I grew up in Tasmania and completed a Science Degree and PhD at the University of Tasmania where I developed a keen interest in the evolution of island faunas and ancient DNA. Since then I have worked on ancient DNA projects (including the extinct Dodo, Moa, the reptile fauna of the Mascarene islands and attempts to retrieve DNA from insects preserved in amber) at the Natural History Museum (London), comparative phylogeography of rainforest vertebrates at the University of Queensland, phylogeography and molecular systematics of Australian owls and lizards at Museum Victoria, and have been based at the University of Adelaide since 2005. My research uses ancient and modern DNA to understand the impacts of human activities over the last 200 years on threatened and endangered species, the impacts of climate change on genetic diversity and demography over the last 50,000 years and the phylogeography of a range of vertebrates. Since 2007 I have applied my ancient DNA expertise to the problem of forensic identification of degraded human skeletal remains and am currently an ARC Future Fellow working on a project to establish a Advanced Forensics Facility at the University of Adelaide to provide specialist DNA identification of human remains.
Experience
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2011–presentARC Future Fellow and Deputy Director - ACAD, University of Adelaide
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2005–2010Research Scientists and Deputy Director - ACAD, University of Adelaide
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2003–2005Research Scientist, Museun Victoria
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2000–2003Research Scientist, University of Queensland, Brisbane
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1994–2000Research Scientist, Natural History Museum, London
Education
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1995University of Tasmania, PhD
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1991University of Tasmania, Bachelor of Science (Hons)
Research Areas
- Forensic Biology (069901)
- Conservation And Biodiversity (050202)
- Biogeography And Phylogeography (060302)
- Website
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For media enquiries,
08 8313 0814 - Joined
