People

Professor Morten E. Allentoft
Head of the TrEnD Laboratory

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Morten is an evolutionary biologist and was recruited in mid-2020 to lead the TrEnD Lab. He obtained a PhD from Canterbury University, New Zealand in 2011 and then established himself as a group leader at Centre for GeoGenetics (University of Copenhagen, Denmark). He has a background in ancient DNA (aDNA) research, working primarily on population genetics of extinct megafauna and ancient humans, and aDNA method development. Although Morten is still engaged in ancient DNA projects, most of his current research revolves around molecular evolution, population genetics and conservation genetics – with a particular passion for reptiles and amphibians. Our vision in TrEnD Lab is to practice a holistic form of molecular ecology by merging eDNA, aDNA and genomic disciplines. While based at Curtin University, Allentoft maintains a fractional affiliation with University of Copenhagen, ensuring a strong collaborative connection across the two continents.

Associate Professor Zoe Richards
Senior Research Fellow

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Zoe is a coral biologist (molecular ecology and taxonomic expertise) and a Senior Research Fellow. Zoe completed her PhD at James Cook University on the implications of rarity for Acropora conservation and now leads the CORE research group which specialises in the area of coral biodiversity and how best to monitor and protect it. Active areas of current research include examining the ecology and resilience of coral communities in Western Australia, examining the response of coral biodiversity to disturbance and resolving taxonomic problems with total evidence approaches. Zoe is also involved in numerous phylogenomic, population genetic and eDNA projects that aim to explore species divergence, ecological connectivity and benthic biodiversity.

Current Students in the Coral Research Group:
Katrina West (Postdoc); Arne Adam (PhD); Jason Alexander (PhD); David Juszkiewicz (PhD); Georgia Nester (PhD); Sophie Preston (Masters); Rodrigo Garcia (Remote Sensing Specialist and Adjunct Research Scientist).

Associate Professor Paul Nevill

Genetics Lead – Australian Research Council Centre for Mine Site Restoration (CMSR)
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Paul’s research focuses on the use of the latest molecular approaches for the conservation and the recovery of ecosystems. Paul is interested in the use of molecular ecology to understand the genetic factors that impact threatened species and in the use of genetics to improve restoration monitoring. Since 2010 Paul has completed a post-doc in conservation genetics at Kings Park Botanic Garden prior to joining Curtin University in 2015. During and post-PhD studies, Paul has established collaborations with government agencies, private industries and other academic institutions. Paul mentors and supervises HDR students and is also involved in undergraduate teaching at Curtin University.

Current Students:
Sheree Walters (PhD), Mieke van der Heyde (PhD), Kristen Fernandes (PhD), Kaylene Craig (PhD), Joshua Kestel (PhD)

Dr. Nicole White
Research Fellow

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Nicole is a Research Scientist and the Lab Manager for the Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory. Nicole’s research focuses on the use of cutting-edge and traditional molecular approaches for the conservation and protection of Australia’s unique fauna. In 2012, Nicole obtained her PhD in Biological Sciences and her research program focused on the development and application of genetic tools for the conservation, management and protection of Western Australia’s endangered white-tailed black-cockatoo species. Since 2012, Nicole completed a post-doc in ancient DNA, conservation genetics and wildlife forensics at Murdoch University prior to joining Curtin University in 2014. Nicole’s current research involves the development of eDNA tools for subterranean fauna detection from environmental substrates such as groundwater and sediment.

Mahsa Mousavi Mousaviderazmahalleh 

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Mahsa completed her PhD at The University of Western Australia on narrow-leafed lupin domestication and biodiversity, which also involved developing genomic resources for seven of its fungal pathogens using bioinformatic approaches. Inspired by the transferability of bioinformatics, she joined TrEnD in 2018 as a post-doctoral researcher working on an NHMRC funded project to determine the causative agents of tick-borne disease in Australia using metabarcoding techniques. Her current research focus is on developing genomic resources for the Pilbara Olive Python which is part of the eDGES program. In addition, she develops pipelines and scripts for data analysis, and provide bioinformatic support to students and staff. She is also affiliated with eDNA frontiers, which provides environmental DNA services to a variety of industries, such as oil/gas and fisheries.

