Hi there! My name is Heshani, and I am a highly qualified and experienced zoologist with a passion for communicating scientific concepts to the public. I hold a PhD in Zoology, which I completed in November 2021, and have published multiple papers in international peer-reviewed journals. My expertise in scientific research and writing has also led to me being invited to publish an article for the 'Curious kids' series on The Conversation, New Zealand.
I am deeply committed to environmental conservation and sustainability, and have gained valuable experience in these areas through my work as an ecologist at Wildland Consultants Pvt Ltd.
My passion for communicating scientific information to a wider audience has led me to pursue opportunities to engage with the public through my writing. I am excited to be a part of The Conversation New Zealand, where I can share my expertise and contribute to informed public discussion on important scientific issues.
In my spare time, I enjoy exploring the natural world through hiking and wildlife photography, and am always eager to learn more about the amazing diversity of life on our planet.
Experience
-
2022–presentEcologist, Wildland Consultants Pvt Ltd
-
2021–2022Research assistant, Massey University
-
2021–2022Lecturer, Massey University
-
2016–2021PhD candidate, Massey University
Education
-
2021Massey University, New Zealand, Doctor of Philosophy
-
2014University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, BSc (Bioinformatics)
Publications
-
2021Insights into the establishment of introduced species using Coccinellines (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) as a model system, The Coleopterists Bulletin
-
2014Predicting the relationship between body size and habitat type of tiger beetles (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) using Artificial Neural Networks, Journal on New Biological Reports
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Website
- @IIheshII
- Article Feed
- ORCID
- Joined
