University of Tasmania
University of Tasmania
05/07/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/07/2024 08:37
Wildlife scientist David Hamilton selected for ABC Top 5 media…
Dr David Hamilton has been recognised as one of Australia's top emerging academic communicators after being named as one of ABC's Top 5 researchers for 2024 in the Science category.
Each year, the residency puts out a call to Australia's higher education sector and research organisations to find the top 5 early career scholars in three categories: Humanities, Science and the Arts.
Dr Hamilton is an Adjunct Researcher in the School of Natural Sciences, as well as a Conservation Ecologist with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy. Known for his captivating research on Tasmanian devils and quolls, Dr Hamilton is now set to share his conservation stories with a national audience.
Dr Hamilton's journey began in Scotland, where his early fascination with wildlife led him to study Zoology at the University of Aberdeen. His research adventures took him to South Africa to study meerkats and to Western Australia to explore frill-neck lizards. However, it was the challenge of devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) in Tasmanian devils that truly captivated him.
Dr David Hamilton is an Adjunct Researcher in the School of Natural Sciences, as well as a Conservation Ecologist with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy. (Picture: Eddie Safarik)
His current focus is on eastern quolls, whose populations have fluctuated significantly in Tasmania.
"Eastern quolls have undergone widespread declines in Tasmania over the last two decades, a fact that has gone slightly under the radar due to the well-publicised crisis being experienced by their larger cousins," he said.
"Ongoing research will help us uncover why their recovery has been so variable, and how we can help."
Being named one of ABC's Top 5 researchers is a significant opportunity for Dr Hamilton and he's ready to start learning from some of Australia's best journalists and communicators.
"For me, this is a fantastic opportunity to share some of the great conservation work being done here in Tasmania with the rest of Australia," Dr Hamilton said.
"The chance to learn how to be a better science communicator from people at the ABC, who communicate with a wide and varied audience daily, is invaluable. I'm very excited to level up my communication skills."