Gillanders Aquatic Ecology Lab
Past Research Staff and PhD Students
Dr Heidi Alleway
Heidi undertook her PhD while working at Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA). Her PhD research focused on reconstructing ecological baselines for management in marine ecosystems. She was Program Leader for Fisheries Enhancement at PIRSA. She now works for The Nature Conservancy.
Dr Thomas Barnes
Tom completed an Honours degree and a PhD in the Gillanders laboratory. For his PhD he used natural tags and satellite telemetry to investigate the structure and connectivity of populations of mulloway (Sciaenid). He has worked for the Australian Antarctic Division in Hobart, NSW DPI based at Port Stephens and now works for NIWA in New Zealand.
Dr Ali Bloomfield
Ali undertook her Honours and PhD in the Gillanders laboratory. Her PhD research focused on experimental validations and ecological investigations in estuarine fish using stable isotopes. After completing her PhD she obtained a teaching qualification.
Dr Matias Braccini
Matias came to Australia from Argentina to undertake his PhD research. He worked on a rapid assessment of ecological risks of the piked spur dog in southeastern Australia. Matias undertook several postdoctoral positions in North America before returning to Australia. He has held government research positions in Victoria and Queensland and is currently based in Western Australia at WA Fisheries.
Dr Sarah Catalano
Sarah investigated the dycemid parasite fauna of southern Australian cephalopods for her PhD research. She received numerous awards throughout her PhD including a University Doctoral Research Medal and was winner of the South Australian Science Excellence Awards in the PhD category Life and Environmental Sciences. She currently works at SARDI Aquatic Sciences.
Dr Briony Chamberlayne
Briony used isotope and elemental tracers in waters and bivalves to trace hydrological change in the Coorong Lagoons of South Australia.
Dr Katherine Cheshire
Katherine investigated the influence of hydrology, food and habitat on larval fish assemblages in the lower River Murray for her PhD research. After working at SARDI Aquatic Sciences she moved to Canberra to work for the Murray Darling Basin Association. She now works for the Department of Primary Industries in New South Wales.
Jorge Corrales Guerrero
Jorge completed his Masters thesis at Hedmark University College in Norway, but was based in Adelaide for the research component. He researched the association between higher order predators and reef fish and invertebrate assemblages in South Australian waters.
Melita de Vries
Melita worked on our ARC Linkage project on population structure in giant Australian cuttlefish. She was a Senior Environmental Advisor at Adelaide Airport Ltd before commencing a PhD.
Dr Morgan Disspain
Morgan has an Honours degree in archaeology from Flinders University. For her PhD she investigated information that could be obtained from archaeological otoliths and how reliable this information may be as a palaeoenvironmental record. She was awarded a University Doctoral Research Medal. She now works as an archaeological consultant.
Dr Zoe Doubleday
Zoe completed her PhD at the University of Tasmania. She worked as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Gillanders lab on several projects involving hard structure chemistry and sclerochronology. She also undertook the risk assessment component of the SGEDI project. She worked as a postdoctoral fellow for Prof Sean Connell (2016-2018) before moving to Uni SA as an ARC Future Fellow.
Dr Travis Elsdon
Travis undertook his Honours and PhD in the Gillanders laboratory. His PhD research focused on reconstructing environmental histories of fish using otolith chemistry. After completing several postdocs in the USA, he obtained an ARC Research Fellowship and returned to the Gillanders laboratory. He now works as an environmental consultant.
Dr Greg Ferguson
Greg investigated the effects of river regulation, drought and exploitation of the fish of a degraded Australian estuary (Coorong) and the life history of mulloway (Sciaenid) for his PhD. He now works for SARDI Aquatic Sciences as a research scientist.
Dr Nicole Foster
Nicole investigated coastal environmental change through time mostly using environmental DNA. Her focus was on coastal and marine vascular plants. She now works as a postdoctoral fellow at Flinders University.
Dr Kayla Gilmore
Kayla undertook her Honours and PhD in the Gillanders laboratory. Her PhD research examined the sub-lethal physiological impacts of hypoxia exposure on native freshwater fish and recontructed past hypoxic events, through otolith chemistry. She now works for the SA Department of Environment and Water.
Dr Judith Giraldo
Judith investigated population structure and connectivity of black bream in South Australian estuaries based on otolith chemistry for her PhD. Her research was funded via an ARC Linkage grant which was supported by the Kangaroo Island NRM Board. She worked as a lecturer in Columbia before returning to Australia.
Dr Gretchen Grammer
Gretchen's PhD research used biogeochemical tracers and sclerochronologies derived from fish otoliths to detect environmental change. She is now working as a Research Scientist at SARDI Aquatic Sciences.
Dr Karl Hillyard
Karl investigated the use of carp exclusion screens on wetland inlets and their value in controlling common carp, as well as the effects on offstream movements of other fish species in the River Murray for his PhD. He now works as a project manager for the Department of Environment and Water in Adelaide.
Dr Christopher Izzo
Chris undertook his PhD research in the Gillanders lab before undertaking several postdoctoral positions in the lab. He worked on an FRDC funded sardine project before spending time on several projects involving hard part chemistry and sclerochronology. Chris now works for Fisheries Research Development Corporation in Adelaide.
Dr Alice Jones
Alice initially worked on developing knowledge and tools to inform integrated management of Spencer Gulf. She then lead our coastal carbon research. Alice is now an academic and has her own research group in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Adelaide.
