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Dr. Simon Albert has a background in the fields of natural resource management, water quality, marine ecology and climate change. For the past 15 years he has worked at the intersection of these fields in both Australia and Melanesia providing a gradient of social-political-ecological factors. Through this foundation of land-sea connectivity Dr. Albert has developed integrated monitoring approaches that capture temporally and spatially relevant water quality trends. Dr. Albert has worked on a range of resource projects across Melanesia in both a research and consulting capacity. Over the past 10 years of working closely with communities, government and industry, Dr. Albert has established strong networks and is a highly skilled communicator of environmental monitoring and research.

I am primarily interested in how we, as scientists, can make meaningful contributions to halting and reversing the ongoing global biodiversity crisis. I am particularly committed to tackling gaps in our knowledge needed for biodiversity conservation, focusing on the following three aspects.

(i) Identifying gaps in existing information and their drivers: I have been working on how information on biodiversity is distributed over space, time and taxa, and what causes the existing gaps in information availability.

(ii) Overcoming information gaps with modelling approaches: I have been applying modelling approaches to better inform conservation initiatives through the use of available, imperfect data. For this I have intensively worked on assessing long-term changes in global waterbird diversity (see for example our recent papers in Nature (also see my blog post) and Nature Climate Change (blog post))

(iii) Bridging the research-implementation gap: I am also keen to provide scientific information for conservation in a more accessible way and have been involved in the Conservation Evidence project as a statistical editor, with the aim of contributing to the implementation of evidence-based decision making in conservation.

I am leading the translatE project (transcending language barriers to environmental sciences), funded by the Australian Research Council, which incorporates the above three aspects in order to understand the consequences of language barriers in biodiversity conservation. The project aims to:

• assess the importance of scientific knowledge that is available in non-English languages,
• understand how language barriers impede the application of science in decision making,
• quantify language barriers to the career development of non-native English speaking scientists, and
• devise solutions for exchanging information across languages and cultures in an effective manner.

See our work on language barriers in science featured in Nature in 2019 and July and August in 2023, Science in 2020 and 2023, The Conversation in 2021 and 2023, The Guardian, and The Economist, and my presentation on findings from the project (plenary at the 2022 Joint Conference of the Ecological Society of Australia and the Society for Conservation Biology Oceania: from 48:48).

Also see the website of Kaizen Conservation Group for our research, members and latest publications.

I am also an affiliated researcher at the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science.

Prof. Damien Batstone is Director of the Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, where he leads environmental biotechnology and resource recovery research programmes. His research work has focused on renewable energy from biomass, production of commodity chemicals from renewable sources, and the water-energy-food nexus, including production of novel chemicals and feeds for aquaculture from gases such as hydrogen.

Anaerobic and Environmental Biotechnology

Our group specialises in processes which use anaerobic (or without air) conversions to produce bioenergy, green electricity, and other high-value products from wastes and other low value feeds.

Bob Beeton Graduated from the University of New England (UNE) in 1969. From 1970 to 1973 he worked as an ecologist on bird and other pest problems on the Ord River Development W.A. In 1974 he returned to UNE and was on the staff of the Zoology Department where he taught Biology, Animal Behaviour, Ecology and Experimental Methods. His research was in wildlife management. In 1978 Bob was recruited to the Queensland Agricultural College (QAC) to establish the Wilderness Reserves and Wildlife program. By 1990 the program had diversified into several other programs and the Natural Systems and Wildlife Management degree. QAC amalgamated with UQ in 1990 and following amalgamation Bob was involved in establishing the Bachelor of Environmental Management and Master of Environmental Management programs. Since 1991 Bob was has been Head of Department and Head of School for 11 years and served on many University Committees. Bob has also been involved in extensive Community and Government service both at the State and Commonwealth level. Awards include 1988 Australian Bi-Centennial Award Rainforest Canopy Walk Project. 1994 Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Queensland; 2000 Affirmative Action Commendation, University of Queensland; 2000 Fellow Environmental Institute of Australia and New Zealand (FEIANZ); 2009 Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for contribution to Environment and Resource Management and 2009 Lockyer Legend for service to the community.

Graduated with a B Agric Science (Hons() degree from UQ in 1978, after which I worked as a research agronomist for the West Australian Dept of Agriculture at Kununurra, in the Ord River Irrigation Area, until 1983. During that period I worked primarily with grain legumes (chickpeas and cowpeas) and peanuts, focussing on agronomic management practices (fertilisers, soil amendments, crop protection strategies, irrigation), and enrolled part time in a research Masters on growth physiology of peanuts through UQ. IThe M AgrSc was conferred in 1985.

