I am an Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow in Archaeology at La Trobe University, specialising in late Quaternary Australian Indigenous archaeology. I have a particular research focus on zooarchaeology, with formal qualifications in both Archaeology and Zoology. I have been involved in a variety of research projects in Australia including working on late Quaternary faunal assemblages from: southwest Tasmania; Lake Mungo, NSW; Cuddie Springs, NSW; and from the Murray River in northwestern Victoria. I have also worked on faunal assemblages from China. I have integrated my zoological background into my research by conducting experiments on modern Australian animals including: economic utility; fatty acid nutritional analyses; butchery; and cooking experiments.
With a PhD in palaeontology I am also interested in studying natural faunal assemblages and what this infers about past palaeoenvironments and palaeoecology. In particular I am interested in the causes behind the extinction of Australia's megafauna during the late Pleistocene.
I have published extensively on a range of projects including Australian zooarchaeology, modern experimental archaeology, megafauna extinctions, and vertebrate and invertebrate palaeontology. I have also presented over 30 papers at national and international conferences including the Society of American Archaeology, International Conference for Zooarchaeology, Society of Vertebrate Palaeontology, the Australian Archaeological Association Conference, and the Conference on Australasian Vertebrate Evolution Palaeontology and Systematics.
I am a Registered Cultural Heritage Advisor (CHA) with the Office of Aboriginal Affairs Victoria (OAAV). I am available as a faunal consultant providing expert taphonomic analyses of vertebrate and invertebrate assemblages.
I am interested in developing collaborative research projects focusing on fauna (both vertebrate and invertebrates) in late Quaternary Indigenous Australian archaeology.
