Contact Details
| Organization: | Zoology |
| Position: | LECTURER |
| Email: | |
| Homepage: | http://www.zoology.unimelb.edu.au/aboutus/staff/index.php?87,4 |
| Work: | 8344 4846 |
| Fax: | 8344 7909 |
| Room: | 252 |
| Level: | 02 |
| Building: | Zoology Building |
| Campus: | Parkville |
Biography
I completed a combined BA/BSc(Hons) at Melbourne University, with a major in German language and literature and Honours in zoology investigating the mating system of the mountain brushtail possum, or bobuck. I then spent some time travelling before returning to Melbourne to carry out my PhD on bobucks, investigating more broadly the behavioural ecology of this species. After spending some time based at James Cook University and on field trips in Cape York, the Top End of the Northern Territory and the Kimberley, I returned to Melbourne Uni to take up a lectureship in the Zoology Department.
My primary research interest is the way in which the ecology and behaviour of wildlife species can be influenced by the changes humans make to the natural environment such as due to habitat fragmentation and logging. I am particularly interested in social and mating behaviour and investigating the ways in which these behaviours alter in response to changes in resource availability and distribution. Following from my PhD research and in collaboration with Dr. Kath Handasyde, I am currently using the bobuck (mountain brushtail possum) as a model species to explore these questions.
My primary research interest is the way in which the ecology and behaviour of wildlife species can be influenced by the changes humans make to the natural environment such as due to habitat fragmentation and logging. I am particularly interested in social and mating behaviour and investigating the ways in which these behaviours alter in response to changes in resource availability and distribution. Following from my PhD research and in collaboration with Dr. Kath Handasyde, I am currently using the bobuck (mountain brushtail possum) as a model species to explore these questions.
Research Expertise and International Linkages
Research Expertise
| Research Interest | Key Words | Country of Expertise |
|---|---|---|
| Behavioural Ecology, Conservation and Wildlife Biology | Behavioural ecology, wildlife biology, mammals, social system, mating system, behaviour, possums | Australia |
Qualifications, Honours, Fellowships and Other Awards
Qualifications
| Title | Institution | Date Awarded | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Arts | University of Melbourne | 31-Dec-1998 | |
| Bachelor of Science (Honours) | University of Melbourne | 30-Jun-2000 | |
| Doctor of Philosophy | University of Melbourne | 19-Jan-2006 | |
| Graduate Certificate in University Teaching | University of Melbourne | 31-Dec-2007 |
Memberships
| Membership Type | Membership Body | Description | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unspecified | Australian Mammal Society | Member | 01-Jan-2001 | |
| Unspecified | Ecological Society of Australia | Member | 01-Jan-2001 | |
| Unspecified | Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales | Member | 01-Jan-2001 | |
| Unspecified | Australian Marine Conservation Society | Member | 01-Jan-1998 | |
| Unspecified | Australasian Evolution Society | Member | 01-Jan-2001 | |
| Unspecified | Society for Conservation Biology | Member | 01-Jan-2003 | |
| Unspecified | Australian Conservation Foundation | Member | 01-Jan-1999 | |
| Unspecified | Land for Wildlife | Member | 01-Jan-2001 | |
| Unspecified | Victorian National Parks Association | Member | 01-Jan-2002 |
Other Awards
| Award Type | Awarding Body | Comments | Date Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other (Award) | Fresh Science | Winner, Peoples' Choice Award | 01-Jan-2006 |
| Other (Award) | Ecological Society of Australia | Winner, best student talk, Conference | 01-Jan-2005 |
| Other (Award) | Australian Mammal Society | Winner, Bolliger Prize (best student talk), Conference | 01-Jan-2003 |
| Other (Award) | Society for Conservation Biology | Best student talk | 01-Jan-2002 |
| Scholarship | APA | 01-Jan-2001 | |
| Other (Award) | Australian Mammal Society | Runner up, Bolliger Prize (best student talk), Conference | 01-Jan-2001 |
| Other (Award) | University of Melbourne | Faculty of Science Dean's Honours List | 01-Jan-2001 |
| Scholarship | University of Melbourne | Howitt Natural History Scholarship | 01-Jan-2001 |
| Scholarship | University of Melbourne | Howitt Natural History Scholarship | 01-Jan-2000 |
| Scholarship | University of Melbourne | Howitt Natural History Scholarship | 01-Jan-1999 |
| Scholarship | Andersen Consulting | Scholarship for Victoria | 01-Jan-1997 |
| Other (Award) | University of Melbourne | Faculty of Science Dean's Honours List | 01-Jan-1994 |
Government Research Classifications
Research Fields, Courses and Discipline Classifications
- Terrestrial Ecology (ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION) (270703)
- Life Histories (incl. Population Ecology) (ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION) (270706)
- Sociobiology and Behavioural Ecology (ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION) (270707)
- Conservation and Biodiversity (ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION) (270708)
- Ecology and Evolution not elsewhere classified (ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION) (270799)
Socio-Economic Objective Classifications
Grants and Contracts
Research Grants, Contracts and Consultancies awarded to the University of Melbourne as the administering institution (since 2003) as recorded in Themis Agreements.
Additional Grant and Contract Information
2006 Melbourne University Early Career Researcher Grant ‘Anthropogenic habitat disturbance: how do mammals respond behaviourally?, $37, 9282006 M. A. Ingram Trust Grant ‘The influence of den-site availability on the behavioural ecology of bobucks’ , $900
2003 Holsworth Wildlife Research Fund ‘Behavioural ecology of the Bobuck’ (Trichosurus caninus), $4,000
2003 Ecological Society of Australia, Conference Travel Grant, $280
2003 Ecological Society of Australia Research Grant, $700
2003 Ethel Mary Read Research Grant, Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, $750
2003 Loftus-Hills Memorial Fund Award, Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, $3,000
2002 Holsworth Wildlife Research Fund ‘Behavioural ecology of the Bobuck’ (Trichosurus caninus), $4,000
2002 Ecological Society of Australia, Conference Travel Grant, $200
2001 Holsworth Wildlife Research Fund ‘Behavioural ecology of the Bobuck’ (Trichosurus caninus), $3,000
2001 Lady Leitch Bursary, Australian Federation of University Woman- Victoria, $1,000
Publications
Publications produced at the University of Melbourne and reported in the Annual Publications Collection and 'Research Report' since 2001. The Themis Publications module, released in November 2006, allows additional publications from previous institutions and publications from past years to be entered.