Jeremy Austin

Associate Professor Jeremy Austin is a leading evolutionary biologist at the University of Adelaide, affiliated with the School of Biological Sciences and serving as Deputy Director of the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD). His work bridges ancient DNA analysis, molecular ecology, and forensic biology to address critical questions in conservation genetics and human identification.

• PhD in Evolutionary Biology from University of Tasmania (1995)

Jeremy's research focuses on ancient DNA techniques to study evolutionary histories of extinct and extant vertebrates, assess environmental change impacts, and develop genomic tools for forensic identification of degraded human remains. His work supports agencies like the Australian Defence Force and humanitarian organizations.

Recent publications highlight applications of LAMP assays for invasive species detection, genome-wide hybridization capture in forensic profiling, and phylogeographic analysis of endangered species. His team's innovations in trace DNA recovery and environmental DNA (eDNA) have advanced biosecurity monitoring.

• Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (2011)

As a Senior Lecturer, Jeremy supervises research students and collaborates across conservation, forensics, and evolutionary biology. He leads ACAD's efforts to integrate historical museum samples into modern genomic studies, with applications for wildlife management and human remains identification.