Rachel Leihy

Rachel Leihy is a Research Fellow at Monash University's School of Biological Sciences, specializing in Antarctic and Southern Ocean ecosystems. Her work focuses on biodiversity conservation, invasive species management, and climate change impacts in polar regions. She has contributed to UN Sustainable Development Goals through research on wilderness protection and species distribution modeling.

Key research areas include ecological biogeography of Antarctic springtails, climate-driven thermal niches, and policy frameworks for managing alien species. Her work has been widely cited and featured in global news outlets, highlighting its societal relevance.

Leihy collaborates internationally on projects assessing biodiversity hotspots and invasive species risks across remote islands and Antarctic territories. Major outputs include studies published in Nature, Scientific Data, and Proceedings of the Royal Society B.