Overview
Background
Dr. Laura Grogan is a qualified veterinarian, Senior Lecturer in Wildlife Science, Chair of the Wildlife Disease Association Australasian section, and Leader of the Biodiversity Health Research Team (https://www.biodiversity-health.org/) - a collaborative multiple-university research group focused on finding sustainable solutions for the most challenging threatening processes currently affecting biodiversity.
Dr. Grogan has a background in research on wildlife diseases, ecology and conservation. She's particularly interested in investigating the dynamics, relative importance, and impacts of infectious diseases among other threats affecting wildlife across both individual and population scales, to improve conservation management. While she works across taxa and methodological approaches, her main study system currently involves the devastating amphibian fungal skin disease, chytridiomycosis, where at the individual scale she focuses on the pathogenesis and amphibian immune response to the disease, untangling the roles of resistance and tolerance in defense against infection. At the population and landscape scale she explores mechanisms underlying persistence in the face of endemic infection, focused on the endangered Fleay's barred frog. She also studies population and infection dynamics of chlamydiosis in koala using a mathematical modelling approach, exploring the relative benefits of different management approaches. In addition to working on amphibian and koala diseases, Laura is a keen birdwatcher and wildlife photographer, and supervises projects in other wildlife-related fields.
You can find out more about her research team here: www.biodiversity-health.org. Dr. Grogan has been awarded around $1.3 million in research funding since 2018. In late 2019 she was awarded an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA; DE200100490), worth $426,742. This project, titled "Understanding infection tolerance to improve management of wildlife disease", commenced in late 2020. Dr. Grogan was identified as one of the four top-ranked science DECRA awardees by the Australian Academy of Science’s 2020 J G Russell Award, and was also recipient of the highest award of the Wildlife Disease Association Australasia Section with their 2019 Barry L Munday Recognition Award.
PhD and Honours projects are now available in the following areas (plus many more areas - please get in touch if you have an idea):
- Can frogs be ‘vaccinated’ by antifungal treatment of active infections to develop protective immunity to the devastating chytrid fungus? (Principal Supervisor)
- Establishing the conservation status of south-east Queensland’s amphibians - occupancy surveys and species distribution models (Principal Supervisor)
- Tadpoles as a reservoir of the lethal frog chytrid fungal disease – measuring sublethal effects on growth, time to metamorphosis and ability to forage (mouthpart loss) (Principal Supervisor)
- Impacts of chytrid fungus on the survival of juvenile endangered Fleay’s barred frogs, Mixophyes fleayi, and importance for population recruitment (Principal Supervisor)
- Measuring the infection resistance versus tolerance of barred frogs to the devastating chytrid fungal disease to improve management outcomes (Principal Supervisor)
- Mapping the impacts of fire-fighting chemicals on endangered frog habitats (Co-Supervisor)
- Bowra birds: what do long-term monitoring data reveal about bird communities in the semi-arid region? (Co-Supervisor)
- Impacts of fire-fighting chemicals on endangered frogs: Implications for conservation and management (Co-Supervisor)
Availability
- Dr Laura Grogan is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours) of Science in Veterinary Medicine, University of Sydney
- Bachelor (Honours) of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney
- Doctor of Philosophy of Veterinary Epidemiology, James Cook University
Research interests
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Wildlife epidemiology, health and disease
Infectious disease is an increasingly important threatening process for wildlife species globally, leading to numerous declines and extinctions. My research team aims to understand the dynamics and drivers of wildlife infections across multiple scales - including individual responses and outcomes from infection to the drivers and impacts of diseases on wildlife populations.
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Mitigating key threats to wildlife
My research team conducts cutting-edge research to better understand the dynamics, relative importance, impacts, and ways of mitigating various threatening processes affecting wildlife populations. We focus particularly on diseases affecting biodiversity and the effects of environmental contaminants on wildlife.
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Biodiversity conservation
My team are driven and unified by a passion for conserving biodiversity. Our goal is to improve understanding of and mitigate the most challenging and complex threats to species' and population persistence.
