Life - Research Specialties

Our Life sub-theme embraces specialties of physiology, behaviour and ecology of faunal groups and evolutionary biology and genomics of extinct and extant floral and faunal taxa. Specific expertise includes insect and vertebrate social behaviour, mammalian energetics, form and function in living and fossil animals, parasite biology, and large scale landscape and movement ecology of vertebrates.

Research Interests: Evolutionary Biology

Research Interests: Zoology

Our People

Evolutionary Biology

Rose AndrewDr Rose Andrew

  • molecular ecology
  • landscape genetics and genomics
  • evolution, especially adaptation, speciation and hybridization
  • ecological genetics

Jeremy BruhlProfessor Jeremy Bruhl

  • systematics of Cyperaceae worldwide
  • floral development, photosynthetic pathway variation & biology of Cyperaceae
  • biology, biogeography & taxonomy of Australian plants

Caroline GrossProfessor Caroline Gross

  • conservation, management & ecology of endangered plants
  • reproductive requirements of pioneer species
  • bee pollination
  • plant systematics & evolution
  • plant biodiversity in grassland ecosystems

Tommy LeungDr Tommy Leung

  • evolutionary ecology of parasites
  • community Ecology of Parasites
  • parasitology
  • species interactions
Zoology

Nigel AndrewA/Professor Nigel Andrew

  • insect herbivores and herbivory
  • potential impacts of climate change on insect interactions, physiology & behaviour
  • insect community structure along environmental and evolutionary gradients
  • tri-trophic interactions (plant: insect herbivores: predators & parasitoids)

Stuart CairnsDr Stuart Cairns

  • population ecology
  • macropod ecology
  • ecological statistics

Fritz GeiserProfessor Fritz Geiser

  • comparative physiology and biochemistry
  • thermal energetics of birds and mammals
  • environmental and behavioural physiology

Tommy LeungDr Tommy Leung

  • evolutionary ecology of parasites
  • community Ecology of Parasites
  • parasitology
  • species interactions

A/Professor Paul McDonald

  • cooperation & conflict in complex social groups
  • ecological consequences of sociality, in particular: Bell Miner Associated Dieback (BMAD)
  • signal structure, communication and bioacoustics
  • social network analysis
  • behavioural ecology/animal behaviour generally

Stephen WroeProfessor Stephen Wroe

  • palaeontology
  • relationships between form and function in living and fossil species
  • biomechanics
  • megafauna

Dr Jean Drayton

  • Postdoctoral Fellow

Gerhard KoertnerDr Gerhard Koertner

  • Postdoctoral Fellow

Clare StawskiDr Clare Stawski

  • Physiology
  • Ecology
  • Behaviour
  • Conservation
  • Thermoregulation
  • Energetics