Andrew Weeks

I am a ecological geneticist with broad experience applying genetic principles in invertebrate pest control and conservation. My current research interests are centered on translocations as a way of genetically rescuing populations from inbreeding, losses of genetic variation and the build up of slightly deleterious alleles. My interests are also in developing translocation strategies that aim to enhance a population’s ability to adapt under climate change. I actively participate in several threatened species recovery teams in Australia, where I have developed research programs that look at hybridization of genetically differentiated populations as a way of reinvigorating the genetics of populations that have undergone large declines in numbers. In this vain, I led a successful research program that undertook the first genetic rescue of a wild population in Australia. I have developed similar programs for a number of different Australian threatened species.