Eloise Stephenson

Qualifications

MSc Wild Animal Biology

BSc Zoology & Ecology

Position

PhD Candidate

Contact details

Address:

Environmental Futures Research Institute,

Building N78, Room 2.11, School of Environment,

Griffith University, Nathan campus,

170 Kessels Road, Nathan,

Queensland, Australia, 4111

Email: eloise.stephenson"at"griffithuni.edu.au

Overview

I completed my BSc at the University of Queensland with majors in Zoology and Ecology. I then went on to work as a field assistant in Madagascar collecting behavioural data on the endangered Greater bamboo lemur. Upon returning to Australia I worked as a veterinary nurse, and have since always been interested in combining my ecology background with epidemiological problems.

I completed my MSc in Wild Animal Biology at the Royal Veterinary College of London in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London, giving me a much better understanding of emerging infectious diseases and zoonoses. For my MSc thesis, I looked at how we can use anatomical markers on Asian elephant skulls to better understand mortality for the conservation of the species. After my MSc, I worked at CSIRO on projects using ecological approaches to better understand food systems, public health and global change challenges.

I am now completing my PhD here in the Griffith Disease Ecology group.

Research Overview

My PhD research focusses on better understanding the epidemiology of Ross River virus by investigating the ecology of wild animal reservoirs and their role in the amplification of the disease. Ross River virus is Australia's most common and widespread arbovirus. Outbreaks are driven by complex vector-host dynamics, along with climate and landscape variability. At present we don't entirely understand these interactions which prevents the implementation of effective management strategies.

This PhD is co-supervised by Lara Herrero at the Institute of Glycomics, Simon Reid at the School of Public Health, University of Queensland and Cassie Jansen at Queensland Health.

Research Keywords

Epidemiology; Public Health; Zoonoses; Conservation; Ecology; Wildlife

Publications & Conferences

2017

Lau, C., Townell, N., Stephenson, E., Van den berg, D. & Craig, S. (2018) Leptospirosis – an important zoonoses acquired in work, play and travel. The Australian Journal of General Practice, 47(3), 105-110

Stephenson, E., Peel, A.J., McCallum, H. (2017) Lessons learned from the use of veterinary clinics for a targeted wildlife disease surveillance project in South East Queensland. Wildlife Disease Association Australiasia. Falls Creek, 26-30th September 2017

Stephenson, E., Peel, A.J., McCallum, H. (2017) The importance of an ecological approach to identify reservoirs of a multi-host arboviruses: Ross River virus, a case study. Wildlife Disease Association Australiasia. Falls Creek, 26-30th September 2017

Herrero, M., Thornton, P. K., Power, B., Bogard, J. R., Remans, R., Fritz, S., ... Stephenson, E., & Watson, R. A. (2017). Farming and the geography of nutrient production for human use: a transdisciplinary analysis. The Lancet Planetary Health, 1(1), e33-e42. DOI: 10.1016/S2542-5196(17)30007-4

2016

Stephenson, E., Peel, A.J., Reid, S., Jansen, C. & McCallum, H. (2016) Are birds diluting Australia’s most common arbovirus? One Health EcoHealth 2016, Melbourne, 2-6th December, 2016.

Stephenson, E., Jansen, C., Peel, A.J., Reid, S. & McCallum, H. (2016) A systematic approach to studying wild reservoirs of mosquito borne diseases: Ross River virus, a case study. 12th Mosquito Control Association of Australia Arbovirus Research in Australia Symposium, Surfers Paradise, September 2016.

Stephenson, E., Thornton, P.K., Godde, C., Bogard, J. & Herrero, M. (2016) Living off the land: the role of wild foods in food security. One Health EcoHealth 2016, Melbourne, 2-6th December, 2016.

2015

Henderson, B., Godde, C., Medina-Hidalgo, D., van Wijk, M., Silvestri, S., Douxchamps, S., Stephenson, E., Power, B., Rigolot, C., & Herrero, M. (2015) Closing system-wide yield gaps to increase food supply and mitigate GHGs among mixed crop-livestock smallholders in Sub-Saharan Africa. Agricultural Systems. 43, p106-113. doi: 10.1016/j.agsy.2015.12.006

Stephenson, E., Silva-Fletcher, A., Waters, M. & Perera, V. (2015) Conserving Asian elephant’s post-mortem - an assessment of dentition, skull morphology and sutures. International Congress for Conservation Biology, Montpellier, France, 2nd-6th August, 2015.

Stephenson, E., Waha, K., Thornton, P., Remans, R., Bodrosky, B., Choudry, A. & Herrero, M. (2015) Quality or quantity; assessing available energy and nutrient diversity in association with nutrient deficiency diseases in the African continent. International Conference on Global Food Security, Cornell University, Ithaca, United States of America, 11th-14th October, 2015.

Waha, K., Stephenson, E., Thornton, P., Fritz, S., See, L., Rufino, M. & Herrero, M. (2015) Assessing the relationship between annual rainfall and crop and livestock diversity for determining the available adaptation options for farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Tropical Agriculture Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 16th-18th November, 2015.

Henderson, B., Godde, C., Medina-Hidalgo, D., van Wijk, M., Silvestri, S., Douxchamps, S., Stephenson, E., Power, B., Rigolot, C., & Herrero, M. (2015) Closing system-wide yield gaps to increase food supply and mitigate GHGs among mixed crop-livestock smallholders in Sub-Saharan Africa. Global Food Security Conference, 11-14th October 2015, Cornell University, New York, USA.

Awards and honours

2017 Future Fellowship Inc Award - Graduate Women Gold Coast

2016 Best Student Presentation - 12th Mosquito Control Association of Australia Arbovirus Research

2014 Best Student Research Project - Royal Veterinary College of London, Zoological Society of London

2014 Second Place in the MSc Wild Animal Biology course - Royal Veterinary College of London, Zoological Society of London

Links

ResearchGate

CSIRO Profile