Growing up in a small country town, I have always been passionate about nature and felt sanctuary in the wilderness. 

I have a strong business background and worked for several years in Turkey, Qatar and South Africa, focusing on sustainable development and waste management. I have two Masters Degrees; one in Business and the other in Environmental Management majoring in Conservation Biology from the University of Queensland. 

I am now completing my Ph.D. with Associate Professor Jonathan Rhodes, Professor Hugh Possingham and Professor James Watson. My research broadly focuses on applied conservation research that is linked directly to on the ground actions. More specifically, I am interested in effective reserve design, action mapping, cost-effective conservation actions, proactive planning under climatic change, understanding cumulative and interacting threats and prioritising management for biodiversity. 

I volunteer for Wildcare Australia, predominately rescuing and rehabilitating native, orphaned mammals. I am also an IUCN WCPA Commission Member and am working closely with the Green List Specialist Group.