I am a Senior Lecturer in the Dept of Biological Sciences at Macquarie Uni, a long-term associate of Mark Westoby's Comparative Ecology Group , and an assistant-Convenor of the Vegetation Function Network .

My personal research (funded both by the Australian Research Council and Macquarie University) focuses on:

• Quantifying relationships among ecologically-important plant traits, particularly those involved in carbon fixation, nutrient uptake & water transport.
• Understanding how trait relationships are modified by site climate & soils (locally, regionally, globally)
• Understanding the anatomical & physiological underpinnings of variation in ecological-strategy traits
• Linking between leaf-, canopy-, whole-plant-, & vegetation-scale information
• Improving trait-based approaches to vegetation-climate modelling (e.g. in Dynamic Global Vegetation Models)
• Identifying the ecological strategies of paleo-species via fossil traits
• Trait differences underlying differential success of invasive and native species
• Life-history variation in Neotropical rainforest species.
• Advances in the use of "model II" statistics for ecology -- with David Warton (UNSW) and Daniel Falster, Macquarie Uni; (see the SMATR stats package home page)

Further details can be found via my publications list. Much of the "global-scale" research arose initially via "GloPNet" (Global Plant Trait Network), a multi-collaborator project co-led with Peter Reich (U. Minn.).

INTERESTED in becoming involved?? I am currently searching for bright students - whether from Australia or overseas - to supervise (or co-supervise) during their PhD studies. Note that "Cotutelle" arrangements (international joint supervision of projects) are often possible, providing exciting opportunities for highly-motivated students to spend half of their candidature at Macquarie Uni, and half in a second research group, overseas.
Key criteria are (1) Proven academic track record; and (2) Clear abilities in data analysis & write-up. I'm open-minded in regard to research background, but demonstrated expertise in some specific research-area, in combination with wide interests and curiosity, would certainly be an advantage.