School of BioSciences
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Why don't
humans have tails?
Yes, there is a good tale behind the disappearance of tails from monkeys to humans
Science Matters on Pursuit
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Top 10 ways to give nature a helping hand
Victorians are being urged to help nature adapt to new conditions under climate change
through a new 10-point guide
1 Feb 2016News
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Leadership study shows that age beats height
New research out of the University of Melbourne suggests that when it comes to good
leadership at the Olympic level, age trumps physical stature
20 Jan 2016News
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Discovered: A treasure trove of new fish
Researchers have found 20 new species of freshwater fish in the remote Kimberley
region - and had to fend off an angry crocodile in the process
Science Matters on Pursuit
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Three
ways frogs, roads and cars don't mix
... But there are seven things we can do to make their lives just a little easier
Science Matters on Pursuit
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Thousands attend historic graduation ceremony
17 Dec 2015News
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Australian Academy of Science award for Jane Elith
24 Nov 2015News
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How do
penguins find their mate in a sea of tuxedos?
Penguin colonies can number tens of thousands, so how do penguins hook up and find
their families?
Science Matters on Pursuit
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Helping
corals survive a rapidly changing world
Professor Madeleine van Oppen wants to manipulate the complex relationship between
corals and microbes to accelerate coral evolution
Science Matters on Pursuit
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Jane Elith named Life Scientist of the Year
Dr Jane Elith has been awarded the 2015 Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the
Year, one of the six awards in the annual Prime Minister's Prizes for Science.
22 Oct 2015News
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The
marauding march of invasive plant species
Weeds have changed landscapes around the world, but should we be doing anything to
stop them?
Science Matters on Pursuit
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Harnessing the power of experts
Relying on expert judgement is a risky but necessary business, requiring the right tools ...
and the right experts.
Science Matters on Pursuit
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Prof. Geoff McFadden Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology
Malaria researcher and surfing enthusiast Professor Geoff McFadden from the School of
BioSciences, Faculty of Science has been elected a Fellow of the American Academy of
Microbiology.
15 Mar 2015News
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Newly discovered moth is enigmatic evolutionary wonder
The discovery of a new family of moth is one of the most exciting finds in entomology in
the past 40 years. It was found not in some remote and unexplored region of Australia,
but right in our backyard on Kangaroo Island in South Australia.
4 Mar 2015News
Study with us
The School of BioSciences provides a dynamic study environment across a diverse range of
fields. Our teaching and learning environments are well equipped, and the School has an
extensive fieldwork program which is supported by our renowned researchers.
Join students from all around the world - Study at the School of BioSciences.
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Courses
The School of BioSciences offer a broad range of undergraduate and graduate study
opportunities.
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Graduate Research Opportunities
Work with our internationally recognised researchers in a diverse range of research areas
and pursue your interest with a Graduate Research Degree.
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Scholarships, Awards and Prizes
The School of BioSciences raises funds to endow student scholarships, awards & prizes,
and to support research. The Faculty of Science also awards a number of scholarships,
awards & prizes that students maybe eligible for.
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Research in BioSciences
The School of BioSciences offers an exciting and stimulating research environment to conduct
research and study. Programs cover the broad spectrum of basic, strategic and applied research.
Active collaborations are established within Australia and overseas. These include partnerships
with the State and Federal government agencies, and industry.
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Research Clusters
The School of BioSciences Research Clusters are centred around various themes which
represent research areas that contribute to an interdisciplinary collaborative research
environment.
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Research Centres
The School of BioSciences is a major participant in a number of collaborative research
ventures which ensures it maintains a global perspective. Drawing on the expertise of
research activities across the School ensures we bring together researchers from all
around Australia and the world.
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Facilities, Equipment and Resources
Our vibrant research community is supported by state-of-the-art research facilities and
equipment which are available for use in research. Some facilities (i.e. Advanced
Microscopy Facility) are also accessible to the wider scientific community in
government, business and industry.
