Glenn Dunshea BSc (Hons), GradCertComm

Expertise and research interests

My expertise is that I can do stuff with DNA. I studied marine biology and environmental science at James Cook University (JCU) in Townsville, Queensland, and graduated with honours. After working as a research assistant with an emphasis on molecular ecology in tropical ecosystems (both flora and fauna) at JCU, I undertook a research assistant position at the Australian Antarctic Division part time and a PhD at the Antarctic Wildlife Research Unit, University of Tasmania.

My PhD has developed and critically examined minimally invasive means to gather ecological information (specifically; diet and age-based processes) using molecular techniques and is supervised by Nick Gales, Simon Jarman and Mark Hindell. This has involved laboratory and field based studies on cetaceans, using the Bottlenose Dolphin and Southern Right Whale as model toothed and baleen whales, respectively. Other research initiated during the above studies has a wide focus, generally united by molecular methods, such as foraging ecology of bottlenose dolphins, genomics of Tursiops spp. and the demographic, genetic and acoustic status of Auckland Island, Southern Right Whales.

I am involved in molecular-based projects at other institutions including invertebrate telomere biology in collaboration with TAFI. I also work as a research assistant within IASOS investigating phylogenetic and phylogeographic patterns and processes of Deep-Sea and Antarctic invertebrates. I have broad research interests in ecological and evolutionary processes at the population level.

Selected publications