Brett Murphy

Professor Brett Murphy is a prominent academic at Charles Darwin University (CDU) within the Faculty of Science and Technology and Environment department. He holds a PhD in fire ecology from CDU and has extensive postdoctoral experience across multiple institutions. Currently, he serves as a Senior Research Fellow in the Savanna Wildlife Research and Conservation Management group, focusing on fire ecology and biodiversity conservation in tropical savannas.

Education:

• PhD in Fire Ecology (Charles Darwin University, 2006)
• Postdoctoral roles at University of Tasmania, South Dakota State University, and University of Melbourne

Research Interests:

• Fire regimes and their impact on tropical savanna biota
• Biodiversity conservation, particularly small mammals and vegetation communities
• Carbon accounting methodologies for savanna fire management
• Global environmental change impacts on fire distribution (pyrogeography)

Key Projects:

• Climate change risks to NT ecosystems and biodiversity (2023–2024)
• Conservation ecology of the greater bilby (2021–2023)
• Creating safe havens for Top End mammals (2023–2027)

Grants & Awards:

• Rainmaker Start-up grants for Indigenous partnerships (2021–2023)
• National and international collaborative grants for fire management and biodiversity projects

Labs/Teams:

• Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods (CDU)
• Savanna Wildlife Research and Conservation Management group
• Collaborations with Indigenous ranger groups and global research networks