The TrEnD laboratory has a number of academic staff, technical staff, PhD & honours students that work across a variety of project areas. If you are interested in joining our team as a student or post-doc feel free to drop us a line. Information about domestic and international scholarships can be found on the Curtin University website. Likewise there is post-doctoral funding through the Curtin Research Fellowship scheme and the Australian Research Council’s DECRA and Future Fellowship schemes.
Academic Staff:
Prof. Mike Bunce (Head of TrEnD lab)
ARC Future Fellow
Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) laboratory,
& Australian Wildlife Forensic Services (AWFS)
School of Molecular and Life Sciences,
Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 6102, Australia.
em: michael.bunce “at” curtin.edu.au
http://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=YPoEsJcAAAAJ&hl
> My research interests and expertise revolve around using DNA sequencing technologies on trace, environmental and forensic substrates to address a variety of biological questions. I have worked on a diverse variety of projects with the common theme of extracting and amplifying degraded DNA - these include studies of extinct species, DNA from ice/sediment cores and characterising DNA in herbal medicines and environmental DNA (eDNA) (see Our Research for more details).
Dr. Zoe Richards
Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences,
Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 6102, Australia.
em: Zoe.Richards ‘at’ curtin.edu.au
https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=xTpbTPgAAAAJ&hl=en
> Zoe Richards is a coral biologist (molecular ecology and taxonomic expertise) and Curtin Research Fellow. Zoe completed her PhD at James Cook University on the implications of rarity for Acropora conservation and now leads research in the area of coral biodiversity and how best to monitor and protect it. Active areas of current research include examining the ecology and resilience of coral communities in Western Australia, and examining the traits that underpin exposure tolerance in corals living in climate refuges. Zoe is also involved in numerous integrated systematic, population genetic and eDNA projects that aim to explore species divergence, ecological connectivity and benthic biodiversity.
Current Students in the Coral Research Group: Arne Adam (PhD); Jason Alexander (Honours); David Juszkiewicz (Honours); Laurance Dugal (Honours - UWA).
Assoc. Prof. Simon Jarman
Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) laboratory,
School of Molecular and Life Sciences,
Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 6102, Australia.
CSIRO Future Science Platforms,
CSIRO National Collections and Marine Infrastructure, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
em: simon.jarman “at” curtin.edu.au
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=9Hz8iwQAAAAJ
My research focuses on population biology assessment by genetic methods. I am interested in the distribution, size, age structure, sex ratio,reproductive capacity and diets of animal populations. Estimation of the age of animals from epigenetic analyses is one of my main current pursuits. I also work extensively on DNA metabarcoding analyses for biodiversity and distribution analyses from environmental DNA and dietary analysis from scat or stomach samples.
Dr. Nicole White
Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) laboratory,
& Australian Wildlife Forensic Services (AWFS)
Department of Environment and Agriculture,
Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 6102, Australia.
em: nicole.white “at” curtin.edu.au
http://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=fUfMYoAAAAAJ&hl
> > Nicole’s research focuses on the use of cutting-edge and traditional molecular approaches for the conservation and protection of Australia’s unique fauna. Nicole has a keen interest in the use of DNA technology to address the genetic factors that affect threatened species, the conservation genetic management regimes required to safeguard wild populations and assisting enforcement officers with wildlife forensic investigations. Nicole is a Senior Research Fellow with the Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory. In 2012, Nicole obtained her PhD in Biological Sciences and her research program focused on the development and application of genetic tools for the conservation, management and protection of Western Australia’s endangered white-tailed black-cockatoos. Since 2012, Nicole completed a post-doc in ancient DNA, conservation genetics and wildlife forensics at Murdoch University prior to joining Curtin University in 2014. Nicole’s current post-doc is working on developing the eDNA tools for subterranean fauna detection from environmental substrates such as groundwater and sediment. In addition, she is working on coral genomics (Dr Richards ARC linkage) to explore how coral biodiversity responds to climatic disturbances; the potential for acclimation and adaptation; and the best ways to monitor, manage and restore biodiversity. And lastly, she couldn’t be more happier when playing in the dirt for science!
Dr Claus Christophersen
Senior Research Fellow
Scientific Lead - WA Human Microbiome Collaboration Centre (WAHMCC)
Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences,
Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 6102, Australia.
Edith Cowan University, Public Health and Nutrition Dietetics, Joondalup Campus.
em: claus.christophersen@curtin.edu.au
https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=y_gKrbgAAAAJ&hl=en
I am a molecular microbiologist specialising in understanding the complex interaction between the gut microbiome, diet and/or disease, and the host response. I apply this knowledge to identify, prevent and rectify gut microbiome dysbiosis for improved health outcomes. To do this work I have a range of collaborators; clinicians, immunologists, biochemists, biostatisticians, nutritionist/dietitians, food scientist, behavioural therapists and others, as I am interested in the systems biology. My motto: The Gut is the Key to your Health.
