People

Professor Phillip Byrne -Principal Investigator ¦ Associate Head of School

Phil completed his PhD investigating the causes and consequences of mating system variation in anurans in 2002 at the University of Western Australia. He has held postdoctoral positions at the University of California Santa Barbara, Australian National University, University of Witvatersrand, and Monash University before taking up an academic position at the University of Wollongong. To read about Prof Byrne’s research interests click here.

Dr Aimee Silla -Principal Investigator ¦ Research Fellow

Aimee completed her PhD developing assisted reproductive technologies for the conservation of anuran amphibians in 2013 at the University of Western Australia. She extended her research on Reproductive technologies between 2010-2012 at Monash University before moving to the University of Wollongong. Dr Silla is currently an ARC DECRA Fellow, after having successfully completed two ARC LP postdoctoral fellowships. To read about Dr Silla’s research interests click here.

Amber Harrison- Masters student (2024 – present)

Supervisors: Dr Aimee Silla & Prof Phil Byrne

Project: Investigating the Impact of Prebiotic Supplementation on Fitness in the Critically Endangered Southern Stuttering Frog (Mixophyes australis)

Ewan Auld- PhD student (2025 – present)

Supervisors: Prof Phil Byrne & Dr Aimee Silla

Project: Integrating behaviour and physiology into amphibian conservation

Zara Anastas- PhD student (2022 – present)

Supervisors: Dr Aimee Silla, Prof Phil Byrne & Dr Justine O’Brien

Project: Development of protocols for the short-term storage and cryopreservation of sperm from Australian frogs

Michael McFadden – PhD student (2016 – present, 0.5 FTE)

Supervisors: Prof Phil Byrne, Dr Aimee Silla & Dr David Hunter

Project: Improving the output of Australian ex-situ conservation breeding programs for threatened amphibian recovery

Deon Gilbert – PhD student (2015 – present, 0.5FTE)

Supervisors: Prof Phil Byrne, Dr Aimee Silla & Dr Michael Mcgrath

Project: The Influence of Temperature on the Growth, Development and Fitness of the Critically Endangered Baw Baw Frog

Zea Norrish– honours student (2025)

Supervisors: Dr Aimee Silla & Prof Phil Byrne

Project: Impact of Reproductive Hormone Therapy on the Offspring Fitness of the Critically Endangered Northern Corroboree Frog

Morgan Howard– honours student (2024)

Supervisors: Dr Aimee Silla, Prof Phil Byrne & Dr Justine O’Brien

Project: Evaluating the effect of antioxidant supplementation on the cryopreservation of frog sperm

Brogan Dragisic– honours student (2024)

Supervisors: Prof Phil Byrne, Dr Aimee Silla & Dr Damien Esquerré

Project: Genetic and phenotypic variation in populations of Bibron’s toadlets, a species with high site fidelity

ALUMNI

Ewan Auld – honours student (2023)

Supervisors: A/Prof Phil Byrne, Dr Aimee Silla

Project: Does infection with chytrid fungus influence advertisement behaviour in Brown toadlets?

Ian Bool – honours student (2022)

Supervisors: A/Prof Phil Byrne, Dr Aimee Silla

Project: Investigating the role of male phenotypic traits, nest characteristics, social context, and infection status on male mating success in a terrestrial breeding anuran with continuous iteroparity.

Zara Anastas – honours student (2021)

Supervisors: A/Prof Phil Byrne, Dr Aimee Silla

Project: Investigating salinity-induced plasticity in sperm motility activation in the common eastern froglet (Crinia signifera)

Shannon Kelleher- PhD student (2017 – 2021)

Supervisors: A/Prof Phil Byrne, Dr Aimee Silla & Dr David Hunter

Project: Conservation from a behavioural perspective: Understanding patterns of individual behavioural variation and intersexual selection to assist with the captive breeding and reintroduction of the critically endangered corroboree frog

Nathan Butterworth – PhD student (2015 – 2020)

