Simon Lawson

Associate Professor Simon Lawson is a distinguished researcher in forest entomology at the University of the Sunshine Coast's Forest Research Institute. With over 34 years of experience in applied forest entomological research, he specializes in developing sustainable management methods for insect pests of hardwood plantations, with particular expertise in biological control and chemical ecology of forest pests. He is a member of both the Forest Industries Research Centre and the Tropical Forests and People Research Centre at UniSC.

Lawson holds a Doctor of Agriculture (Forest Science) from Tokyo, a Master of Agricultural Science from Adelaide, and a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from Adelaide. His educational background has provided the foundation for his extensive international research career spanning Australia, Japan, and multiple countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

His research interests focus on biological control of forest insects and the ecosystem services provided by insects in both planted and native forests. He has made significant contributions to integrated pest management in hardwood and softwood plantation forestry, identification and development of semiochemicals for forest insect pest management, forest pest risk modelling, forest biosecurity, and the biology and ecology of bark beetles. His work emphasizes practical, sustainable solutions for forest health challenges with global applicability.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on collaborative international research, particularly through the Biological Control of Eucalypt Pest Research Alliance (BiCEP). His work spans from fundamental taxonomic research on parasitoids to applied field studies on pest management systems, demonstrating both theoretical depth and practical application. The consistent theme across his publications is developing sustainable, biological approaches to forest pest management that reduce reliance on chemical controls.

• Japanese Government Ministry of Education Monbusho Scholarship (1989)
• Science and Technology Agency of Japan Postdoctoral Fellowship (1993)
• Japan Society for Promotion of Science Scientific Visits to Japan Awardee (2002, 2003)
• Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute of Japan Research Fellowship for Foreign Specialists Awardee (2003)

Lawson has supervised numerous research students, including doctoral candidates like Ngoc Hoan Le who completed a dissertation on Australian Megastigmus as potential biocontrol agents. His grant portfolio demonstrates substantial research funding, with projects totaling over A$2.6 million from organizations including the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Queensland Government, and international forestry companies. His grants focus on biological control of eucalypt pests, forest health surveillance, and pest detection systems across multiple countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

As a key member of the Forest Industries Research Centre and the Tropical Forests and People Research Centre, Lawson leads international collaborations focused on forest health issues. His work with BiCEP represents a major initiative connecting researchers across Australia, Brazil, South Africa, and other countries to address global eucalypt pest challenges. His research teams frequently include collaborators from multiple countries, reflecting his strong commitment to international scientific cooperation in forest health management.