Lab of Animal Ecology
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    • Flying-Fox Heat Stress Forecaster
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People

Professor Justin Welbergen - Lab leader

Postdocs
  • Dr Jessica Meade - Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Western Sydney University). Topic: Movement ecology of flying-foxes
  • Dr Nicholas Wu - Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Western Sydney University). Topic: Vulnerabilty of Australian bats to white-nose syndrome
  • Fiona Backhouse - Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Cornell University, Western Sydney University) Topic: Cultural evolution in lyrebirds

PhD Students
  • Samantha Yabsley - PhD Candidate (Western Sydney University; supervisors: Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Christopher Turbill, Dr Jessica Meade, Prof Michael Kearney). Topic: The impacts of extreme heat events on Australian flying-foxes
  • Ram Mohan - PhD Candidate (Western Sydney University; supervisors: A/Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Jessica Meade) Topic: A cross-continental comparison of drivers of flying-fox urbanisation
  • Tomás Villada-Cadavid​ - PhD Candidate (Western Sydney University; supervisors: Dr Christopher Turbill, Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Nicholas Wu). Topic: Vulnerability of Australian bats to white-nose syndrome
  • Alice Barrat - PhD Candidate (Western Sydney University; supervisors: Dr Christopher Turbill,  A/Prof Ben Moore, Prof Justin Welbergen). Topic: Thermal physiology, behavior, and energetics of Australian birds
  • Matt Chaumont - PhD Candidate (Western Sydney University; supervisors: Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Anastasia Dalziell, Prof Robert Magrath). Topic: A Lyrebirds tale: cultural evolution of song through time
  • Annabel Dorrestein - PhD Candidate (Western Sydney University; supervisors: Prof Justin Welbergen,​ Prof David Phalen, Dr John Martin, Dr Karrie Rose, Dr David Westcott). Topic: The social organisation of the Christmas Island flying-fox (Pteropus melanotus natalis)
  • Fiona Backhouse - PhD Candidate (Western Sydney University; supervisors: Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Anastasia Dalziell, Prof Robert Magrath). Topic: Explaining geographic variation in the multimodal display of the Albert’s lyrebird (Menura alberti)​
  • ​Melissa Walker - PhD Candidate (Western Sydney University; supervisors: Dr Christopher Turbill, Dr Jessica Meade, Prof Justin Welbergen). Topic: Flying-fox physiology and energetics

Masters Students
  • Sienna Grady - MRes student (University of Western Sydney); supervisors: Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Jessica Meade, Prof Matthias Boer. Topic: Impacts of Australia's recent megafires on the grey-headed flying-fox
  • Kate Bojarojc - MRes student (University of Western Sydney); supervisors: Dr Christopher Turbill, Prof Justin Welbergen. Topic: TBA
​
Lab Associates
  • Dr Anastasia Dalziell - Visiting Fellow (Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment) & Postdoctoral Associate (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University). Topic: Form and function of the complex visual and acoustic display of the superb lyrebird, Menura novaehollandiae
  • Dr John Martin - Research Scientist at Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Sydney. Researching wildlife adaptation to urban environments, citizen science in schools, kids connection to nature, and post-fire wildlife provisioning. 
  • Dr Christopher Turbill - Senior Lecturer (Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment). Topics: Physiological ecology; metabolism and energy expenditure, torpor and hibernation; evolution of life history strategies; ecology of Chiroptera (bats); telomeres as a biomarker.
  • Prof Matthias Boer - Associate Professor (Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment). Topics: Landscape ecology of fire-prone environments; (eco)hydrology of semiarid and arid environments; land degradation and desertification; spatial analysis and simulation modelling.
  • A/Prof Ben Moore - Senior Lecturer (Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment). Topics: Ecology, chemical ecology, vertebrate ecology, plant-animal interactions, fauna and biodiversity, ecosystem effects of plant secondary metabolites.
  • ​Dr David Westcott - Principal Research Scientist in CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences’ Ecology (Atherton Qld). Interests: conservation management of endangered species; seed dispersal ecology; biological invasions; movement ecology.
  • Dr Karrie Rose - Manager of the Australian Registry of Wildlife Health at the Taronga Conservation Society (Taronga Zoo), Sydney. Interests: wildlife health research, education, and disease investigation.
  • Dr Kyle Armstrong - Affiliate Associate Lecturer at the University of Adelaide. Interests: molecular systematics, conservation genetics, genomics, bioacoustics, and conservation of bats. Former President of the Australasian Bat Society