Dr. Rose Lines
Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) laboratory
School of Molecular and Life Sciences
Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 6102, Australia.
em: rose.lines “at” curtin.edu.au
> Rose is a Senior Research Officer who completed her Ph.D. in Plant Virology at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) on Papaya RIngspot Virus. She has worked at QUT studying Banana Bunchy Top virus, and the Department of Primary Industries in Victoria where she managed a commercial virus testing service for the grapevine, strawberry, potato and stone fruit industries. Her current research in the TrEnD lab is divided between working on the human microbiome project and analysing environmental DNA using metabarcoding to generate species diversity profiles and to identify organisms of biosecurity interest.
Dr. Tiffany Simpson
Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) laboratory
School of Molecular and Life Sciences
Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 6102, Australia.
em: tiffany.simpson “at” curtin.edu.au
> Tiffany is a Research Officer who completed her Ph.D. at the University of Western Australia on biodiversity and biosecurity of invertebrate assemblages on coastal infrastructure. She has worked at the Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development in the areas of Fish Health and Aquatic Biosecurity. In her current position, Tiffany is working on validating molecular diagnostic assays of high priority marine pests and using eDNA metabarcoding to generate biodiversity profiles from marine environmental samples primarily for biosecurity applications.
Dr. Laura Gajdzik
Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) laboratory
School of Molecular and Life Sciences
Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 6102, Australia.
em: laura.gajdzik “at” gmail.com
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=dfm0yjgAAAAJ&hl=en
> Laura is a WBI (Wallonie-Bruxelles International) postdoc who completed her Ph.D. on the adaptive capacity of damselfishes in 2017 at the University of Liege in Belgium. She was also a Fulbright scholar in 2016 at the University of California Santa Cruz (U.S.) and evaluated the genetic diversity of coral reef fishes using RAD sequencing. Before, she worked as a scientific collaborator on the taxonomy and DNA barcoding of fishes from Congolese rivers at the Royal Museum for central Africa in Belgium. Her current project is to conduct genomic work on the tropicalization of marine environments in Western Australia by studying the population genetics and diet of a rabbitfish species with NGS techniques (DArTseq and metabarcoding).
Maarten De Brauwer
Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) laboratory and Fish Ecology laboratory, Curtin University.
Maarten De Brauwer is a marine ecologist specialised in cryptobenthic fauna and soft sediment habitats. In the past Maarten work on a wide variety of projects ranging from clownfish ecology to scuba diver impacts on marine life. The common aim throughout his research is to improve the conservation of marine resources in a way that benefits communities dependant on them. His most recent work focuses on developing novel detection methods for rare and endangered species.
Adjunct Staff:
Prof. M Thomas P Gilbert
Natural History Museum of Denmark
Visiting Adjunct Prof. in the TrEnD lab at Curtin University.
em: mtpgilbert “at” gmail.com
http://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=3LFRpqYAAAAJ&hl
> Marcus Thomas Pius Gilbert (also known as Tom Gilbert, and publishing as MTP Gilbert) is an evolutionary biologist. He received a BA at Oriel College, Oxford University, and a D.Phil (Doctor of Philosophy) in the Zoology Dept and at New College. Subsequently, he was a post-doctoral fellow at the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, at the University of Arizona. He is currently Professor of Palaeogenomics at the University of Copenhagen's Natural History Museum of Denmark, and a member of the Centre for Geogenetics at Copenhagen University. He is also Adjunct Professor in the TrEnD lab at Curtin University where he spends ~1 month per year.
Prof. Giff Miller
University of Colorado
Visiting Adjunct Prof. in the TrEnD lab at Curtin University.
em: gmiller “at” colorado.edu
Dr. Joey DiBattista
Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) laboratory and the Fish Ecology group
Department of Environment and Agriculture,
Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 6102, Australia.
em: josephdibattista “at” gmail.com
https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=VSN8cXsAAAAJ&hl=en
> > Joseph is a Curtin Research Fellow who holds a joint appointment with the Australian Museum where he is the Curator of Fishes. Joseph completed his Ph.D. in Biology at McGill University on the evolutionary potential of tropical shark populations using pedigree-based genetics approaches. He has worked at both the Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology (2009-2012) and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (2012-2015), leading studies on biogeographic patterns of Indo-Pacific fishes. His current research is focused on understanding the origins of reef fish biodiversity and how it is maintained using a combination of traditional and next generation sequencing approaches. He is particularly interested in coastal ecosystems, understanding the effects of tropicalisation on Australian fish species and identifying those that may act as indicators of change, and exploring new ways to track monitor and monitor environmental shifts in our oceans with environmental DNA (eDNA).
