Elizabeth Sinclair

Elizabeth Sinclair is an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia (UWA), affiliated with the School of Biological Sciences and the UWA Oceans Institute. Her research focuses on evolutionary biology, particularly the genetic diversity and connectivity of temperate Australian seagrasses in the context of climate change. She has held roles such as AMSA WA General Board Member (2017–2022) and is a United Nations Pool of Experts member since 2021. Sinclair earned her PhD in Zoology from UWA in 1998, focusing on genetic variation in endangered marsupials.

Research Interests: Sinclair’s work addresses genomic diversity in seagrasses, adaptation to environmental changes, and restoration practices. Projects include seagrass resilience in Shark Bay (collaborating with Malgana Peoples) and climate impacts on Posidonia australis. Her research contributes to marine conservation, phylogeography, and benthic biodiversity planning.

Funding & Grants: Sinclair has secured grants from the NSW Environment Trust, the Australian Research Council (ARC), and the National Environmental Science Program (NESP). Key projects include seagrass restoration in Shark Bay, climate adaptation strategies, and pressure-response relationships in seagrass meadows.

Advising & Grants: Supervised students include Lara Oppermann (Masters), Ankje Frouws (PhD), and Mitchell Booth (PhD). Grants span restoration ecology, genetic connectivity, and climate impacts. She co-led projects like the ARC Discovery grant on seagrass adaptation (2018–2021).

Labs & Teams: Collaborations with Indigenous communities (e.g., Malgana Peoples in Shark Bay) highlight her emphasis on culturally informed conservation. Her work integrates scientific and traditional knowledge, exemplified in projects like 'Healing Country Together.'