About Us
Our Conservation Group
The Conservation Science Research Group at The University of Newcastle consists of a team of internationally recognised experts in biodiversity conservation with project experience in the natural environment and biodiversity; environmental monitoring, restoration ecology, behavioural ecology and cognition, instrumentation and analysis; marine pollution impacts; and sustainable adaptation in agriculture and forestry.
Meet The Group
Professor of Conservation Science
Matt is one of the rare academics with genuine experience in the 'real' world - having worked as an environmental consultant, conservation manager and researcher in the private sector, for NGOs, government and now in academia.
Matt conducted a PhD on the conservation ecology of the vulnerable quokka – a small wallaby that the introduced red fox loves to kill – in the Western Australian jarrah forest. Read more...
Associate Professor in Wildlife Conservation Science
Andrea is a Wildlife Conservation Scientist and Behavioural Ecologist. Her core interests lie in using interdisciplinary research approaches to understanding how animals cope with environmental change over the short (within their lifetimes) and long-(evolutionary) term. Read more...
Research Associate
Dr Rose Upton is a conservation and reproductive biologist in the School of Environmental and Life Sciences. Her research focusses on the development and application of assisted reproductive technologies, such as sperm cryopreservation and IVF, to the conservation of wildlife. This has led to her involvement in a number of initiatives to help advance application of these technologies to conservation programs within and outside of Australia. Read more...
Lecturer, Vegetation and Restoration Ecology
Dr Alex Callen is a conservation scientist in the School of Environmental and Life Sciences. Her research focuses on the recovery of threatened species in response to ecological restoration to mitigate multiple environmental stresses and how fine scale habitat manipulations can improve their survival. This has led to a number of industry partnerships involving habitat design, creation and management and monitoring for vulnerable amphibian communities in complex natural and industrial environments. Read more...
Post-Doctoral Researcher
Dr. Kaya Klop-Toker's research has largely focused on quantifying the impacts of different threats on amphibian populations and investigating possible management solutions. The threats Kaya has worked on include habitat change due to human land use, invasive species, and infection by the amphibian fungal disease (Batrachochytrium dendrobatids, Bd). Read more...
Lecturer
Darren is a Lecturer in Conservation Science. After 5 years working as a scientist at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Australian Antarctic Division, Darren completed his PhD at the University of Melbourne on the optimal management of threatened and invasive populations across space and time. Read more...
Post-Doctoral Researcher
Dr. John Gould is a conservation and animal behaviour scientist in the School of Environmental and Life Sciences. His research interests include natural history, reproductive biology, population dynamics, and the management of threatened species. Read more...
Honorary Professor
Michael is a professor in the Faculty of Science and Information Technology at the University of Newcastle. His discipline is Environmental Science and Management in the School of Environmental and Life Sciences. Michael has a BA, Dip Ed. and completed his PhD in Biological Sciences at Macquarie University in 1987. Michael is interested in conservation biology with a particular emphasis on conservation genetics. He is currently working on species recovery plans for several species of frogs known to be endangered. He is also interested in genetic methods for the biological control of the Cane Toad and his research has led to his involvement with the discovery of at least one new species of frog. Read more...
Associate Professor
Dr. Phil Jobling's research centers on the structure and function of nerves which control our internal organs. This includes the sensory neurons which give us information on the state of our internal organs, and the autonomic neurons which modify organ function. Phil is interested in how autonomic neurons receive information from other parts of the nervous system and how they process this information before sending signals to the final target organ. Read more...
Honorary Associate Professor
Dr. John Clulow's expertise spans Conservation Biology and Reproductive Biology. Initially focused on reproductive physiology, John explored the function of the testis and epididymis across birds, mammals, and marsupials. Their research highlighted the role of the efferent ducts in fluid reabsorption, particularly through cAMP system regulation. Read more...
Research Associate
Dr Finella Dawlings is a post-doc research associate with the Conservation Science Research Group (UoN), conducting research into the management of invasive rodents on Norfolk Island, particularly in relation to their effects on the island's fauna and flora species, many of which are threatened. Read more...
Research Associate
Chad believes that the key to human thriving is through conserving and promoting biodiversity and that this is the current generations’ most significant problem to overcome. I base my life on this core foundation. My mission is to have the greatest positive impact on nature in one human lifetime. I try to achieve this through every facet of my life; from applying rigorous science down to small behavioural choices, such as purchasing sustainable products.