Works
Search Professor Laura Grogan’s works on UQ eSpace
2019
Journal Article
Extreme competence: keystone hosts of infections
Martin, Lynn B., Addison, BriAnne, Bean, Andrew G.D., Buchanan, Katherine L., Crino, Ondi L., Eastwood, Justin R., Flies, Andrew S., Hamede, Rodrigo, Hill, Geoffrey E., Klaassen, Marcel, Koch, Rebecca E., Martens, Johanne M., Napolitano, Constanza, Narayan, Edward J., Peacock, Lee, Peel, Alison J., Peters, Anne, Raven, Nynke, Risely, Alice, Roast, Michael J., Rollins, Lee A., Ruiz-Aravena, Manuel, Selechnik, Dan, Stokes, Helena S., Ujvari, Beata and Grogan, Laura F. (2019). Extreme competence: keystone hosts of infections. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 34 (4), 303-314. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.12.009
2018
Journal Article
Review of the amphibian immune response to chytridiomycosis, and future directions
Grogan, Laura F., Robert, Jacques, Berger, Lee, Skerratt, Lee F., Scheele, Benjamin C., Castley, J. Guy, Newell, David A. and McCallum, Hamish I. (2018). Review of the amphibian immune response to chytridiomycosis, and future directions. Frontiers in Immunology, 9 (NOV) 2536, 1-20. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02536
2018
Book Chapter
Chytridiomycosis
Martel, An, Pasmans, Frank, Fisher, Matthew C., Grogan, Laura F., Skerratt, Lee F. and Berger, Lee (2018). Chytridiomycosis. Emerging and epizootic fungal infections in animals. (pp. 309-335) edited by Seyedmojtaba Seyedmousavi, G. Sybren de Hoog, Jacques Guillot and Paul E. Verweij. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-72093-7_14
2018
Journal Article
Chytridiomycosis causes catastrophic organism-wide metabolic dysregulation including profound failure of cellular energy pathways
Grogan, Laura F., Skerratt, Lee F., Berger, Lee, Cashins, Scott D., Trengove, Robert D. and Gummer, Joel P. A. (2018). Chytridiomycosis causes catastrophic organism-wide metabolic dysregulation including profound failure of cellular energy pathways. Scientific Reports, 8 (1) 8188, 1-15. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-26427-z
2018
Journal Article
Is disease a major causal factor in declines? An Evidence Framework and case study on koala chlamydiosis
Grogan, Laura F., Peel, Alison J., Kerlin, Douglas, Ellis, William, Jones, Darryl, Hero, Jean-Marc and McCallum, Hamish (2018). Is disease a major causal factor in declines? An Evidence Framework and case study on koala chlamydiosis. Biological Conservation, 221, 334-344. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2018.03.030
2018
Journal Article
Survival, gene and metabolite responses of Litoria verreauxii alpina frogs to fungal disease chytridiomycosis
Grogan, Laura F., Mulvenna, Jason, Gummer, Joel P. A., Scheele, Ben C., Berger, Lee, Cashins, Scott D., McFadden, Michael S., Harlow, Peter, Hunter, David A., Trengove, Robert D. and Skerratt, Lee F. (2018). Survival, gene and metabolite responses of Litoria verreauxii alpina frogs to fungal disease chytridiomycosis. Scientific Data, 5 (1) 180033, 180033. doi: 10.1038/sdata.2018.33
2018
Journal Article
Evolution of resistance to chytridiomycosis is associated with a robust early immune response
Grogan, Laura F., Cashins, Scott D., Skerratt, Lee F., Berger, Lee, McFadden, Michael S., Harlow, Peter, Hunter, David A., Scheele, Ben C. and Mulvenna, Jason (2018). Evolution of resistance to chytridiomycosis is associated with a robust early immune response. Molecular Ecology, 27 (4), 919-934. doi: 10.1111/mec.14493
2017
Journal Article
Current trends and future directions in koala chlamydial disease research
Grogan, Laura F., Ellis, William, Jones, Darryl, Hero, Jean-Marc, Kerlin, Douglas H. and McCallum, Hamish (2017). Current trends and future directions in koala chlamydial disease research. Biological Conservation, 215, 179-188. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2017.09.001
2017
Journal Article
A guide for ecologists: Detecting the role of disease in faunal declines and managing population recovery
Preece, Noel D., Abell, Sandra E., Grogan, Laura, Wayne, Adrian, Skerratt, Lee F., van Oosterzee, Penny, Shima, Amy L., Daszak, Peter, Field, Hume, Reiss, Andrea, Berger, Lee, Rymer, Tasmin L., Fisher, Diana O., Lawes, Michael J., Laurance, Susan G., McCallum, Hamish, Esson, Carol and Epstein, Jon H. (2017). A guide for ecologists: Detecting the role of disease in faunal declines and managing population recovery. Biological Conservation, 214, 136-146. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2017.08.014