I took up a position with the Qld Dept Primary Industries at Kingaroy in mid 1983, working on soil fertility management/restoration and continuing to research the physiology of the peanut crop. We ran long term farming systems experiments, and also participated in and ultimately led two successive phases of ACIAR funded research on peanut production in Indonesia.

In 1990 I was granted study leave from DPI to undertake a sponsored PhD program at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. This was completed in 1993 and I returned to Kingaroy with DPI, where I remained based at the Kingaroy Research Station until 2014. During that time our research focussed on soil fertility management (especially P and K), soil physical restoration using ley pastures, soil water dynamics and legume N fixation in rainfed cropping systems, and also in researching the Yield Decline phenomenon in the sugar industry. The latter was a major collaborative, multidisciplinary research project over 15 years, that led to the design and testing of a new sugarcane cropping system. Most research was externally funded, through the Grains, Cotton and Sugar Research and Development Corporations.

In 2010 I was invited to join UQ on secondment at the establishment of the Qld Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), and accepted that role while being based in Kingaroy. In 2014 I was appointed to the Chair in Tropical Agronomy in the School of Agriculture and Food Science (SAFS) at Gatton Campus, relocating to Gatton in 2015, but remain a QAAFI Affiliate. Since that time, I have increasingly focussed on soil fertility management and the development and testing of management strategies to optimize the efficiency of nutrients and water in grains, cotton and sugarcane cropping systems.

I have led an ACIAR project developing more sustainable management systems for sloping lands in NW Vietnam and NE Laos, and have also been involved in advisory bodies associated with the Reef Water Quality Management Plan, and with overseeing research activity in grains and sugarcane industries. Currently I lead national and regional research projects on improving fertiliser N management and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the grains cropping systems in Australia, funded by GRDC and the Federal Goverment Soil Science Challenge initiative.

Lily is a movement ecologist and Postdoctoral Research Fellow. She is interested in how and where highly mobile predators travel, what their journeys can teach us about their evolutionary histories, and how to translate research findings into effective conservation policies. At UQ, in affiliation with the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, she is currently working on using animal tracking data and network models to understand migratory connectivity in the oceans. She received her BSc (Hons) from the University of Queensland, studying the thermal physiology and behaviour of wild saltwater crocodiles. In her PhD, at the University of Cambridge, she investigated the foraging ecology of albatrosses and petrels across the Southern Ocean.

Aude is a demographer/population geographer at the Queensland Centre for Population Research at the University of Queensland. Her research focuses on understanding internal migration processes and their consequences for individuals, regions and nations. Her contributions to formal demography include the development of measurement and estimation techniques that facilitate large-scale international comparisons of migration levels, patterns and selectivity. Building on the life-course perspective, her theoretical contributions include the concept of migration capital and the intergenerational transmission of migration.

She leads a group of PhD students and post-doctoral fellows who work on internal migration in partnership with international organisations, federal and state government departments on a range of the methodological and applied issues. Aude's current projects include:

- The internal migration and regional retention of immigrants

- Forecasting internal migration

- The long-term consequences of childhood migration

- The impact of climate change on internal migration

She is currently Chief Investigator on two Australian Research Council’s Discovery Projects and a Linkage Project in partnership with the University of Melbourne, the University of New England, Shanghai University, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Treasury’s Centre for Population.

She co-edits of the Journal of Population Research, co-chairs the IUSSP Scientific Panel on Lifetime Migration and sits on the Commonwealth's Treasury experts panel on population.

Methods and applications of statistics in evolutionary biology and population ecology.

My research involves the application and development of statistical methods in ecology, evolutionary biology, and general whole-organism biology. My two particular research foci are phylogenetic comparative methods and other uses of statistics in ecology, evolution, and systematics. I also have a strong interest in the application of Bayesian methods, and the statistical philosophy of the nature of evidence in whole-organism biology. How and why do scientists agree that certain data are evidence for or against a particular hypothesis?

I also provide a statistical consultation service for staff and students within the School of Biological Sciences

I am interested in taking graduate students at any level who are interested in quantitative methods in biology. Students in my lab will be able to (or be willing to learn) program computers in S (http://www.r-project.org), a compiled language such as C or Fortran, and/or a scripting language such as Python or Scheme in a Unix environment. Students are also encouraged to extend or develop their mathematical skills. A background in biology, statistics, mathematics, or computer science would be valuable. I can also co-supervise students who are interested in using quantitative methods for their thesis work, but for whom such methods are not a primary focus of research.

Pascal's research interests are diversified over various aspects of the Earth system, including geology, geomorphology, climate, soil and anthropogenic modifications in the context of spatial data analysis and interpretation.

