CDU researcher in the Science Show's Top 100 Australian Scientists

Charles Darwin University (CDU) ecologist Professor Alan Andersen has landed on the prestigious Top 100 Australian Scientists list.

The list, which aims to stimulate discussion and raise awareness of science topics, is curated by ABC’s the Science Show, a show that gives Australians a unique insight into the latest scientific research and debate.

Professor Andersen, from CDU’s Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods is an internationally recognised ant ecologist who has pioneered research in gaining a predictive understanding of responses of ant communities to environmental stress and disturbance.

He also has broad research interests in the ecology of tropical savannas, and the ecology and management of fire.

Professor Andersen said being included in the list is extremely flattering.

“This came out of the blue but being included is a nice recognition of my research. However I am sure there are many more-eminent Australian scientists that could have been included.”

Most recently, Professor Andersen has been documenting the incredible extent of the undescribed ant diversity in Australia, especially here in the monsoon tropics where more than 95 per cent of species have not been named.

“As far as is known, monsoonal Australia has the world’s richest ant fauna, much higher than in the Amazon, which has traditionally been considered the global hotspot for ant diversity,” he said.

“My research is based on a collection of over 8,000 species of Australian ants that I have developed over four decades, along with the DNA bar-coding of thousands of specimens.”

“Such work will continue to be a focus for the rest of my career, but I will also continue to have a major focus on fire and savanna biodiversity.”

Professor Andersen has authored five books and 250 scientific publications and is the Chair of the Australian Academy of Science’s National Committee for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation.

He is also inaugural Chair of the Territory Science Forum, whose mission to promote an effective enabling environment for science-based innovation in the NT.

He was also nominated for NT Australian of the Year for improving the understanding of the Territory’s biodiversity assets.

Other names on the list include, palaeontologist, mammal biologist and passionate environmentalist Tim Flannery, astrophysicist Matthew Bailes who helped discover fast radio bursts and Ian Frazer who co-invented the technology behind the HPV vaccine which prevents cervical and other cancers.

More on the Top 100 Australian Scientists can be found on the ABC Science Show web site.

This story was originally published in CDU Uni News February 2024 edition