Christina N. Zdenek

I am an Ecologist and Herpetologist at the University of Queensland, where I work as a Post-doctoral Research Fellow in the Celine Frere Research Group. Our lab collaborates with governments and industry to deliver cost-effective wildlife monitoring services, novel gut microbiome analyses, and important wildlife conservation outcomes. Personally, with more than 16 years in field-based roles and 8 years in lab-based roles, my inter-disciplinary research interests have traversed parrot vocalisations to animal cognition, snake venom activity, antivenom efficacy, snake ecology, snake behaviour, and the human-snake conflict. My vision is to use science to promote a better relationship between humans and wildlife. I also have a passion for science communication (e.g. I was ABC's Top Five Scientist in 2021; am 1 of 3 Inspiring Australia's ambassadors for Qld in 2024) and have devoted 15 years to working with Indigenous groups on Cape York Peninsula to save Australia’s only tool-using parrot, the Palm Cockatoo, whereby Prof. Rob Heinsohn and I successfully raised its conservation status twice.