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Doctor

Rodrigo Hamede Ross

Senior Lecturer

Biological Sciences

Orcid identifier0000-0003-1526-225X
  • Senior Lecturer
    Biological Sciences
  • +61 3 6226 1890 (Work)
  • +61 3 6226 2745 (Fax)
  • School of Natural Sciences, Biological Sciences, 320b Life Sciences Building, Sandy Bay Campus, TAS

BIO

Dr Hamede completed his PhD on the ecology and epidemiology of Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) in August 2012. He has worked on a number of behavioural, life history, epidemiological and evolutionary problems caused by DFTD throughout Tasmania. Using longitudinal data sets and a multidisciplinary framework he has assessed the impacts of this disease and developed models to predict epidemiological outcomes and evolutionary dynamics between devils and DFTD across wild populations. Dr Hamede specialises in disease ecology and epidemiology, but he is often involved in collaborations with researchers from a broad range of disciplines including, genomics, immunology, veterinary medicine, cancer biology, mathematical modelling and evolutionary biology. In 2018 he became hub leader for the International Associated Laboratory CANECEV, aimed at studying the role of cancer in ecological and evolutionary processes. This integrative framework can be used for improving the management of cancers in wildlife and other emerging infectious diseases, providing novel insights for the conservation of species affected by disease threats.

International Associated Laboratory for Cancer Ecology and Evolution – CANECEV
https://www.utas.edu.au/news/2018/5/17/609-joining-forces-to-fight-cancer/

https://canecev.org/

Biography
Dr Hamede grew up in Santiago, Chile's capital city. He studied Spanish and Linguistics in Chile and completed his Bachelor of Arts in 1996. However, his real passion has always been wildlife ecology and conservation. After a year living in Kenya, where Rodrigo gorged himself with mammal and bird watching, he decided to travel to Tasmania for three months, with the hope of seeing a wild Tasmanian devil and the famous cool temperate rainforests of Tasmania, which resemble the ones in his beloved Patagonia. In 2003 Rodrigo completed Bachelor of Science at UTas, majoring in zoology and environmental studies. Following that he completed his Honours research project on devil social behaviour in 2004. After a year working with migratory birds for an environmental consultant, he decided to go back to mammals and took a PhD scholarship to study the ecology and epidemiology of DFTD. He has been working as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at UTAS since 2013. In 2017, he has awarded the prestigious ARC - DECRA fellowship.

Rodrigo has broadened his research scope through the recently created International Associated Laboratory (LIA) to study the roles of cancer in ecology and evolution (CANECEV), in conjunction with the National Centre for Scientific Research and University of Montpellier – France, Deakin University, and UTas – Australia. This new international laboratory is dedicated to studying ambitious questions in relation to the significance of cancer on ecosystem function, wildlife health and evolutionary biology. Rodrigo is also collaborating with researchers from Chile to understand the transmission of pathogens between domestic animals, wildlife and humans.

Rodrigo has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. Since his appointment as a postdoctoral researcher at UTas in 2013 he has successfully attracted numerous grants (see Funding section). Funding sources include the Australian Research Council, The French National Agency of Research, Ian Potter Foundation, The Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Trust, as well as internal UTas funding schemes.

Career summary
Qualifications

Ph.D. The Ecology and Epidemiology of Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumour Disease, University of Tasmania, Australia 2012
BSc (1st Class Hons), Seasonal, Demographic and Density-Related Patterns of Contact Between Tasmanian Devils: Implications for Transmission of Devil Facial Tumour Disease, University of Tasmania, Australia 2004
BA (Hons), Traductor e Intérprete Simultáneo y Consecutivo, EATRI, Chile 1996

Languages (other than English)
Spanish

Memberships

Professional practice
Australian Mammal Society
Wildlife Disease Association
British Ecological Society
Ecological Society of Australia
International Society for Conservation Biology

Other
International Associated Laboratory, CANECEV

Administrative expertise
Dr Hamede has significant experience in administrating research projects, starting from his own projects (BSc Hons, Ph.D.) through the postgraduate projects of the students he has supervised and is currently supervising at the School of Natural Sciences.

SCHOOL AND PORTFOLIO

  • School of Natural Sciences

FIELD OF RESEARCH