​Summer Scholarships/Interns
  • Jeff Balland - Intern (Western Sydney University/The University of La Rochelle; supervisors: Prof Justin Welbergen, A/Prof Catherine Herbert, Dr John Martin). Topic: Movement ecology of urban macropods
  • Rani Carol - Summer Scholarship (Western Sydney University; supervisors: Prof Justin Welbergen, Ms Victoria Austin). Topic: Vocal mimicry in the superb lyrebird, Menura novaehollandiae

Research assistants & volunteers
  • Benoit Sommervogel - (Western Sydney University; supervisors: Victoria Austin, Prof Justin Welbergen). Topic: Investigating the structure and function of mimetic song in female superb lyrebirds (Menura novaehollandiae)
  • Ariana Ananda - (Western Sydney University; supervisors: Annabel Dorrestein, Prof Justin Welbergen). Topic: The social organisation of the Christmas Island flying-fox (Pteropus melanotus natalis)

Visitors
  • None at present

​Allumni​
  • Samantha Yabsley - MRes student (University of Western Sydney); supervisors: A/Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Jessica Meade. Topic: Drivers of flying-fox urbanisation​
  • Victoria Austin - PhD Candidate (Western Sydney University; supervisors: A/Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Anastasia Dalziell, A/Prof Naomi Langmore). Topic: Investigating the structure and function of mimetic song in female superb lyrebirds (Menura novaehollandiae)
  • Laura Pulscher - PhD Candidate (University of Sydney; supervisors: Prof David Phalen, Dr Karrie Rose, Dr Hannah Bender, A/Prof Justin Welbergen). Topic: Investigating the role of infectious, nutritional and toxicological disease in the decline of the Critically Endangered Christmas Island flying-fox (Pteropus melanotus natalis)
  • Eliane McCarthy - MRes student (University of Western Sydney); supervisors: A/Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr John Martin,​ A/Prof Matthias Boer. Topic: Remote sensing of Australian flying-fox camps.
  • Nicola Hanrahan - PhD Candidate (Western Sydney University; supervisors: A/Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Christopher Turbill, Dr Anastasia Dalziell, Dr Kyle Armstrong). Topic: The physiological and behavioural ecology of the Ghost Bat: implications for conservation and management
  • Christopher Todd - PhD Candidate (Western Sydney University; supervisors: A/Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr David Westcott, Dr John Martin, Dr Karrie Rose). Topic: The ecology and conservation of the Critically Endangered Christmas Island flying-fox
  • ​Jonathan Finch - PhD Candidate (Western Sydney University; supervisors: Prof James Cook, A/Prof Sally Power, Dr Justin Welbergen). Topic: The co-evolution and maintenance of obligate pollination mutualisms in the Australian Phyllantheae
  • Himali Ratnayake - PhD Candidate (University of Melbourne; supervisors: A/Prof Michael Kearney, Dr Justin Welbergen, Dr Christopher Turbill, A/Prof Rodney Van Der Ree). Topic: Climatic affects and the roles of behaviour, physiology and morphology on the heat budgets of the Australian flying-foxes (Pteropus spp.)
  • Alex Romano - MRes student (University of Western Sydney); supervisors: Dr Christopher Turbill, Dr Justin Welbergen. Topic: Behavioural ecology and thermal energetics of roosting by woodland birds.
  • Benjamin Sloggett - MRes student (University of Western Sydney); supervisors: Dr Christopher Turbill, Dr Justin Welbergen. Topic: Thermal physiology and seasonal energetics of bent-winged bats
  • Daisy Englert Duursma - PhD Candidate (Macquarie University: supervisors: A/Prof Simon Griffith, Dr Justin Welbergen). Topic: Role of climate in shaping life history, morphology, and behaviour of Australia's mainland bird species