Mattia Sacco

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Mattia is a TrEnD post-doctoral researcher interested in freshwater environments and the incorporation of multidisciplinary designs into the study of functional ecology. He completed his PhD at Curtin University on the ecological dynamics sustaining the subterranean biota of a West Australian groundwater ecosystem, a study that involved state-of-the-art isotopic and molecular techniques. His current project, funded by the eDGES program, focuses on the use of isotope analysis (SIA and CSIA) and eDNA technology to monitor biodiversity and characterize the ecosystem functioning of hypersaline lakes within the Chilean precordillera. Given the interdisciplinarity of his work and international experience, Mattia has an extended network of collaborators in Europe, America and Australia.

Dr Mieke van der Heyde
Research Fellow

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Mieke is currently a Research Associate with the Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory. Her research focus is developing and applying eDNA methods to monitor terrestrial and subterrestrial ecosystems. Mieke completed her PhD in 2020 with the ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration (CMSR) and the TrEnD Labs. Her research focussed on the application of eDNA surveys to monitor soil microbes, vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants during mine site restoration. In late 2020, Mieke started her post-doc position at Curtin studying underground communities living in the groundwater (stygofauna).

Dr Matthew Campbell
Research Fellow

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Matt is a post-doctoral researcher investigating the potential of ancient sedimentary DNA as a tool for reconstructing Southwest Australia’s (SWA) paleoecology and paleoclimate during the late Quaternary period. In 2021, he earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Curtin University, studying modern microbial mat communities using metatranscriptomics and organic geochemical techniques. Post-Ph.D., Matt joined the TrEnD Lab as a research technician facilitating laboratory operations and working on a variety of eDNA projects. In 2023, he become a post-doctoral researcher under the supervision of Prof Morten E. Allentoft.  He is currently working on extracting DNA from sediment cores sourced from lakes and wetlands in the SWA region and applying high-throughput sequencing techniques to identify past plant and animal communities. Matt is a strong advocate for the use of interdisciplinary approaches to address complex environmental challenges and believes that ancient DNA has great potential for informing conservation and management strategies in the face of global environmental change.

Dr Samuel Thompson
Research Associate

Sam completed his PhD at the University of Western Australia, where he worked on advancing aquatic biodiversity assessments by integrating eDNA metabarcoding with Stereo-Video and oceanographic data collection using novel sampling methods. In 2024, he joined the TrEnD lab, eDGES program and eDNA Frontiers as a postdoctoral data scientist and bioinformatician, focusing on the development and application of software tools to streamline the analysis, interpretation, and visualization of eDNA metabarcoding data.

With a multidisciplinary background spanning pharmaceutical research, agriculture, biological oceanography, and molecular ecology, Sam is particularly interested in leveraging novel eDNA technologies for marine biodiversity monitoring. His research aims to refine these methods by calibrating them against traditional visual survey techniques.

Dr Angus Lawrie
Research Associate

Angus is a conservation biologist whose main interest is in using genetic tools to answer evolutionary and ecological questions. He completed his PhD at Murdoch University in 2023, where he specialized in the phylogenetics, physiology, and phylogeography of extreme gastropods in Australian salt lakes. Angus joined Curtin University in 2024 as a post-doc in the TrEnD Lab under the EDGES program, following an interlude in environmental consulting that was instrumental in shaping his focus on conducting research with direct applied applications. His current project seeks to develop a novel eDNA-based tool for assessing the health of Western Australian wetlands.

Sherralee Lukehurst
Research Officer

Sherralee is an experienced Molecular Biologist, who has previously worked at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development in the areas of fish health and aquatic biosecurity. In her current position, funded by the eDGES program, Sherralee is working on enhancing and validating the use of eDNA metabarcoding techniques for the purpose of detecting high priority Invasive Marine Species (IMS) for biosecurity applications.