Supervisors: A/Prof Phil Byrne & A/Prof James Wallman

Project: The role of cuticular chemicals in the small hairy maggot blowfly Chrysomya varipes

Daniel O’Brien – PhD student (2014 – 2020)

Supervisors: A/Prof Phil Byrne, Dr Aimee Silla & Prof Scott Keogh

Project: Investigating the Evolution of Polyandry in an Australian Myobatrachid: Pseudophryne coriacea

Emma McInerney – PhD student (2015 – 2020)

Supervisors: A/Prof Phil Byrne & Dr Aimee Silla

Project: The influence of dietary carotenoids on the growth, development, colouration, performance and reintroduction success of the critically endangered Southern Corroboree frog (Pseudophryne corroboree)

Sara Walton – honours student (2019)

Supervisors: A/Prof Phil Byrne, Dr Aimee Silla

Project: Survival of the Brightest- investigating dose-related effects of β-Carotene on the colouration of the Southern Corroboree Frog

Leesa Keogh – PhD student (2014 – 2018)

Supervisors: Dr Aimee Silla & Dr Phil Byrne

Project: Developing Assisted Reproductive Technologies: a state of the ‘ART’ approach to amphibian conservation

Stephanie Courtney Jones – PhD student (2013 – 2017)

Supervisors: Dr Phil Byrne & A/Prof James Wallman

Project: Freeing the phenotype: Generating phenotypic variation to improve animal reintroduction success.

Thomas Marsden- honours student (2017)

Supervisors: Dr Phil Byrne & Dr Aimee Silla

Project: The influence of dietary carotenoids on the foraging behaviour of the Southern Corroboree Frog, Pseudophryne corroboree

Shannon Kelleher- honours student (2016)

Supervisors: Dr Phil Byrne & Dr Aimee Silla

Project: Investigating animal personality and behavioural syndromes in the critically endangered Southern Corroboree Frog, Pseudophryne corroboree

Blake Dawson- honours student (2016)

Supervisors: Dr Phil Byrne & Assoc. Prof. James Wallman

Project: Examining female mate choice and the phenotype linked fertility hypothesis in the small hairy maggot blowfly, Chrysomya varipes

Brian Kearney – PhD student (2008 – 2016)

Supervisors: Dr Richard Reiner & Dr Phil Byrne

Project: Developmental sensitivity, acclimation and adaptation to elevated salinity in South-East Australian Anurans

Casey Edwards- honours student (2015)

Supervisors: Dr Aimee Silla, Dr Phil Byrne & Dr Peter Harlow

Project: The influence of dietary carotenoid supplementation on the composition of cutaneous bacterial communities of the critically endangered Southern Corroboree frog, Pseudophryne corroboree

Emma McInerney- honours student (2015)

Supervisors: Dr Phil Byrne & Dr Aimee Silla

Project: The influence of carotenoid supplementation at different life-stages on the foraging and antipredatory behaviour of the Southern Corroboree Frog (Pseudophryne corroboree): a test of the Silver Spoon and Environmental Matching Hypotheses

Stephanie Jones- honours student (2014)

Supervisors: Dr Phil Byrne & Assoc. Prof. James Wallman

Project: Investment in reproductive traits with a focus on blowflies: are there trade-offs?

Joseph Bailey- honours student (2014)

Supervisors: Dr Phil Byrne & Dr Aimee Silla

Project: The effect of carotenoid supplementation at different life-stages on the colouration, growth and development of the southern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne corroboree)

Stephen Heap – PhD student (2009 – 2013)

Supervisors: Dr Phil Byrne & Dr Devi Stuart-Fox

Project: Sampling the social environment in an uncertain world

Leesa Keogh- honours student (2013)

Supervisors: Dr Aimee Silla & Dr Phil Byrne

Project: Antiobiotics and oxygen availability affect the short-term storage of spermatozoa from the critically endangered booroolong frog, Litoria booroolongensis