Dr. Michael Stat
Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) laboratory,
Department of Environment and Agriculture,
Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 6102, Australia.
em: michael.stat “at” curtin.edu.au
https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=dLmx_lEAAAAJ&hl=en
Alicia Grealy (BSc. Hons.), PhD candidate
e-mail: alicia.grealy “at” uqconnect.edu.au or a.grealy ‘at’ student.curtin.edu.au
> Alicia Grealy is a PhD candidate under the primary supervision of Prof. Mike Bunce in the TrEnD laboratory at Curtin University. She completed her undergraduate and honours at the University of Queensland in 2011, studying barriers to gene flow in native daisies. She worked as a research assistant at Monash University, Melbourne before moving to Perth to start a PhD in 2013. Alicia is using ancient DNA extracted from novel substrates (bulk bone and eggshell), and next-generation sequencing approaches to investigate past biodiversity at sites within Australia and internationally.
Dr. Megan Coghlan
https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=HTutpfcAAAAJ&hl=enTrace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) laboratory,
& Australian Wildlife Forensic Services (AWFS)
Department of Environment and Agriculture,
Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, 6102, Australia.
em: megan.coghlan “at” curtin.edu.au
> Megan is a postdoctoral research associate working in the TrEnD Lab at Curtin University. She completed her undergraduate studies in 2007 from Murdoch University and worked for two years as a research assistant in Childhood immunology and allergy research through the University of Western Australia and the Telethon Kids Institute. She then went on to complete her PhD in wildlife forensics focussing on the development of molecular techniques, through Murdoch University in 2014. She is now working primarily on the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) project in the TrEnD Lab, using next generation DNA sequencing to determine the plant and animal composition of a range of freely available medicines within Australia.
Students:
Dáithí Murray
Dáithí C. Murray (Ó Muirí) (B.Sc. Hons.), PhD Candidate
e-mail: d.murray ‘at’ postgrad.curtin.edu.au
> Dáithí is undertaking his PhD research at the TrEnD Lab under the supervision of Michael Bunce and Joe Dortch (UWA). After completing his undergraduate studies at Royal Holloway, University of London, he moved to Perth. He joined the lab in 2010 as a casual researcher working primarily on environmental DNA metabarcoding projects. Currently, his focus is on developing and applying ancient DNA and next-generation sequencing techniques to fossil bone and sediment excavated from several archaeologically significant cave sites in south-west Australia to explore past biodiversity shifts in this internationally renowned biodiversity hotspot.
Tina Berry (BSc. (molecular biology). Hons. BSc. (forensic biology and toxicology), LLB, BNg), PhD candidate.
Email: t.berry ‘at’ postgrad.curtin.edu.au
> Tina Berry is a PhD candidate under the primary supervision of Prof Mike Bunce. Tina completed her latest undergraduate studies and honours at Murdoch University in 2013, investigating the diet of the Australian Sea Lion. Tina’s present studies involve extracting DNA from environmental samples such as water, faeces and plankton, to develop methods to examine the biodiversity inherent within the sample, and assess the usefulness of both the samples and methods for biodiversity and species richness studies.
Dalal Haouchar
Leanda Mason
leanda.denise.mason “at” gmail.com
Jeff John
Technical Staff:
Matthew Power. Matt is an experienced molecular biologist and is employed on the NHMRC project to determine the composition of species within complementary and alternative medicines. In his spare time Matt likes to manage the TrEnD lab primer database.
James Taylor. James (JT) facillities the day-to-day running of the TrEnD laboratory - from ordering to OH&S. JT plays a key role in organising workflows in the lab and providing technical assistance to students and visiting scientists.
Former students & staff
Dr. James Haile
ARC DECRA Fellow (Now at Oxford University)
em: drjameshaile “at” gmail.com
http://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=v6nXOVkAAAAJ&hl
Dr. Morten Allentoft
Completed his PhD in 2012 (enrolled at Canterbury University)
Now a Marie Curie Fellow at the University of Copenhagenen.
morten.allentoft “at” gmail.com
https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=VBfIN9sAAAAJ&hl=en
Dr Charlotte Oskam
Completed her PhD in 2013
Murdoch University
https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=yj2co4cAAAAJ&hl=en
Dr Silvana Tridico
Completed her PhD in 2015.
Brendan Chapman
Former honours student
Helen Hunt
Former honours student
Elizabeth Compton
Former Masters student
Elizabeth Baker
Former honours student
Emma McLay
Former honours student
Liza Parkinson
Former technician
Jayne Addison
Former technician