Debra Judge

Debra Judge is an Associate Professor in Biological Anthropology and Evolutionary Ecology at The University of Western Australia's School of Human Sciences. She received her BS in Behavioral and Ecological Biology and MS in Animal Ecology from the University of California, Davis, completing her PhD in 1996 with an evolutionary analysis of testamentary property distributions.

Her research centers on family ecology and child growth in Timor-Leste, evolutionary demography, and primate social behavior. She leads a longitudinal study of child growth in rural Timor-Leste communities, focusing on how family ecology influences children's development. Her work combines field research in Timor-Leste with archival studies and comparative analyses of life history and longevity across species.

Judge coordinates undergraduate units in Biological Anthropology and teaches across human biology, women's health, gender studies, and demography. She has served as the Department's Graduate Research Coordinator from 2016 to 2023 and currently holds leadership roles as President of the UWA Academic Staff Association and Chair of Women in Evolution and Behavior.

Her research outputs demonstrate strong trends in anthropological approaches to child growth, with a focus on Timor-Leste as a key research site. She has developed expertise in understanding how ecological variation, dietary diversity, and family structure impact child development in rural settings.

• School of Human Sciences Award for Research Mentorship (2023)
• Faculty of Science 2018 Award for Internationalisation (2018)
• Finalist: Australian Awards for University Teaching (2004)

Judge actively mentors honours and PhD students, many of whom have conducted field research in Timor-Leste resulting in high-impact publications. Her research has been supported by significant grants from UNICEF, ARC Discovery, USAID, and other major funding bodies. She serves as a consulting editor for leading journals in her field including Human Nature and Evolution and Human Behavior.