Principal Investigator
A. A. Thasun, PhD
My primary research interests lie in the speciation, dispersal, systematics, biogeography, and evolution of widely distributed reptile and amphibian species across South and Southeast Asia. I have led extensive fieldwork in remote islands, dense forests, and high mountain ranges, conducting fresh collections and studying museum specimens, complemented by laboratory molecular analyses. My research has led to the discovery of over 35 new species from India, Sri Lanka, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
Our Expert Faculty
Prof. Justin Travis, PhD
Much of my research uses stochastic individual-based models to study the evolutionary ecology and population genetics of range expansions, incorporating greater realism into the dispersal process within spatial population models, as well as evolvability and the evolutionary ecology of longevity. I am increasingly interested in how these models can be combined with modern statistical methods (including Bayesian approaches) and analytical approximations to gain greater insights and predictive capabilities.
Prof. Amir Hamidy, PhD
My research focuses on the taxonomy, evolution, and biogeography of Indonesian amphibians, with an emphasis on revealing cryptic diversity across Indonesia. I combine extensive fieldwork with morphological and molecular analyses to clarify species boundaries and evolutionary relationships. Much of my work addresses taxonomic uncertainties and describes new species through the study of both fresh specimens and historical collections, contributing to a deeper understanding of diversification and conservation.
Prof. Lesley Lancaster, PhD
My research focuses on evolution under climate change and evolutionary processes associated with geographic range limits. I am interested in how social and behavioral factors interact with changing ecological conditions to facilitate or hinder evolutionary change and macroevolutionary processes associated with geographic range shifts and habitat shifts.
Dr. Awal Riyanto, PhD
My research focuses on the taxonomy, evolution, and biogeography of Indonesian reptiles, with an emphasis on revealing the cryptic diversity of geckos. I combine extensive fieldwork with morphological and molecular analyses to clarify species boundaries and evolutionary relationships. Much of my work addresses taxonomic uncertainties and describes new species through the study of both fresh specimens and historical collections, contributing to a deeper understanding of diversification and conservation.
Tharu Wijewardena, PhD
My research focuses on the intersection of population ecology, urban ecology, and the conservation of reptiles and amphibians in Indonesia. I am interested in the processes and mechanisms that influence reptile population dynamics in urban environments. My primary study system focuses on freshwater turtles, but I also have a strong interest in agamid lizards. Given their imperiled status worldwide, I am committed to assessing conservation actions that enhance population stability.
Rebekka Allgayer, PhD
I am a computational movement ecologist with broad interests in understanding how marine and freshwater population dynamics, dispersal, and evolution interact to determine species’ responses to environmental change. I developed the individual-based, eco-evolutionary modelling platform MerMADE for investigating movement and dispersal evolution within a 3D seascape, including hydrodynamics and a range of behaviours during dispersal phases.
Research Students (PhD Candidates)
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Research Students (MSc Candidates)
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