
We examine how mammals overcome the challenges of living within changing environments
Awards & Achievements
2015: Finalist Australian Academy Science, Nancy Millis Medal
2011: Finalist Eureka Prize People's Choice Science Award
2011: Finalist Eureka Prize Animal Protection, Research & Innovation
2008-2010: Ambassador, Australian Institute of Policy & Science Tall Poppy Program for outstanding scientific research and communication
2009: F.G. Wood Memorial Prize, International Society Marine Mammalogy (along with Hogg, PhD student)
2007: Research Award, Australasian Association of Zoological Parks & Aquaria
2005: NSW Tall Poppy Award awarded by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science for outstanding scientific research and communication
Professional affiliations and service positions
Scientific member, Scientific Committee Antarctic Research (SCAR) Expert Group on Birds and Marine Mammals (EG-BAMM) 2007-present
Scientific member, DECCW Marine Fauna Advisory Committee, NSW Office of the Environment & Heritage Department of Premier and Cabinet 2010-present
Node representative, NSW Integrated Marine Observing System (2012 to present)
I am an active participant in Scientists in Schools, and have run workshops for children at the Powerhouse Museum, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Sydney Institute of Marine Science.
I was a judge for Australian Institute of Policy & Science Tall Poppy Program
My Research Supervision
Samantha Burke - Phenotypic plasticity and aging in a changing world
Patrice Pottier - Responses to anthropogenic changes
Adelaide Dedden - Tracking oceanic change and Mysticete whale behaviour through stable isotope oscillations along baleen plates
Andrea Cormack – The ecology of male southern elephant seals
Ben Walker - Conservation ecology of leopards in northern Botswana
Anna Lewis – Ecology of Tasmanian devils
Gary Truong - Drivers of great whale behaviour
Cameron Radford - Human-wildlife conflict
Past PhD students - where are they now
Catharina Vendl (PhD completed 2020 - Microbiome of humpback whales). Currently University of New South Wales
Kobe Martin (PhD completed 2019 - Rethinking the evolution of acoustic signals in mammals)
Ricardo Alvarez (PhD completed 2019 - Drivers of spatial patterns of South American marine mammals). Currently World Wildlife Fund.
Alicia Guerrero (PhD completed 2018 - Macroecological patterns in mammalian fatty acid distribution: diet, thermoregulation, streamlining). Currently Postdoctoral Fellow, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile
Naysa Balcazar (PhD submitted 2016 - Acoustics: a tool to reveal the behaviour of the blue whale). Currently Postdoctoral Fellow, COPAS Sur-Austral Research Center, Depto de Oceanografia, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción (Chile)
Tempe Adams (PhD commenced 2016 - Can humans and elephants coexist? with Keith Leggett). Currently Postdoctoral Fellow, Elephants without Boarders Kasane (Botswana)
Marlee Tucker (PhD completed 2015 - Macroecological patterns in mammals: body size, space use and diet). Currently Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Environmental Science at Radboud University in Nijmegen (Netherlands)
Marie Attard (PhD completed 2014 – Did competition influence the thylacine’s extinction with Dr Steve Wroe). Currently Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London (UK)
Carol Palmer (PhD completed 2014 – Ecology of the Australian Snubfin (Orcaella heinsohni) and Indo-Pacific Humpback (Sousa chinensis) dolphins in the Northern Territory. (PhD with Profr Chris Austin). Currently Senior Scientist (Marine Mammals) Marine Ecosystems, Department of Land Resource Management, Northern Territory (Australia)
Tiffanie Nelson (PhD completed 2012 – Patterns in the evolution of gut microbiota in mammals with Dr Mark Brown). Currently Postdoctoral Fellow, Montana State University (USA)
Joy Tripovich (PhD completed 2006 - Vocal behaviour in fur seals: neighbour-stranger recognition). Currently Behavioural Biologist, Taronga Conservation Society Australia (Australia)
Kym Collins (PhD completed 2006 – Mother-pup vocal behaviour in Weddell seals). Currently Bioacoustican, Aerial Survey Team Leader at Western Australian Department of Parks and Wildlife (Australia)
Rachael Gray (PhD completed 2005 – Health parameters of southern pack ice seals). Currently Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney (Australia)
Sophie Hall-Aspland (PhD completed 2005 – Foraging ecology of leopard seals). Currently Lecturer, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences Charles Sturt University (Australia)
Carolyn Hogg (PhD completed 2005 – Non-invasive sampling of steroids in whale blow). Currently Research Manager, Australasian Wildlife Genomics Group, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney (Australia)