Marina de Oliveira
Associate Researcher

Marina is an Associate Researcher with TrEnD, having joined the team in 2025. She completed her PhD in Ecology and Natural Resources at the Universidade Federal de São Carlos (Brazil) in 2023. Her research focuses on monitoring terrestrial vertebrate biodiversity using noninvasive methods, particularly environmental DNA (eDNA) from various sources. At TrEnD, Marina works on refining eDNA sampling techniques in semi-arid and arid ecosystems of Western Australia, with the goal of improving biodiversity detection and understanding ecosystem condition in remote regions.

Dr Jacquelyn Jones

Laboratory Manager

Jackie joined TrEnD in October 2023, and provides technical and administrative support to the team as Lab Manager. Jackie completed her Bachelor of Science (Hons) with a degree in Chemistry and Biological Sciences in 2015 at Edith Cowan University. In 2021 she completed her PhD at Curtin university, under the primary supervision of AssProf Claus Christopherson. Jackie has worked on research projects that focus on the link between the gut microbiome and long-term human health.

Abdul Elmasri

Laboratory Technician

Abdul is a TrEnD Laboratory Technician. He has completed Certificates 3, 4 and a Diploma in Laboratory Operations at North Metropolitan TAFE. Abdul joined TrEnD labs mid-2024 and has provided support to the team on a variety of projects. He is currently managing a project which hopes to result in a global biodiversity audit of groundwater environments.

Mahima Tawal

Mahima is a PhD student supervised by Morten Allentoff, Mattia Sacco, Ben Saunders, and Karina Meredith. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biotechnology from India, and a Master’s in Biological Science majoring in Conservation Biology from the University of Western Australia (2023). Her strong foundation in biotechnology led her to research the metabolic profiles of healthy versus unhealthy pearl oysters for her master’s thesis. For her PhD, she is examining groundwater ecosystems in the Pilbara region, concentrating on their functional dynamics. Her research combines molecular techniques, stable isotope analysis, and fatty acid profiling of stygofaunal communities to uncover the complex interactions within these groundwater systems.

Muhammad Bilal

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Muhammad Bilal is a PhD candidate at the School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University under the supervision of Prof Monique Gagnon, Prof Morten E. Allentoft, Prof Grant Hose and Dr Mattia Sacco. Muhammad’s academic background includes an M.Phil degree from Government College University Lahore, Pakistan where he developed expertise in aquatic ecotoxicology. Muhammad’s master research project involved assessment of Microplastics (MPs) pollutants in freshwater ecosystems. His PhD research project focuses on assessing stygofaunal resilience to anthropogenic impacts: an ecotoxicological and metabolic perspective.

Grace Middleton

Grace is a PhD candidate with Curtin University, under the supervision of Dr Zoe Richards and Dr Ben Saunders. Grace completed her undergraduate degrees in Coastal and Marine Science and Professional Writing and Publishing in 2023 and continued to complete her marine science honours in 2024. Her PhD research further explores her honours research, investigating changes in coral reef ecology after disturbance. Using Bill’s Bay, Coral Bay as a major study site, Grace is focusing on changes in coral, fish and benthic ecology, as well as genetic population differences and the resilience of certain coral species to stress.

Austin Guthrie

Austin is a PhD candidate at TrEnD with a keen interest in terrestrial ecology, conservation and science communication. Austin completed his undergraduate studies at Curtin University in 2021 examining the effects of temperature and UV light on the degradation of eDNA in soil. His PhD research explores the use of terrestrial eDNA as a monitoring tool for vertebrate populations in mine restoration areas within the Northern Jarrah Forests of Western Australia. Austin hopes his research will provide valuable insight into the importance of holistic rehabilitation of damaged landscapes, and encourage the use of innovative monitoring techniques to assess restoration progress.

Josh Newton

Josh is a PhD candidate within the TrEnD laboratory at Curtin University. He is under the supervision of Assoc Prof Paul Nevill, Prof Morten Allentoft, and Assoc Prof Bill Bateman. Josh completed her undergraduate studies and honours at Curtin University in 2020 examining the efficacy of eDNA metabarcoding as a survey tool for vertebrate hollow users. His PhD research aims to improve our ability to non-invasively monitor terrestrial species thorough the development and application of eDNA within terrestrial ecosystems.

