Kelsey Pool

Dr Kelsey Pool is a Lecturer and Research Fellow at The University of Western Australia's School of Agriculture and Environment, holding a joint position with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. She is currently accepting PhD and Higher Degree by Research students and actively contributes to agricultural science through both fundamental and applied research.

Dr Pool completed her PhD in late 2020 at the University of Sydney and INRA, Nouzilly, France, with research in reproductive seasonality that led to the registration of a commercial Australian product to improve ovine reproductive efficiency.

Her research primarily focuses on understanding how environmental factors impact reproduction, utilizing multigenerational drosophila melanogaster models alongside sheep and cattle production systems. Key research areas include reproductive endocrinology, melatonin research, reproductive seasonality, sperm biology, and the effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals on fertility. She actively advocates for better integration of applied and fundamental research in agricultural science, emphasizing producer involvement in research and the benefits of livestock as models for mammalian fertility.

Dr Pool's recent publications demonstrate strong trends in reproductive toxicology, particularly examining how environmental factors like phytoestrogens and endocrine disrupting chemicals affect fertility across generations. Her work bridges molecular mechanisms with practical agricultural applications, showing particular expertise in ram and sheep reproduction systems.

• 2024 Young Tall Poppy Award for science communication, particularly in remote and regional communities
• Animal Ethics 3Rs Award (2022)
• Sheep CRC legacy award (2019)
• Christian Rowe Thornett scholarship (2018)
• Murray Black Award (2018)

Dr Pool serves as an investigator on multiple research grants, including a major project investigating heat stress in ewes (2021-2025) funded by Meat & Livestock Australia, and a collaboration agreement with The Society for Reproductive Biology (2023-2024). She coordinates the 'Food for Thought' public seminar series and is an active member of both the Western Australia Livestock Research Council and Reproductive Health Australia. Her outreach efforts focus on science communication in remote and regional communities, reflecting her commitment to connecting research with practical applications in agricultural settings.