La Trobe University has academic experts available to talk to the media on a range of science-related topics ahead and during National Science Week (10 - 18 August).
Dr John Morgan
Head of Environment and Genetics Department
Contact: J.Morgan@latrobe.edu.au; 0427 852 727
Expertise: Dr Morgan is an expert in threatened plants and ecological communities.
Dr Morgan can speak to the following topics:
- Threats to Australian plants
- How threatened plants are faring with climate change
- Unexpected ways threatened plants survive
- Recovering threatened plants from extinction using novel approaches
- Even in 2024, we are still discovering new plant species
- Why the most important ecosystems are the ones that humans also love to occupy
Dr James Van Dyke
Associate Professor, Environment
Contact: j.vandyke@latrobe.edu.au or 0468 708 580
Expertise: Dr Van Dyke is a vertebrate ecologist specialising in freshwater turtle conservation, vertebrate reproduction and invasive species management
Dr Van Dyke can discuss the following topics:
- Freshwater ecology
- Turtle conservation
- Citizen science
- Invasive species management
- Community conservation
- Wildlife ecology
Dr Jim Radford
Associate Professor, Department of Environment and Genetics Department and Co-Director, Research Centre for Future Landscape
Contact: J.Radford@latrobe.edu.au 0400 815 811
Expertise: Dr Radford is an expert in wildlife conservation and management, threatened birds and woodland ecology.
Dr Radford can speak to the following topics:
- Threats to Australian birds – habitat loss, climate change, introduced predators, unsustainable farming practices, altered fire regimes, forestry
- Trends and trajectories of Australian birds – how are our birds faring?
- Protecting and enhancing bird populations in agricultural landscapes
- Fire ecology, fire management and impacts on threatened birds
- The importance of sustainable agriculture and changing the way we produce food and fibre to be nature positive
- Emerging nature markets and tools for sustainability reporting and engaging with new markets – how farmers can benefit from nature
- Ecosystem services provided by nature in agricultural landscapes
- Woodlands as an example of an ecosystem under immense pressure and facing collapse (terrestrial equivalent to coral reefs)
Contact details:
E.Cooney@latrobe.edu.au
0487 448 734