I studied the endocrine control of growth in marsupials during my PhD and have continued my involvement in a number of genetics and evolutionary projects since I moved to Germany at the end of 2008. I am particularly interested in the evolution of viviparity in therian mammals and how this is reflected in the genomes of marsupials and eutherian mammals. In 2010 I received an Alexander von Humboldt post-doctoral fellowship to investigate the genetic diversity of the extinct Tasmanian tiger which has been a long term goal. I returned to Melbourne at the end of 2012 and am currently working as a research fellow in the Department of Zoology
Experience
2013–2015
Centenary Fellow, The University of Melbourne
2010–2012
Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research
2008–2010
Post-doctoral Researcher, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research
Education
2009
The University of Melbourne, PhD
Publications
2013
Thylacine: Genetics of an Extinct Species, McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
2013
Ultrasonography of wallaby prenatal development shows that the climb to the pouch begins in utero, Scientific Reports
2012
Limited genetic diversity preceded extinction of the Tasmanian tiger, PLoS ONE
2012
Maturation of the growth axis in marsupials occurs gradually during post-natal life and over an equivalent developmental stage relative to eutherian species, Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology
2011
The concept of superfetation: A critical review on a 'myth' in mammalian reproduction, Biological Reviews
2011
Genome sequence of an Australian kangaroo provides insight into the evolution of mammalian reproduction and development, Genome Biology
2009
Early onset of ghrelin production in a marsupial, Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology
2008
Exon 3 of the growth hormone receptor (GH-R) is specific to eutherian mammals, Molecular and Cellular Enodcrinology
2007
Perturbed growth and development of marsupial young after reciprocal cross-fostering between species, Reproduction Fertility & Development
Research Areas
Population, Ecological And Evolutionary Genetics (060411)
Quantitative Genetics (Incl. Disease And Trait Mapping Genetics) (060412)
Developmental Genetics (Incl. Sex Determination) (060403)