Leanda Denise Mason

I developed a keen interest in mygalomorph spiders in my undergraduate years after being introduced to the resident expert, Dr. Barbara York Main. For my honours, I developed an industry funded project that quantified the extreme susceptibility of trapdoor spiders to desiccation. After working as a consultant the following year, I decided to pursue a PhD and continue researching trapdoor spiders and how they might persist in urban areas. It was called ‘Living on burrowed time - mygalomorph spiders of Perth’. Now I am pursuing a teaching career at tertiary level, while continuing to research trapdoor spiders as a hobby.