People

Professor Justin Welbergen - Lab leader

Postdocs

• Dr Anastasia Dalziell - ARC DECRA Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Lecturer in Avian Ecology and Evolution (Western Sydney University). Topic: Animal culture in changing landscapes: anthropogenic drivers of cultural change in Gondwanan songbirds. 
• Dr Jessica Meade - Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Lecturer in Movement Ecology (Western Sydney University). Topics: i) movement ecology of flying-foxes; ii) improving flying-fox conservation management.
• Dr Victoria (Flossy) Sperring - Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Avian Ecology and Conservation (Western Sydney University). Topic: Ecology and conservation of the Christmas Island goshawk and hawk-owl.
• Dr Fiona Backhouse - Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Cornell University; Western Sydney University) Topic: Cultural evolution in lyrebirds
• Dr Annabel Dorrestein - Postdoctoral Research Associate (Western Sydney University). Topic: Flying-fox conservation ecology.

PhD Students

• ​Amy Tipton - PhD student (Western Sydney University); supervisors Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Victoria (Flossy) Sperring, A/Prof Rohan Clarke (Monash University), Dr Nicholas Macgregor (Parks Australia). Topic: The conservation ecology of the Vulnerable Christmas Island Hawk-Owl.
• ​Catie Cornish - PhD student (Western Sydney University); supervisors Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Victoria (Flossy) Sperring, A/Prof Rohan Clarke (Monash University), Dr Nicholas Macgregor (Parks Australia). Topic: The conservation ecology of the endangered Christmas Island Goshawk.
• ​Zachary Arnold - PhD student (Western Sydney University); supervisors Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Anastasia Dalziell, ​Dr Victoria (Flossy) Sperring, Dr Nicholas Macgregor (Parks Australia). Topic: The ecology and conservation of the Christmas Island Thrush, Turdus erythropleurus.
• Emily Bradstock - PhD student (Western Sydney University); supervisors Dr Anastasia Dalziell, Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Fiona Backhouse, Dr Kimberly Maute (NSW Department of Planning and Environment). Topic: Cultural evolution in the song of the endangered Eastern Bristlebird, Dasyornis brachypterus.
• Mayuri Kotian - PhD student (Western Sydney University); supervisors Prof Justin Welbergen, Prof Paul Roe (QUT), Prof Lin Schwarzkopf (JCU), and Dr Nicholas Macgregor (Parks Australia). Topic: Bio- and eco-acoustic monitoring of Christmas Island fauna.
• Sienna Grady - PhD student (Western Sydney University); supervisors: Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Jessica Meade, Prof Matthias Boer. Topic: Monitoring the spatiotemporal dynamics of nectar availability for the grey-headed flying-fox across eastern Australia
• Samantha Yabsley - PhD Candidate (Western Sydney University); supervisors: Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Christopher Turbill, Dr Jessica Meade. Topic: The impacts of extreme heat events on Australian flying-foxes
• Ram Mohan - PhD Candidate (Western Sydney University); supervisors: Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Jessica Meade & Dr Caragh Threlfall. 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 Barratt - 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​
• Mei-Ting Kao - PhD student (The University of Sydney); supervisors: Dr Caragh Threlfall, Prof Dieter Hochuli, ​Dr Brad Law, Prof Justin Welbergen. Topic: Social behaviours and interactions between bat species in response to urbanisation

Masters Students

• None at present - see here if you'd like to join!

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Visiting Fellows

• Dr Nicola Hanrahan - Visiting Fellow (Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment). Topic: bat ecology and conservation
• Dr John Martin - Visiting Fellow (Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment). Topics: wildlife tracking; wildlife adaptation to urban environments; citizen science in schools; kids' connections to nature; post-fire wildlife provisioning
• Eliane McCarthy - Visiting Fellow (Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment). Topics: drone monitoring of flying-foxes
• Mr Yoon Lee, Mr Jaden Thompson & Ms Eliana Heiser - Visiting Fellows (Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment). Topic: Cultural evolution in lyrebirds

Lab Associates

• A/Prof Christopher Turbill - Associate Professor (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 - 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 - Associate Professor (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

​​Alumni​

• Dr Nicholas Wu - Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Western Sydney University). Topic: Vulnerabilty of Australian bats to white-nose syndrome.
• Sienna Grady - MRes student (Western Sydney University); supervisors: Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Jessica Meade, Prof Matthias Boer. Topic: Impacts of Australia's recent megafires on the grey-headed flying-fox
• ​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
• Samantha Yabsley - MRes student (University of Western Sydney); supervisors: Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Jessica Meade. Topic: Drivers of flying-fox urbanisation​
• Victoria Austin - PhD Candidate (Western Sydney University; supervisors: 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.
• 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
• Benoit Sommervogel - Research Assistant (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 - Research Assistant (Western Sydney University; supervisors: Annabel Dorrestein, Prof Justin Welbergen). Topic: The social organisation of the Christmas Island flying-fox (Pteropus melanotus natalis)
• Rani Carol - Summer Scholarship (Western Sydney University; supervisors: Prof Justin Welbergen, Ms Victoria Austin). Topic: Vocal mimicry in the superb lyrebird, Menura novaehollandiae
• 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