Nicki Mitchell

Nicki Mitchell is a Professor at the University of Western Australia (UWA), holding dual roles as Deputy Director of the Oceans Institute and Professor in the School of Biological Sciences. She specializes in conservation biology, climate change adaptation, and the study of threatened vertebrates. Her research focuses on understanding species' resilience to environmental changes, particularly through assisted colonization and thermal biology. Mitchell is actively involved in conservation projects, including peatland protection and endangered species management.

Education: BSc (Zoology) from University of Tasmania (1996), PhD (Environmental Physiology) from University of Adelaide (2001). Postdoctoral fellowships at Victoria University of Wellington and UWA. Teaching includes courses on wildlife conservation and climate change.

Research Interests: Conservation translocations, temperature-dependent sex determination in reptiles, frog ecology in drying climates, and peatland ecosystems. Current projects include protecting sunset frogs, modeling sea turtle nest dynamics, and assessing wildfire impacts on endangered species.

Publications (2025 highlights): Focus on amphibian population dynamics, predator-prey interactions, reptile reintroductions, and taxonomic studies. Themes include climate change impacts, conservation strategies, and ecological modeling.

Awards: Multiple teaching and research accolades, including the Australian Award for University Teaching and Peer Prize for Women in Science.

Advising/Grants: Supervises 16 students across PhD, postdoc, and Masters levels. Active in grants for peatland conservation, species reintroduction, and climate adaptation studies. Leads the PEAT Southwest project and collaborates on threatened species committees.

Labs/Teams: Directs a multidisciplinary lab studying reptiles, amphibians, and mammals. Collaborations include government agencies and environmental organizations for applied conservation efforts.