Angela Moles

Professor Angela Moles is a plant ecologist at the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), where she holds the rank of Professor in the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES). She is Acting Director of “Inspiring Ecology Teaching” for the Ecological Society of Australia, Chair of the BEES Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee, and serves on the NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee, the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Advisory Panel, and the ARC College of Experts.

Education

• Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education (Learning & Teaching), Macquarie University, 2006
• PhD in Ecology, Macquarie University, 2004
• BSc(Hons) in Botany & Ecology, Victoria University of Wellington, 1997

Research Focus

Professor Moles leads the Big Ecology Lab, an international and highly collaborative group that tackles large-scale questions in plant ecology and global change biology. Her team combines field experiments, synthesis of global datasets, glasshouse studies of rapid evolution, and analyses of herbarium and seed-bank specimens. Core themes include:

• How Australian plant communities are responding to rapid climate change
• The ecology and evolution of introduced species, including whether some are evolving into new ‘native’ species
• Global patterns in seed ecology, plant–animal interactions, and plant defence strategies
• Quantifying selective processes that generate worldwide variation in plant form and function

Research Outputs & Trends

With >170 peer-reviewed publications, her recent work (2022–2025) is dominated by studies on climate-driven shifts in flowering phenology, the evolution of invasiveness, global gradients in seed traits, and novel methodological advances—from non-destructive chlorophyll spectrometry to citizen-science training apps. These studies collectively inform both fundamental ecology and practical conservation under rapid global change.

Awards & Honours

• Distinguished Fellow, International Biogeography Society (2022)
• Nancy Millis Medal for Women in Science, Australian Academy of Science (2021)
• Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year (2013)
• Australian Ecology Research Award, Ecological Society of Australia (2018)
• Edgeworth David Medal, Royal Society of NSW (2010)
• L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowship (2008)

Research Supervision & Funding

Professor Moles has supervised 20+ PhD and >30 honours students to completion. Current PhD candidates include Karen Zeng, Giancarlo Chiarenza, Joe Atkinson, Frederick Dadzie, Inna Osmolovsky, Marcus Greenwood, and Iain Campbell. Her lab’s research is supported by the Australian Research Council (ARC), Hermon Slade Foundation, and industry partners. She actively seeks motivated graduate students interested in large-scale ecology, invasion biology, or climate-change impacts.

Laboratory & Facilities

The Big Ecology Lab is housed in the Biological Sciences Building (D26, 4th floor east) and the Samuels Building at UNSW. Facilities include controlled-environment glasshouses, field experimental sites across Australia and >75 global study locations, and access to Australia’s herbaria and seed banks. Weekly lab meetings and an inclusive, collaborative culture are hallmarks of the group.