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Our people
The School of BioSciences is committed to providing national and international leadership in all
areas of the biosciences, through the provision of undergraduate and graduate programs of the
highest quality, and through a diverse range of innovative research.
Our staff are among the most passionate teachers and researchers in Australia, and they
challenge and inspire our students to become future leaders in Science.
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Academic Staff
Lecturers and researchers (including Professors) in the School of BioSciences.
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Professional Staff
Professional staff in the School of BioSciences.
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PhD Students
Students undertaking a Doctor of Philosophy - Science in the School of BioSciences.
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The School of BioSciences came into existence in 2015, consolidating expertise from the three
former Departments of Botany, Genetics and Zoology.
The integration of these disciplines means that we now host very diverse research strengths,
giving unprecedented capacity to address major scientific and societal problems in biology.
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About
At present, the School leads more than 240 research projects supported by competitive
funding of about $100m. We host a number of significant research centres including...
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Events
The School of BioSciences actively engages with the wider community through events,
seminars, public lectures and school programs.
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Support Us
The Botany Foundation, the Melbourne Herbarium, the Tiegs Museum. Come visit and
support us...
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Prof. Mark Burgman,
Head of School.
The School of BioSciences came into existence in 2015, consolidating expertise from the three
former Departments of Botany, Genetics and Zoology.
The integration of these disciplines means that we now host vey diverse research strengths,
giving unprecedented capacity to address major scientific and societal problems in biology.
At present, the School leads more than 240 research projects supported by competitive funding
of about $100m. We host a number of significant research centres including the ARC Centre of
Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED), the Centre of Excellence for Biosecurity Risk
Analysis (CEBRA), the Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and Management (CAPIM),
and the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Walls.
Our work is supported by state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure, and our research capacity
is strengthened by strategic partnerships with other institutions, government agencies, and
industry.
The School of BioSciences is a major contributor to teaching of some 3,000 undergraduates each
year in the Bachelor of Science, as well as a broad range of postgraduate programs. The quality
of our teaching programs has been recognised with multiple national teaching awards, and our
School is home to a vibrant community of over 200 PhD, MSc and Honours students.
We welcome community engagement in every aspect of our work. We have a strong educational
outreach program in VCE Biology and two great collections of national significance in the
Herbarium and the Tiegs Museum.
I invite you to explore our website and learn more about the activities of the School. If you have
additional questions or are interested in pursuing studies in our undergraduate or postgraduate
programs, we welcome your enquiry.
Professor Mark Burgman, FAA
Head of School.
Email: enquiries-biosciences@unimelb.edu.au
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Pushing back the frontiers of biological science in Australia
Jane Elith named Life Scientist of the Year
Study with us
o Challenge Test
o What will your challenge be?
o Scholarships, Awards and Prizes
o Degrees
Research
o Research Clusters
 Evolution, Ecology and Environmental Science
 Terrestrial Ecology & Evolution
 Animal Behaviour & Evolution
 Marine and Freshwater Ecology & Evolution
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Quantitative & Applied Ecology
 Research
 People
 Collaborations
 Genetics, Genomics and Development
 Microbial Genetics
 Cardiovascular Physiology
 Developmental and Cellular Genetics
 Population and Quantitative Genetics
 Reproduction and Development
 Plant Functional Genomics
 Plant Science
 Plant, Algal and Protozoa Cell Evolution
 Plant Biodiversity
o Research Centres
o Facilities, Equipment & Resources
o Grimwade Plant Collection
Contact Us
People
o Academic Staff
o Professional Staff
o PhD Students
Engage
o About
o Events
o Support Us
o The University of Melbourne Herbarium
 About the Herbarium
 Collections Policies and Permits
 Strategic Plan and Acquisition policy
 Collecting permits
 Accessing the collection
 Teaching Resources
 Volunteers
 Significant Collections
o Tiegs Museum
 Tiegs Museum Collection
 History of the Museum
 Contact