Pascal holds a BSc in Geography from the University of Hamburg (Germany), a MSc in Earth Sciences from the University of Hamburg (Germany) and a PhD from the Queensland University of Technology (Brisbane, Australia). His PhD research on multi-method sediment provenance analysis focussed on the integration of U-Pb thermo- and geochronometer with novel techniques in image analysis and dimension reduction methods. The project was in cooperation with the Geological Survey of Queensland (DoR, GSQ) and the Geological Survey of New South Wales (GSNSW).

Over the last 10 years Pascal has worked with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the context of teaching, academic research and for industry applications. He is proficient on a variety of GIS software platforms including ArcMap, ArcGIS Pro, QGIS and SAGA.

Overview

Dr Borrell obtained bachelor and master’s degrees in Agricultural Science at The University of Melbourne, focusing on the Green Revolution genes (Rht1 and Rht2) in wheat for his thesis. He then completed a PhD at The University of Queensland on improving the efficiencies of nitrogen and water use for rice in the semi-arid tropics. Andrew was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study the impact of rice research in Asia and the US on rice production in the Australian tropics. Much of his post-doctoral research has focused on improving drought adaptation in sorghum, rice, wheat and barley.

Dr Borrell is a crop physiologist and Centre Leader of the Queensland Government’s Hermitage Research Facility, a centre of excellence for crop improvement in water-limited environments. For more than a decade, Andrew has led an international project (Australia/US) aimed at discovering key genes underpinning the stay-green drought adaptation trait in cereals, using sorghum as a model crop. Prior to this, he conducted research to better understand the physiological basis of stay-green in sorghum. Dr Borrell began his career as a rice agronomist with the Queensland Government.

Dr Borrell co-leads projects in sub-Saharan Africa and India to develop drought-adapted sorghum germplasm. In addition to drought physiology in major cereals, Andrew has supervised a research program aimed at discovering frost adaptation in winter cereals at heading stage. He has also worked extensively in South-East Asia for the past 25 years developing sustainable cropping systems, including recent research on rice production and adaptation to climate change in Vietnam. Dr Borrell has served as Secretary-General of the Asian Crop Science Association.

My research integrates empirical data and mechanistic models to understand the dynamics of coral reef populations and ecosystems across a range of spatial scales. I am particularly interested in the processes that regulate reef populations and shape their resilience in space and time. My current research focuses on assessing the cumulative impacts of recent and future disturbances across Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. I also explore scenarios of climate change and strategies of management interventions to help corals persist and adapt from the impacts of warming.

Stress, reproduction and chemical communication in marsupials. Effects of stress on ageing and neurodegenerative diseases. Vertebrate ecophysiology.

Adrian Bradley’s laboratory focuses on the following areas:

The role of hormones on behaviour in vertebrates, especially marsupials.Chemical communication in vertebratesStructure and function of the vomeronasal and olfactory organs in marsupials and their role in stress and reproduction.Vertebrate ecophysiology, with emphasis upon marsupials inhabiting environments ranging from cool temperate to subtropical rainforests.Metabolic strategies in adaptation in vertebrates.The effect of stress upon the brain, and modulation of adrenocortical and reproductive axes.Effect of stress on accelerated ageing and neurodegenerative processes in the brain of marsupials.Effect of stress and ageing upon cognitive performance and the role of the hippocampus. Includes the effect of stress on hippocampal neuronal connectivity and function.The pathogenesis of peptic ulcer in small marsupials, a model in which Helicobacter sp. do not appear to be involved. Reproduction, chemical communication and social organization in marsupial glidersThe Bradley laboratory has carried out some of the pioneering work on pituitary-adrenocortical and pituitary-gonadal function in marsupials and was the first to describe the role of free cortisol in the spectacular annual mortality of males in populations of small dasyurid marsupials. These studies also demonstrated the significant role of haemorrhage from gastric ulcers in contributing to the male mortality.This laboratory employs a range of sensitive endocrine techniques both in the laboratory and in the field to interpret metabolic and reproductive strategies that are used by a range of vertebrates as they adapt to changes in the physical and social environment during their life history.Neuroendocrine studies use immunohistochemical, confocal and EM techniques to examine neurons and glial cells within the hippocampus and in the olfactory and vomeronasal pathways..Dr Bradley has ongoing collaborative projects in various locations that include the Daintree World Heritage Rainforest Region, North Queensland, South Stradbroke Island, Tasmania and in Kluane National Park, Yukon, Canada. Previous collaborative projects have been carried out on mammal populations in the following locations:In Western Australia, the Kimberley, the SW wheatbelt, Karri forests and islands off the West Australian coast,Moreton Island, North & South Stradbroke Islands, QueenslandKakadu National Park, Northern TerritoryThe Daintree World Heritage area, North QueenslandForest and alpine mammals in Tasmania and VictoriaYunnan Province, SW ChinaKluane National Park, Yukon, Canada

Dr Nevenka Bulovic is a water resource engineer and her current research focus is on improving the climate resilience of the mining sector in the face of climate change. This work applies state-of-the-art climate models to assess risks to water availability, mine site rehabilitation and pollution risks. Nevenka's other research passion is in using remotely sensed data and novel approaches for improving knowledge on hydroclimate in data sparse regions such as Australia and the Andes.

