Michael Charleston

Professor Michael Charleston holds a full professorship in Mathematics at the University of Tasmania's School of Natural Sciences. He specializes in bioinformatics, computational biology, and evolutionary analysis, with a focus on applying discrete mathematics and statistical methods to solve problems in life sciences and digital history. His research integrates network analysis, epidemiological modelling, and phylogenetics.

Education: BSc(Hons) in Mathematics & Physics, LTCL (Music Teaching), and a PhD in Phylogenetics, all completed in New Zealand. He previously taught evolutionary biology at Oxford University and computer science/bioinformatics at the University of Sydney.

Research Interests:

• Interdisciplinary approaches linking nutrition and social behavior in animal groups
• Network-based analysis of disease spread and wildlife conservation strategies
• Algorithm development for phylogenetic tree reconciliation and biological network alignment
• Genomic models for plant breeding and mangrove-wombat disease management

Current Projects:

• Managing viral spread via partial wildlife networks
• In-situ control of sarcoptic mange in wombats
• Acoustic monitoring systems for threatened species

Teaching: Graduate bioinformatics, operations research, and applied statistics courses. Supervised four completed PhD students focusing on epidemiological forecasting, protein evolution, and open-source bioinformatics ethics.