Dr Claudia Junge
Claudia was a postdoctoral researcher for around 3 years in the Gillanders laboratory. She worked on an ARC Linkage project entitled “Seascape genetics for shark management: an innovation in sustainable fisheries modelling”. Claudia was a project officer for AquaTT based in Ireland before moving to a research position in Norway.
Kelsey Kingsbury
Kelsey completed a Masters of Philosophy focused on trophic niche, nutritional value and growth of native vs range-extending fish in temperate Australian ecosystems.
Jacob Maher
Jacob was a Research Associate on our Spencer Gulf research focusing on a socio-ecological assessment of the ecosystems, industries and communities of Spencer Gulf. He is now undertaking a PhD in the Invasion Ecology lab at the University of Adelaide.
Dr Jasmin Martino
Jasmin completed a BSc Hons and a PhD in the Gillanders Aquatic Ecology Lab. Her PhD research reconstructed the growth and physiological histories of an iconic Australian fish species, snapper (Sparidae). She worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at University of South Australia before commencing a position at ANSTO in Sydney.
Dr Nastaran Mazloumi
Nastaran undertook her PhD research on the growth and physiology of King George whiting in relation to environmental conditions. She now works as a fisheries scientist at the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences in Canberra.
Aoife McFadden
Aoife completed a Masters of Philosophy (Chemistry) uncovering the role of biomineralisation in otolith trace element uptake by microstructural and micro chemical analysis. Aoife is now working at Adelaide Microscopy.
Dr Matthew McMillan
Matt undertook his Honours and PhD research in the Gillanders Aquatic Ecology Lab. For his PhD he investigated pupping grounds and possible natal and nursery areas of school sharks in South Australian waters using a range of approaches. He is currently working for Queensland Department of Primary Industries.
Dr Andrew Munro
Andrew spent 5 years as a postdoctoral researcher working first on an ARC Linkage project investigating methods for marking fish and the effects of stocking in freshwater systems. Subsequently he worked on the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth ecology project investigating environmental conditions and patterns of movement of estuarine fish using otolith chemistry. Andrew now works for Alaskan fisheries.
Dr Steven Myers
Steven was a postdoctoral researcher working on an FRDC funded research project investigating giant Australian cuttlefish in South Australian waters. He now works for the SA Museum.
Dr Nick Payne
Nick completed his Honours and PhD research in the Gillanders laboratory. For his PhD he investigated approaches to understanding population dynamics and behaviour of giant Australian cuttlefish in northern Spencer Gulf, and was awarded a University Doctoral Research medal. He completed postdoctoral positions at the University of New South Wales, in Japan and UK. He is now an academic at Trinity College Dublin.
Dr Patrick Reis-Santos
Patrick received a joint PhD degree from University of Lisbon and the University of Adelaide for his PhD research assessing connectivity in coastal systems as a tool for fish management and conservation. He had a postdoctoral fellowship funded via the Portugese government before commencing a position at the University of Adelaide.
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Dr Troy Rogers
Troy has completed his PhD investigating connectivity of King George whiting from spawning to settlement. He is now a research scientist at SARDI Aquatic Sciences.
Dr Bayden Russell
Bayden investigated the effects of nutrients, grazing and habitat fragmentation on subtidal algae and invertebrates for his PhD research. He has held postdoctoral (with Professor Sean Connell) and academic positions at the University of Adelaide. He is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Hong Kong.
Dr Angela Russell
Angela completed her PhD investigating connectivity of mulloway between estuaries and trawling grounds. This was part of an FRDC funded project with NSW Department of Primary Industries – Fisheries.
Dr Richard Saunders
Richard investigated reproduction and recruitment dynamics of snapper (Sparidae) in South Australian waters for his PhD. Post PhD he worked at SARDI Aquatic Sciences and then in Townsville at Queensland Department of Primary Industries (2010-2018). He is now working for NIWA in New Zealand.
Dr Mandy Shao
Mandy investigated alkaline earth metal isotope tracers in semi-arid coastal environments for her PhD research. She is currently undertaking a postdoctoral position at the University of Adelaide.
Dr Jackson Stockbridge
Jackson completed a BSc Hons degree and his PhD in the lab. His PhD investigated cumulative impacts in marine ecosystems. He now works as a postdoctoral fellow in the lab.
Dr Ben Walther
Ben was a postdoctoral researcher in the Gillanders lab funded via an American Australian Association fellowship. He is now an Assistant Professor at the Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi. See Ben's website.
Dr Skye Woodcock
Skye focused on identification of stocked fish (using enriched stable isotopes) and enhancing their post-stock survival for her PhD research. She completed a postdoctoral position at the University of Texas before returning to the Gillanders laboratory to work on the FRDC-funded giant Australian cuttlefish project. She has completed postdocs in USA, Norway and Sweden.
Dr Nina Wootton
Nina completed her Hons and PhD in the lab and is now working on several research projects related to microplastics and science engagement. Her PhD research investigated microplastics in Australian fish.
Dr Brenton Zampatti
Brenton undertook his PhD part time whilst working at SARDI Aquatic Sciences. His PhD research focused on ecology and population dynamics of golden perch in a fragmented and flow-impacted river system. He now works for CSIRO in Adelaide.