Post-Doctoral Researcher
Ryan Witt is a wildlife conservation scientist specialising in marsupial reproduction and reproductive technologies, marsupial ecology, and emerging drone-derived thermal imaging technologies for surveying for koalas and other cryptic species. As a Novocastrian, Ryan has a passion and interest in developing local and regional conservation projects for at-risk marsupial populations in the Hunter Region. Read more...
Lecturer
Stephen works as a vegetation ecologist and consultant botanist, and have been involved in native vegetation survey, classification and mapping in the Greater Sydney and Hunter Regions of New South Wales since 1990. Under contract to State government, he has undertaken comprehensive plant surveys for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service in over 30 conservation reserves, and has been Lead Botanist for several large scale regional projects within the Sydney Basin bioregion. Read more...
Anne Ibbotson
PhD Candidate
Anne is a veterinarian and PhD student in the Conservation Science Research Group at the University of Newcastle, and she is developing minimally invasive methods to measure stress, reproduction and immune function in endangered frogs. These ‘biomarkers’ should improve our understanding of health and fitness in these amphibians and the impacts of complex threats that they face from disease, human activities and climate change.
To do this, Anne is collecting urine and saliva samples to measure hormones from populations of the green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea) and Littlejohns tree frog (Litoria littlejohni) that live locally in the Newcastle area and the central coast.
Her goal is to integrate biomarkers with current ecological survey methods to improve monitoring of conservation actions and to better inform future conservation decisions for threatened amphibians.
Charlotte Rigolot
PhD Candidate
Charlotte is a PhD candidate in the CSRG at the University of Newcastle. With a profound interest in wildlife conservation, she is focused on understanding the impact of translocation on koala populations. After completing her Bachelor of science and Master in Conservation Biology at the University of Toulouse (France) with a research project at Dalhousie University (Canada), she then worked for a few years as a bird/bat ecologist in Europe. Driven by a passion for biodiversity conservation and a desire to address contemporary environmental challenges, Charlotte moved to Newcastle in 2023 to pursue a PhD in environmental science. Her research project is centered on the complexities of koala ecology, conservation, and management in Australia. Through this project, Charlotte collaborates with local partners and managers in NSW, aiming to contribute to the development of effective conservation strategies.
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Emily Jarvis
PhD Candidate
Emily is a second-year PhD candidate at the University of Newcastle. Her project focuses on two small macropod species, the Parma Wallaby and Red-legged Pademelon. This research aims to fill crucial knowledge gaps in the ecology of both species, such as their distribution and occupancy, spatial ecology, diet and habitat use.
Emily has a Bachelor of Science from Monash University and later completed an honours project on artificial refuge use of small mammals in the Yarra Ranges.
In 2022, she was fortunate enough to undertake an internship with the Australian Wildlife Conservancy at their Newhaven Sanctuary. During her time there, she assisted in the translocation of multiple threatened species, including the Bilby, Burrowing Bettong (Boodie) and Central Rock-rat.
Her past work experience also includes environmental education and ecological consultancy.
Jacob Jones
PhD Candidate
Jacob is an environmental engineer with experience in both public and private industries. Jacob has previously worked in areas of contamination remediation, stormwater and flood management, waste management, coastal engineering, and environmental planning. During this career, Jacob became interested in the ‘human dimension’ of environmental management which eventually led to him joining the Conservation Science Research Group to pursue his PhD titled “The Politics of Biodiversity Conservation”.
Jacob’s research is aiming to quantify how political beliefs and biodiversity conservation are connected among a variety of stakeholders including individuals, governments, and organisations. Jacob hopes to use his new knowledge and research skills to influence conservation policy and have a positive impact on Australia’s unique flora and fauna.
Krishna Komanduri
PhD Candidate
Krishna is a PhD student with the Conservation Science Research Group at the University of Newcastle. He's interested in understanding amphibian ecology and evolution to contribute to their conservation. His previous research projects explored the dynamics of chytridiomycosis in stream amphibian populations in Western Ghats, India and the role of cashew agroforests as refuges for amphibian communities. Recently, he assisted in a project investigating the role of fire and climate in shaping Central Indian vegetation using paleo-ecological data. Now at CSRG, his research focuses on using landscape genetics to test the effectiveness of management strategies for conserving the endangered Littlejohn's Tree Frog in the undermined sections of the Woronora Plateau.