  • Maureen Kessler - Fulbright student (Montana State University; Supervisor: Dr Raina Plowright. Advisors: Dr Peggy Eby, Dr Alison Peel. Host: A/Prof Justin Welbergen). Topic: Drivers of urban habituation in flying foxes
  • Vanya Jha - PhD Candidate (Western Sydney University; supervisors: Dr J. Welbergen, Dr John Martin, Dr Jessica Meade, Prof Chris Dickman). Topic: The movement ecology of the European red fox in urban Australia
  • Ben Stepkovich - MRes student (University of Western Sydney; supervisors: Dr J. Welbergen, Dr John Martin, Prof Chris Dickman). Topic: Dietary preferences of the European red fox in urban Australia.
  • ​Elisabeth Timmiss - Honours student (University of New South Wales; supervisors: Prof Richard Kingsford, Dr Nick Murray, Dr John Martin, Dr J. Welbergen). Topic: The determinants of the spatiotemporal distribution of flying-fox roosts in Australia. ​
  • Annabel Dorrestein - MSc Student; (University of Utrecht): Supervisors: Dr J. Welbergen, Christopher Todd. Topic: Impacts of yellow crazy ants on Christmas Island flying foxes.
  • Carmen Panayi - PhD Candidate (University of Cambridge; supervisors: Prof N. Davies FRS, Dr J. Madden, Dr J. Welbergen). Topic: Multi-modal signals in tooth-billed bowerbirds
  • Nantida Sutummawong - PhD Candidate (James Cook University; supervisors: Prof S. Williams, Dr J. Welbergen, Dr J. Maloney, Dr A. Anderson). Topic: Climate change vulnerability of Thailand's rainforest birds
  • Matthew Chaumont - Honours Student (University of Western Sydney: supervisors: Dr J. Welbergen, Dr Matthew Berg, A/Prof Naomi Langmore). Topic: Frontline adaptations in Australian reed warblers against a ghost of brood parasitism past
  • Jasmine Magee - Honours Student (University of Western Sydney: Dr J. Welbergen, Dr B. Moore, Prof J. Cook). Topic: The dawn chorus in noisy miners (Manorina melanocephala): proximate and ultimate causes
  • ​Ben Stepkovich - Summer Scholarship. Topic: Dietary preferences of the European red fox in urban Australia. Supervisors: Dr J. Welbergen, Dr John Martin, Prof Chris Dickman.
  • Elisabeth Timmiss – Summer Scholarship. Project: Ecology and conservation of the Christmas Island flying-fox. Supervisors: Dr J. Welbergen, Christopher Todd
  • Alexis Corbara - Visiting intern (MSc student; École Normale Supérieure de Lyon): Supervisors: Dr J. Welbergen, Nicola Hanrahan, Field assistant and small project student (3-months). Study system: Ghost bats
  • Taylor Heaton Crisologo - Visiting intern (Cornel University): Supervisor: Dr Anastasia Dalziell & Dr J. Welbergen. Field assistant and small project student (3-months). Study system: Lyrebirds
  • Sarah Dzielski - Visiting intern (Cornel University): Dr Anastasia Dalziell & Dr J. Welbergen. Field assistant and small project student (3-months). Study system: Lyrebirds
  • James Purcell - Visiting intern (Cornel University): Dr Anastasia Dalziell & Dr J. Welbergen. Field assistant and small project student (3-months). Study system: Lyrebirds
  • Samantha Yabsley (University of Western Sydney): Internship (3-months). Supervisors: Dr J. Welbergen & Dr Anastasia Dalziell. Study system: Lyrebirds
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​The Lab of Animal Ecology

Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment
Hawkesbury Campus, Western Sydney 
University 
Bourke Street, Richmond
2753 NSW, Australia
Phone: +61 2 4570 1496; Fax: +61 2 4570 1103

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​Visitors since March 2015
​Site by J. Welbergen