Dr Robyn Cave is a horticulturalist with research experience in plant propagation, reproductive biology and the control of plant development and flowering. Robyn's current projects involve developing propagation protocols for Australian native plants for food, ornamental purposes and land restoration.

Summary of Research:

• My current research at UQ is as Professor in this School (teaching AGRC3040 Crop Physiology) and as an Affiliate Professor of QAAFI. Since 2020, with full-time appointment at UQ, my research portfolio has included multiple projects in applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence into the ag domain. This area is developing rapidly and across UQ, I am engaging with faculty in multiple schools (ITEE, Maths and Physics, Mining and Mech Engineering) as well as in the Research Computing Centre to develop new projects and training opportunities at the interface of field agriculture and these new digital analytics.
• My career research has been around genetic and environment effects on physiology of field crops, particularly where drought dominates. Application of quantitative approaches (crop simulation and statistical methods) and phenotyping (aerial imaging, canopy monitoring) to integrate the understanding of interactions of genetics, growth and development and the bio-physical environment on crop yield. In recent years, this work has expanded more generally into various applications in digital agriculture from work on canopy temperature sensing for irrigation decisions (CSIRO Entrepreneurship Award 2022) through to applications of deep-learning to imagery to assist breeding programs.
• Much of this research was undertaken with CSIRO since 1996. Building on an almost continuous collaboration with UQ over that time, including as an Adjunct Professor to QAAFI, Prof Chapman was jointly appointed (50%) as a Professor in Crop Physiology in the UQ School of Agriculture and Food Sciences from 2017 to 2020, and at 100% with UQ from Sep 2020. He has led numerous research projects that impact local and global public and private breeding programs in wheat, sorghum, sunflower and sugarcane; led a national research program on research in ‘Climate-Ready Cereals’ in the early 2010s; and was one of the first researchers to deploy UAV technologies to monitor plant breeding programs. Current projects include a US DoE project with Purdue University, and multiple projects with CSIRO, U Adelaide, La Trobe, INRA (France) and U Tokyo. With > 8500 citations, Prof Chapman is currently in the top 1% of authors cited in the ESI fields of Plant and Animal Sciences and in Agricultural Sciences.

I am a Principal Climate Scientist on the Climate Projections & Services team, Queensland Government, and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Queensland. My work focusses on the impacts of climate change on Queensland. As part of this, I am involved in downscaling global climate models to a high resolution, to better understand local and regional impacts of climate change. This data is publicly available on the Queensland Future Climate Dashboard, and is also part of our team's submission to the CMIP6 round of CORDEX (NCI Data Catalogue). I also work on climate extremes and health impacts from climate change, such as heat stress.

I completed my PhD at the University of Queensland in 2018, where I looked at the impact of climate change and urban growth on heat stress in Brisbane. I then worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Leeds, UK, on the AFRICAP and CHAMNHA projects, where I looked at the impact of climate change on agriculture and heat-related child mortality in Africa. I joined the Climate Projections & Services team in 2022, and the University of Queensland in 2024.

Associate Professor Fiona Charlson is a NHMRC Research Fellow at the Queensland Centre of Mental Health Research and School of Public Health, University of Queensland. She is a psychiatric epidemiologist and health services researcher with strong experience in addressing some of the most challenging global mental health research questions. Her research utilises a wide range of highly-specialised research skills, from traditional qualitative and quantitative research methods to new and innovative methods aimed at breaking down barriers to progress in the field. She has been a core member of the Mental Disorders and Illicit Drug Use Research Group for the Global Burden of Disease Study since 2009 and is at the leading edge of research into the mental health impacts of climate change and leads the Social and Emotional wellbeing group of UQ’s Climate Change and Health Transdisciplinary Impact Research Network. Her technical expertise is highly sought after and has attracted collaboration requests and funding from a wide range of national and international stakeholders, including; Queensland Health, the World Health Organization, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (University of Washington), US National Institutes of Health, Alan Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health (University of Cape Town) and various organisations in low- and middle-income countries.