Louise Williams
PhD Candidate
Louise is a PhD student at the University of Newcastle studying the diet, low tide habitat use, and impact of fox predation on threatened shorebirds in our local estuaries. Louise studied an honours degree in Biodiversity and Conservation before undertaking a secondary science teaching degree which saw her take up teaching positions in remote western NSW and in an academically-selective high school. Whilst working full time as a Science Teacher she pursued her life-long love of birds by studying a Graduate Diploma of Ornithology. Naturally, the next step in her pursuit to become an ornithologist was to commence a PhD on birds. Louise also holds an A Class Bird Banding Authority and regularly assists with local bird banding projects.
Mattea Taylor
PhD Candidate
Mattea is a PhD student at the University of Newcastle researching threats to migratory shorebirds in the Hunter and Port Stephens estuaries, specifically focussing on disturbance and metal pollution. Her fieldwork includes trudging through mud to watch bird behaviour and analysing metals in their feathers and food items. After completing a double degree in a Bachelor of Arts and Science (Journalism and Environment & Sustainability), Mattea studied yellow-footed rock-wallabies in western Queensland for her honours in Environmental Science. While these nimble macropods were cute, the trail camera footage piqued her interest in bird-watching. This intensified when she later worked at the Broome Bird Observatory and discovered the wonderful little grey migratory marvels that are shorebirds. By chance, or destiny, the opportunity sprang up to study this very same bird group on the other side of Australia, in Newcastle, where she has found a home in the Conservation Science Research Group.
Nadine Nolan
PhD Candidate
Nadine is a PhD student at the University of Newcastle. Her innovative research focuses on the preservation of endangered amphibian species, employing integrated conservation techniques such as habitat creation, translocation, and breeding programs. Nadine’s studies on the endangered Littlejohn’s tree frog offer groundbreaking insights into enhancing genetic diversity and population size post-bushfire disasters. Nadine's expertise extends beyond academia into practical environmental restoration, where she has led initiatives using AI and drone technology to rehabilitate Australian ecosystems. In her role as a Sessional Academic, she imparts practical knowledge of ecological surveying to her students, ensuring the next generation is well-equipped for the challenges of conservation work. Her work has garnered recognition through publications, media engagements, and awards, solidifying her role as a key contributor to conservation science. Nadine’s commitment to ecological research and education reflects her dedication to making a tangible impact on biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration.
Oliver Kelly
PhD Candidate
Oliver has a BSc (honours) in Marine Biology from the University of Technology, Sydney and is a current PhD candidate at the University of Newcastle researching how to improve acoustic data collection, aggregation, and analysis to support amphibian conservation effort. Oliver runs a virtual community science project on Zooniverse called Frog Find, where volunteers around the world identify a variety of frog species calling in acoustic data.
Kate Tunstill
PhD Candidate
Kate is a PhD student at the University of Newcastle looking at the effects of salinity, water level and tide in estuarine wetlands on the endangered green and golden bell frog. After completing a science degree in Conservation and Biodiversity and honours in Environmental Science, she decided to move to Newcastle to begin a PhD. This move was sparked by her life time interest in amphibians as well as a keen curiosity in coastal wetlands and water toxicology. This project has enabled Kate to work closely with both the Conservation Science Research Group (CSRG) and the Coasts and Estuaries Research Group (CERG).
Nikki Watson
Research assistant and honours student
Nikki is an honours student, and animal husbandry technician/research assistant in the Conservation Science Research Group frog labs. Nikki has worked in the veterinary field as a qualified nurse for over 15 years, and has a particular interest in animal conservation. After completing her undergraduate degree in Zoology, she gained the RA position at the University of Newcastle, caring for the breeding colony of Littlejohn’s tree frogs and Giant Burrowing Frogs. She is currently continuing her studies as an honours student, with her project focusing on the microbiome of frogs, and environmental factors that may affect it
Roshan Patel
PhD Candidate
Roshan is a PhD student at the University of Newcastle. His research focuses on developing a consistent cloning model on common Australian frogs that can be applied to the conservation of endangered frogs and the de-extinction of extinct frogs. This includes developing protocols for cell cryopreservation of diploid cells, establishing cell cultures, and producing viable offspring through nuclear transplantation (NT). The common species of frogs he uses are the striped marsh frog (Limnodynastes peronii) and spotted grass frog (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis).