Professor Kirsten Benkendorff
B.Sc. (Hons 1st class, Mq), Ph.D. (UoW)
Position:
- Professor of Marine Science
- Co-Deputy Director, Marine Ecology Research Centre
- Director, Higher Degree Research and Training, School of Environment, Science and Engineering
- Academic Director, Analytical Research Laboratory
- Councillor, Malacological Society of Australasia
- Associate Editor Scientific Reports and Marine Drugs
Research Summary
Kirsten is an interdisciplinary researcher focused on assessing the bioresource value of marine invertebrates. She has made significant contributions towards assessing human impacts in marine ecosystems, using molluscs as bioindicators. Her research program includes assessing the impacts of ocean climate change and environmental contaminants on the immune health and nutritional quality of seafood species. She is also investigating the use of marine molluscs for human medicine and has identified a promising anticancer and anti-inflammatory agent that is in preclinical trials. Prof. Benkendorff has attracted over $8 million AUD in funding to support her research programs from a various nationally competitive and industry sources. She was awarded the 2011 Dorothy Hill Award from the Australian Academy of Science, a 2008 SA Young Tall Poppy Award and the 2000 Young Australian of the Year Award in Science and Technology.
Current research projects include
- Investigating the effects of pesticides on prawns and oysters
- Anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of marine mollusc extracts
- Impacts of ocean climate change stressors on seafood quality and specifically the lipid profiles of marine invertebrates
Teaching and Supervision
I currently teach into Bachelor of Environmental Science and Marine Science and Management programs including lectures in Ecology, Marine Communities as Sentinels of Change and Aquaculture and I run a New Colombo Mobility Plan program in Tropical Aquaculture and Marine Management to Vietnam.
I have successfully supervised 20 PhDs, 3 Masters of Biotechnology, 1 Masters of Marine Science and Management and 32 Honours students to completion. I currently supervise research projects for 8 PhD and 1 Masters of Science candidate at SCU, and co-supervise one PhD at Flinders University and one and University of Wollongong.
Publications
A list of my publications is available through the following link: Google Scholar
Please contact her for copies: kirsten.benkendorff@scu.edu.au
Southern Cross University Associate Professor Kirsten Benkendorff talks about her team's exciting new discovery of an anti-inflammatory agent in an Australian marine snail.