Monica Gruber PhD GCertLaw
Meghan Cooling PhD
Ganges Lim PhD
Antoine Felden PhD
Jess Russell MSc
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LEADERSHIP
Monica Gruber leads our programme. Since 2008 Monica has contributed to invasive ant and biosecurity related activities in Australia, New Zealand, Tokelau, Kiribati, Samoa, French Polynesia, Tuvalu, Fiji, RMI, Niue, Tonga and Palau. Monica conceived of and led the development of the Pacific Invasive Ant Toolkit and Coconut Pests and Diseases Toolkit. Professor Phil Lester is the group's Principal Scientist. Phil works on the population dynamics, ecology and control of social insects (ants, bees and wasps). Phil's work in the Pacific began in Tokelau in 2002. Phil’s research goals include developing socially acceptable, cost-effective, and targeted next-generation technologies, tools, and strategies to control invertebrate pests in natural and production ecosystems to protect taonga species and minimise risk to production. ECOLOGICAL CONSULTANTS ALUMNI Meghan Cooling's PhD investigated population declines of yellow crazy ants. She has worked on ecological field surveys in Hawai'i, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Meghan played a major role in the development of the Pacific Invasive Ant Toolkit. She also assisted with ant control work in Tokelau and a socioeconomic analysis of invasive ants. Meghan now works as an entomologist in Calgary, Canada. Davide Santoro is a field ecologist with expertise in entomology and animal behavior, and a particular interest in the ecology and evolution of wasps, bees and ants. For his Ph.D., he studied the ecology of Vespula wasps, which are serious pests in a number of countries. Davide has been involved in research, teaching, and outreach in Europe, Central America, and New Zealand. He worked on our socioeconomic analyses of invasive ants, and now works at New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries. Ganges Lim's PhD research at Victoria University of Wellington focused on functional ecology and biodiversity in coastal plants. Having spent more than a decade as a teacher and curriculum developer, Ganges worked with us to develop invasive species educational resources for use in the Pacific, around the theme of 'People in their environment'. Tamlyn McKenzie completed a Masters degree in Conservation Biology at Victoria University of Wellington in 2016. Tamlyn joined the team to work on the Coconut Pests and Diseases Toolkit. She now works at the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries. Antoine Felden investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying behaviour of the invasive Argentine ant in his PhD. Antoine contributed to ant control work and French translations for the Pacific Invasive Ant Toolkit. Antoine is now a postdoctoral researcher at Victoria University of Wellington. Evan Brenton-Rule completed his PhD at Victoria University of Wellington, combining research on invasive species, biosecurity and law. He has assisted with workshops and ant control work in Tuvalu and Tokelau, and contributed to the Pacific Invasive Ant Toolkit. Evan now works at the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries. Jess Russell worked with us while she completed her Masters at Victoria University of Wellington. Her research experimented with viral resistance in honey bees through the transinfection of beneficial bacteria. Jess helped with outreach resources and setting up surveys. Jess now works at the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries. Allan Burne contributed to the Pacific Invasive Ant Toolkit and held a key role in leading capacity-building workshops and ant management programmes in Kiribati and Tokelau. Allan's PhD research studied the effect of invasive wasps on native ants in the New Zealand beech forests. Allan now works as a manager at the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries. |
Phil Lester PhD
Davide Santoro PhD
Tamlyn McKenzie MConBio
Evan Brenton-Rule PhD
Allan Burne PhD
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