2017
Journal Article
After the epidemic: ongoing declines, stabilizations and recoveries in amphibians afflicted by chytridiomycosis
Scheele, Ben C., Skerratt, Lee F., Grogan, Laura F., Hunter, David A., Clemann, Nick, McFadden, Michael, Newell, David, Hoskin, Conrad J., Gillespie, Graeme R., Heard, Geoffrey W., Brannelly, Laura, Roberts, Alexandra A. and Berger, Lee (2017). After the epidemic: ongoing declines, stabilizations and recoveries in amphibians afflicted by chytridiomycosis. Biological Conservation, 206, 37-46. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2016.12.010
2016
Journal Article
Endemicity of chytridiomycosis features pathogen overdispersion
Grogan, Laura F., Phillott, Andrea D., Scheele, Benjamin C., Berger, Lee, Cashins, Scott D., Bell, Sara C., Puschendorf, Robert and Skerratt, Lee F. (2016). Endemicity of chytridiomycosis features pathogen overdispersion. Journal of Animal Ecology, 85 (3), 806-816. doi: 10.1111/1365-2656.12500
2015
Journal Article
Susceptibility of amphibians to chytridiomycosis is associated with MHC class II conformation
Bataille, Arnaud, Cashins, Scott D., Grogan, Laura, Skerratt, Lee F., Hunter, David, McFadden, Michael, Scheele, Benjamin, Brannelly, Laura A., Macris, Amy, Harlow, Peter S., Bell, Sara, Berger, Lee and Waldman, Bruce (2015). Susceptibility of amphibians to chytridiomycosis is associated with MHC class II conformation. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 282 (1805) 20143127, 1-9. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2014.3127
2014
Journal Article
Interventions for reducing extinction risk in chytridiomycosis-threatened amphibians
Scheele, Ben C., Hunter, David A., Grogan, Laura F., Berger, Lee, Kolby, Jon E., Mcfadden, Michael S., Marantelli, Gerry, Skerratt, Lee F. and Driscoll, Don A. (2014). Interventions for reducing extinction risk in chytridiomycosis-threatened amphibians. Conservation Biology, 28 (5), 1195-1205. doi: 10.1111/cobi.12322
2014
Journal Article
Surveillance for Emerging Biodiversity Diseases of Wildlife
Grogan, Laura F., Berger, Lee, Rose, Karrie, Grillo, Victoria, Cashins, Scott D. and Skerratt, Lee F. (2014). Surveillance for Emerging Biodiversity Diseases of Wildlife. PLoS Pathogens, 10 (5) ARTN e1004015. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004015
2013
Journal Article
Chytridiomycosis and seasonal mortality of tropical stream-associated frogs 15 years after introduction of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
Phillott, Andrea D., Grogan, Laura F., Cashins, Scott D., Mcdonald, Keith R., Berger, Lee and Skerratt, Lee F. (2013). Chytridiomycosis and seasonal mortality of tropical stream-associated frogs 15 years after introduction of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Conservation Biology, 27 (5), 1058-1068. doi: 10.1111/cobi.12073
2013
Journal Article
Prior infection does not improve survival against the amphibian disease chytridiomycosis
Cashins, Scott D., Grogan, Laura F., McFadden, Michael, Hunter, David, Harlow, Peter S., Berger, Lee and Skerratt, Lee F. (2013). Prior infection does not improve survival against the amphibian disease chytridiomycosis. Plos One, 8 (2) e56747. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056747
2010
Journal Article
A SLC4-like anion exchanger from renal tubules of the mosquito (Aedes aegypti): evidence for a novel role of stellate cells in diuretic fluid secretion
Piermarini, Peter M., Grogan, Laura F., Lau, Kenneth, Wang, Li and Beyenbach, Klaus W. (2010). A SLC4-like anion exchanger from renal tubules of the mosquito (Aedes aegypti): evidence for a novel role of stellate cells in diuretic fluid secretion. AJP: Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 298 (3), R642-R660. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00729.2009
2009
Conference Publication
The other half of the insect SLC4 family: a Cl/HCO<sub>3</sub> anion exchanger from mosquito renal tubules
Piermarini, Peter M., Grogan, Laura F., Wang, Li and Beyenbach, Klaus W. (2009). The other half of the insect SLC4 family: a Cl/HCO3 anion exchanger from mosquito renal tubules. Experimental Biology 2009 Meeting, New Orleans, LA United States, 18-22 April 2009. Hoboken, NJ United States: John Wiley and Sons. doi: 10.1096/fasebj.23.1_supplement.800.4
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Laura Grogan is:
- Available for supervision
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Media
Enquiries
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