David Juszkiewicz

David completed his first class honours project under the supervision of Prof Mike Bunce and Dr Zoe Richards after finding an interest in scleractinian (hard-coral) taxonomy during his volunteering experiences at the West Australian Museum and Department of Parks and Wildlife. For his honours project, Davids undertook a phylogeographic study of the scleractinia Plesiastrea versipora, and he is extending that approach to the genus Porites in his PhD.

Ben Heyward

Ben is a PhD student under the supervision of Morten Allentoft, Nicole White, Mahsa Mousavi-Derazmahalleh, and Bill Bateman. He completed his undergraduate studies and honours at Curtin University (2022) on the decay rate of Pilbara olive python DNA. Ben seeks to further investigate the genomics of this species through his PhD, with a focus on whole-genome studies and biomonitoring.

Alicia Tan

Alicia is a PhD candidate at the School of Molecular and Life Sciences and the Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI), under the supervision of A/Prof Claus Christophersen, Dr Danielle Dye, A/Prof Christopher Peacock, Prof Morten Allentoft and Prof Valerie Verhasselt. She graduated with a B.Sc. in Biomedical Sciences and was awarded the Transnational Prize and Medal in 2017, and a Master of Infectious Diseases with Distinction (MID) in 2019 at The University of Western Australia (UWA). Her previous experience is in microbiology and infectious diseases— she worked on malaria during an internship at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore, Neisseria at The Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases, Research and Training in Perth in 2018, including a project under The Australian Society for Microbiology (ASM) WA Vacation Scholarship, and researched the antimicrobial activity of kefir at The Marshall Centre for her MID project. Apart from pathogens, she is also interested in the role of commensals and microbial communities in influencing health states, as well as microbiome-host interactions. For her PhD, she will be studying the maternal (gut and breastmilk) and infant (gut) microbiome at critical periods of development, together with the effect of prebiotic and probiotic interventions, maternal diet, and antibody-bacterial microbiota binding patterns in allergic disease.

Alen Tanoyo

BSc (Environmental Science) Curtin University, Graduated 2022

Alen is a Master of Research candidate under the supervision of Prof Morten Allentoft, Dr Mahsa Mousavi-Derazmahalleh, and Dr Paul Doughty (Western Australian Museum [WAM]). Alen completed a BSc in Environmental Science at Curtin University, where he spent an extended internship at WAM working on the phylogeography of paddy frogs (Dicroglossidae: genus Fejervarya) in the Lesser Sunda Archipelago. His master’s research investigates the phylogenomics and biogeography of the world’s smallest monitor lizard species (Varanidae: Varanus eremius species group). This group of monitor lizards are desert-adapted and widespread, making them the ideal model taxa to advance ecological understanding of Australia’s remote deserts.

Sophie Preston

Sophie Preston is a Master of Research student, supervised by Dr. Zoe Richards and Dr. Kar-Chun Tan. Her project focusses on a combined traditional and molecular approach to diagnosing the scleractinian coral disease, growth anomalies. Her research is a combination of ecological surveys, histology, geochemistry, bacterial metabarcoding and environmental DNA. Prior to her Masters, she completed a Bachelor of Science (Coastal and Marine Science) at Curtin University in 2018.

Lewis Haines

Lewis is an honours student at Curtin University under the supervision of A/Prof Zoe Richards and Dr Matthew Campbell. He completed his undergraduate BSc in Coastal and Marine Science at Curtin University in 2022, where he developed a strong interest in coral molecular biology and environmental genomics. His research investigates whether environmental RNA (eRNA) can capture active molecular signals of coral physiology during spawning events in Acropora millepora, aiming to evaluate eRNA as a non-destructive biomonitoring tool for coral reproductive health.

Joel Bennett

Joel is an honours student under the supervision of Dr Zoe Richards. He completed his undergraduate BSc in Coastal and Marine Science at Curtin University in 2020, after traveling North America and South East Asia for two years. He is interested in marine mammal and fish ecology, particularly along the Western Australian coastline. His Honours project is focused on utilizing eDNA approaches to advance knowledge about dugong populations, habitat use and diet. He collaborates with Associate Professor Kathryn McMahon at Edith Cowan University and Dr William Robbins from the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions.