on using ecotoxicology, environmental chemistry (especially soil chemistry) and environmental risk assessment. We include research on plants, invertebrates, and human health, with our research spanning traditional pollutants (e.g. metals and hydrocarbons) as well as emerging contaminants such as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and microplastics. Our research provides evidence-based outcomes that are used by government, industry and the community to make decisions and more safely manage polluted environments.

  • Pollution
  • ecotoxicology
  • soil chemistry
  • land contamination
  • risk assessment
  • environmental chemistry
  • plant biology
  • invertebrates
  • vertebrates
  • urban
  • ecology
  • human health
  • terrestrial

Prof. Steve Swearer

Research interests

Marine ecology and environmental science

My research group works in to main areas: (1) the ecology of temperate and tropical reefs, with an emphasis on fish early life history and (2) understanding and mitigating the impacts of environmental change in aquatic, coastal and marine ecosystems

  • Fish and fisheries ecology
  • Ecological engineering and habitat restoration
  • Climate adaptation and mitigation
  • Aquaculture
  • Ecotoxicology

Dr Joshua Thia

Research interests

Population genomics, evolutionary biology, and applied science

I am broadly interested in genetics and evolutionary biology and how they can be applied to conservation and biosecurity issues. My current work focuses on pesticide resistance as an adaptive trait in agricultural insect and mite pest species. Projects would include such themes as: (1) the molecular basis of pesticide resistance;(2) the impact of climate change on pesticide resistance evolution, (3) the application of molecular tools to inform management of agricultural resources.

  • Adaptation
  • Agriculture
  • Bioinformatics
  • Climate change
  • Evolutionary ecology
  • Genomics
  • Pesticide resistance
  • Population genetics

Dr Therésa Jones

Research interests

Behavioural ecology, Urban Light Pollution and Evolutionary Ecology

  • Invertebrate mating systems
  • Sexual selection
  • Ecological light pollution

Dr Tyrone Lavery

Research interests

Integrative mammalogy: taxonomy, evolution, genomics, morphology, conservation biology

I'm a mammalogist with interests that span taxonomy and systematics, biogeography, ecology, and conservation biology. I use a wide range of tools to answer questions about how species are distributed and related, how distributions are shaped by geographic and biological variables, how species interact in their environments, and the threats they face and how we can best conserve them.

  • Integrative Taxonomy
  • Systematics
  • Biogeography
  • Conservation Biology
  • Ecology
  • Threatened Species Conservation and Management

Dr Vanessa R. Marcelino

Research interests

Ecology of gut microbiomes

Our research focuses on the ecology of microbial networks, tackling both applied challenges in the development of therapies and microbiome engineering, and fundamental questions on the eco-evolutionary processes underlying biological interactions.

  • Bioinformatics
  • Metabolic modelling
  • Ecology and evolution of host-microbiome associations
  • Microbiome engineering

Dr Vicky Waymouth

Research interests

Soil microbes and rhizosphere interactions

My research looks at the influence of changed rainfall patterns on microbial interactions in the rhizosphere. I'm also interested in changes in soil microbial communities in response to disturbance or elevation in natural and urban ecosystems.

  • Rhizosphere
  • Soil microbial ecology
  • mycorrhizal fungi
  • Plant-soil interactions
  • soil bacterial communities

Dr Xinyue Gu

Research interests

Molecular entomology,endosymbionts, environmental stress

Our current research aims to apply endosymbionts in pest and disease control programs through microinjection.Other areas of interest include CRISPR and RNAi in Drosophila and temperature adaptation studies.

  • Integrated management of agricultural pests
  • Making new strains for pest control
  • Novel approaches for suppressing arboviral disease vectors

Research projects

  • Genomic approaches to identifying and characterising genes important for infection
  • Dissecting the molecular and cellular aspects of host-pathogen interactions
  • Molecular genetic characterisation of transcriptional factors, and their circuits, controlling development
  • Genetic and genomic approaches to improve bioethanol production.
  • Ecological impacts of microplastics in Port Phillip Bay. This project will involve collecting field data on microplastic fibres and running laboratory experiments to test if they accumulate in fish and invertebrates. (with Dr Allyson O'Brien and Prof. Mick Keough)
  • Assessing the social acceptance of using nature-based coastal defence structures in Victoria (with Dr Beth Strain).
  • I am interested in co-supervision for other MSc projects that have a demonstrable potential impact into policy, management, planning or regulation. My involvement will be focused on the integration of research outcomes into Government practice.
  • Projects are available on all groups from liverworts to flowering plants
  • Parallel evolution: the many roads leading to Rome. A genome contains thousands of genes that can all mutate in multiple ways, but yet we observe very recurrent patterns of evolution in a handful of key genes. Using the best curated data on the genomics of life history, we are interested in studying recurrent but independent evolution so that genome-wide association can detect the extent of parallel evolution.
  • From home court advantage to home court consistence.Local adaptation whereby a local strain has evolved an adaptive advantage in widespread. However, in times of uncertainty about future climates, we are interested in understanding how organisms can introduce some variation in their traits to explore different evolutionary strategy. In particular, we want to test if individuals tend to show more random trait variation when exposed to climates that are more foreign to them.
  • The role of iridescence and gloss in survival of moving prey
  • Does the mirror-like body of Thwaitesia spiders attract prey?
  • What do jewel beetles see? Behavioural experiments investigating jewel beetle vision
  • Iridescence and visual communication in jewel beetles
  • Defining the impact of culture on induced pluripotent stem cell quality and metabolism
  • Redox regulation of uncoupling proteins in embryonic stem cells
  • MIDYEAR. Manipulating bacterial symbionts for agricultural pest control
  • MIDYEAR. Assessing the impact of grasshopper translocations on biodiversity
  • Molecular tool development and applications to fungi impacting agriculture
  • Mechanisms of antifungal drug resistance in Leptosphaeria maculans (Parkville or Horsham with Angela Van de Wouw)
  • Discovery of gene functions in Ampelomyces quisqualis, a biocontrol agent of powdery mildews
  • Australian fungal biodiversity
  • Genome editing of rice to improve nutrition
  • Allelic diversity of genes essential for micronutrient transport in wheat
  • Field trials of genetically modified wheat with iron-enriched grain
  • MIDYEAR. Building a co-designed delivery of Indigenous Knowledges in tertiary-level marine biology curricula.
  • Effects of endocrine disruption on health and development
  • Marsupial conservation biology and genomics
  • Defining the causes of declining male reproductive health
  • Developmental biology of marsupials
  • Using live cell and electron microscopy imaging to investigate trafficking and the cell wall
  • Understanding heterogeneity in cell walls and extracellular matrices in plants and algae
  • Investigation of probes for correlative imaging
  • Determining the impact of plant selection on pathogen evolution
  • Identification of antifungal drug resistance mechanisms
  • Genetic rescue in Victorian eastern barred bandicoots
  • Bioinformatics of genetic rescue;detecting signatures of inbreeding, outbreeding and local adaptation in the mountain pygmy possum
  • Environmental DNA as a novel method for estimating freshwater biodiversity
  • Investigating the functions of glycosyltransferases involved in cell wall biosynthesis
  • Studying Golgi transporter mutants required for glycan biosynthesis
  • Determining protein-protein interactions required for cell wall biosynthesis
  • Using live cell imaging to study the localization of Golgi-localized proteins
  • Investigating the role of a novel gene in spermatogenesis and male fertility.
  • Defining the role of a novel centriole protein in spermiogenesis and its role in sperm motility
  • Inter-species differences in sperm structure
  • Developing shellfish friendly pilings to manage water and habitat quality
  • Assessing the value of seagrass, saltmarshes and mangroves for coastal protection
  • Exploring the potential for endosymbionts to alter climate change resilience
  • Can plasticity increase upper male fertility thermal limits?
  • Surveying researchers' attitudes / understanding / opinions about issues in meta-science (e.g. replicability and generalisability of scientific findings, open science).
  • Systematic review: How variable is evidence to support particular conservation decisions?
  • Using managers' data to understand hawkweed invasion and improve management
  • Gene drives for insect control
  • Characterizing potential targets for novel insecticides
  • Pest insect genomics, population genetics and genetic manipulation
  • Genome wide associations with novel insecticides
  • Biotechnology applications of insect enzymes
  • The population history of indigenous Australians: what can the available genetic data tell us?
  • MIDYEAR. Developing employability through industry learning
  • Adaptive management of threatened ecological communities
  • Determining reproductive age limits in long-lived Allocasuarina luehmannii
  • Population viability analysis for keystone habitat species
  • Expert opinions of native vegetation offsets;trading size and quality
  • Vertebrate herbivore impacts on threatened species and communities
  • Characterising the role of an essential male fertilty gene in sperm production and function
  • Building sperm: defining mechanisms of microtubule remodelling in spermatogenesis
  • Biomarkers of human embryo viability (non-invasive analysis)
  • Impact of antioxidants during IVF and embryo culture
  • Oxidative stress in human oocytes and sperm
  • Metabolism of human oocytes and sperm
  • Metaboloepigenetics - how metabolic function regulates the epigenome
  • Relationships between predator activity, predator density and Malleefowl breeding activity
  • Light manipulation by structures and pigments in beetles or lizards - interdisciplinary research with applications for bioinpsired materials.
  • How does colour affect heat gain? Field-based experiments on diverse beetle species.
  • Perception of dynamic colour signals. Co-supervised with Dr Amanda Franklin.
  • Are iridescent colours more likely to be sexual signals in birds? Co-supervised with Dr. Iliana Medina.
  • How did vascular tissues evolve in plants?
  • Cloning and characterisation of genes encoding polysaccharide synthases
  • Using CRISPR technology to modify plant cell walls
  • Determining evolutionarily conserved protein-protein interactions in cell wall synthesis
  • Cell wall synthesis in pollen tubes
  • Self-incompatibility in wild radish
  • Refining roe production for sea urchin aquaculture
  • Identifying optimal approaches for plant abundance estimation
  • From symbiont to parasite - sugar transporters and the origins of malaria parasites
  • The genetic trap - how malaria's complex life cycle can be used to develop resistance-proof drugs
  • When mosquitoes get malaria - understanding host parasite interactions during transmission
  • Molecular control of organellar inheritance in apicomplexan parasites
  • MIDYEAR. Building scientific skills in Biosciences students
  • MIDYEAR. Improving conceptual understanding of biology
  • MIDYEAR. Evaluating the effectiveness of online learning activities
  • MIDYEAR. Making the most of the situation: using COVID as a teaching moment
  • Making the world's first genetically engineered Australian marsupial
  • Developing new tests to assess the impact of environmental chemicals
  • MIDYEAR. Building scientific skills in Biosciences students
  • MIDYEAR. Improving conceptual understanding of biology
  • MIDYEAR. Evaluating the effectiveness of online learning activities
  • Evolutionary genomics of algae
  • Imaging the internal chemistry of coral bleaching
  • Deriving biodiversity knowledge from metagenome data

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