Margaret Byrne

Margaret Byrne is an Associate Professor and Adjunct Professor at the School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia. She is affiliated with the Institute of Agriculture. Her research focuses on genetic diversity, conservation biology, and plant genomics, particularly in Australian flora and fauna. She has contributed to initiatives such as the Genomics for Australian Plants (GAP) framework and projects like the Kakadu Plum industry development in Northern Australia.

Her work addresses topics including genetic divergence, population genetics, and ecological adaptation. Notable research includes a global meta-analysis on genetic diversity loss and studies on Banksia evolution and golden bandicoot conservation. She has published widely in journals like Nature and Australian Systematic Botany.

Recent projects include analyzing spatial distribution of rare species via environmental DNA and investigating genetic structure in endangered populations. Byrne’s contributions align with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to biodiversity protection and sustainable land use.