Megan Head received her PhD in Evolutionary Ecology from the University of New South Wales in 2005. She worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the USA and the UK from 2006 to 2013, where she conducted research on a variety of topics and species – from the coevolution of parental care and sexual conflict in burying beetles to the role of sexual selection in speciation of three-spined stickleback fish. In 2014, she returned to Australia to take a up a postdoctoral position at the Australian National University working on sexual conflict in changing environments and reproducibility in science. Megan was awarded a Future Fellowship in 2016 and subsequently went on to build her own lab at the ANU where she continues to conduct research on the evolutionary ecology of insects and fish, as well as developing new technologies for monitoring invertebrates. Megan additionally holds a position with the environmental not for profit organisation ‘Invertebrates Australia’ and sits on the ACT Scientific Advisory committee.

Dr. Maggie Watson was born in the USA and has been in Australia for 25 years, but still sounds like she just got off the plane from the States. She is an ornithologist with a passion for seabirds, ectoparasites and other invertebrates, as well as conservation interventions and taxonomy. After almost 30 years in academia, she is now working in the private sector as a consultant.

I am Professor of Terrestrial Ecology at Deakin University’s School of Life and Environmental Sciences. My research has conservation biology as a central theme, including fire ecology, invasive species management and habitat loss and fragmentation, often with an emphasis on movement ecology. I take a range of approaches, including manipulative experiments, natural experiments and population genetic techniques. Applications of new technology to conservation problems is a growing area of collaboration, with a focus on developing field-cameras with AI processing that target ectotherms. My research spans taxonomic groups, although is biased towards frogs, reptiles and beetles. Enquiries about joining the lab as a PhD student welcome. Further details on the lab page https://dondriscoll.com/

Heloise Gibb is an Honorary Professor of Insect Ecology at Deakin University and the University of New South Wales. She previously completed postdoctoral research at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and worked as a teaching and research academic and Future Fellow at La Trobe University over a 16 year period. Her research focuses on terrestrial invertebrate communities in the context of ecological disturbances and ecosystem restoration, with projects spanning ecosystems from deserts to boreal forests. Current projects explore brown food webs, rewilding with “minibeasts”, drivers of ant ecological strategies, and hotspots of endemism in south-eastern Australia.

Emanuela Cosma is currently pursuing a PhD at University of Tasmania studying the impacts of forestry practices on beetle communities in Southern Tasmanian wet forests. Originally from Italy, she has a multidisciplinary background in Viticulture and Oenology and Global Change Ecology. For her Master’s thesis, she collaborated on research exploring the application of remote sensing to demonstrate multitemporal trends in ecological data. Following her Master’s degree, she gained valuable experience as a trainee at the University of the Azores, where she contributed to a project monitoring arthropod communities in the Azorean Native Forests. Throughout her academic journey, Emanuela has prioritized practical implications. Her research aims to contribute to sustainable management strategies that enhance invertebrate biodiversity conservation in production forest landscapes.

Dr Leanda Mason (they/them, Minang Nyungar) has research focuses that are broad and intersecting. These research interests include, but are not limited to: conservation ecology, tertiary teaching and learning, and equity, diversity, justice, and inclusion (EDJI) ecologies. They have specialist skills surveying of trapdoor spiders, having conducted extensive research on their ecology and the challenges they face in urban environments due to their short-range endemic traits. Leanda has an extensive teaching and learning background; serving as a unit coordinator and lecturer in various Indigenous studies and environmental science courses, as well as having a Masters in Teaching. They are also an enthusiastic science communicator; frequently engaging in public talks, media interviews, and publications to advocate for conservation of non-charismatic species.

I am a Research Scientist within the Animal Science Program at the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. I have recently moved into a new role as Invertebrate Ecologist, after previously working as a fauna geneticist on DBCA's Climate Adaptation Initiative. Prior to working at DBCA, I worked in fundamental evolutionary biology and ecology at UWA in postdoctoral and PhD research. I have also held positions in environmental consulting, specialising in short range endemic and subterranean invertebrates.

Wednesday is an ATSE Elevate Scholar currently undertaking a PhD in molecular ecology, evolution, and systematics at La Trobe University, within the Department of Ecological, Plant and Animal Sciences. Her research integrates ecological, molecular and morphological approaches to improve our understanding of poorly documented dark taxa and their evolutionary history.