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Justin A. Welbergen

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Professor in Animal Ecology, Western Sydney University

Justin Welbergen (PhD, Cambridge) is Professor at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (Western Sydney University), where he leads the “Lab of Animal Ecology”.

His research covers a range of subjects in whole-organism biology, but focuses on evolutionary ecology, which is concerned with the ways organisms respond adaptively to changes in their social, ecological, and physical environment. He has parallel interests in conservation and climate change biology, and particularly in the areas of endangered species biology, human-wildlife conflict, impacts of extreme events, and conservation planning.

Justin is Immediate Past President of the Australasian Bat Society, a nonprofit organisation whose aim is to promote the conservation and study of bats in Australasia; and founding member of PacBat, a network that works towards establishing an effective unified bat conservation strategy for Oceania. In these capacities, he is the lead organiser of the 20th International Bat Research Conference (IBRC) held 3 - 8 August, 2025, in Cairns, Australia.

Justin is further co-founder of 'BATsLAB', the primary academic destination for bat research in Australia; and co-leads 'LyrebirdLab' that focuses on the behavioural ecology of the Superb and the Albert's lyrebird, and their close relatives.

For details see:
https://www.animalecologylab.org/justin-welbergen.html
https://www.batslab.org/
https://www.lyrebirdlab.org/

Experience

  • 2023–present
    Professor, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney
  • 2016–2024
    President, Australasian Bat Society
  • 2020–2022
    Associate professor, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney
  • 2014–2019
    Senior lecturer, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney
  • 2014–2018
    Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Tropical Biology & Climate Change, James Cook University
  • 2011–2013
    ARC Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Tropical Biology & Climate Change, James Cook University
  • 2010–2011
    Visiting Fellow, the Australian National University
  • 2005–2009
    Research Fellow, University of Cambridge

Education

  • 2005 
    The University of Cambridge, PhD / Zoology
  • 2000 
    The University of Amsterdam, MSc / Biology

Professional Memberships

  • President of the Australasian Bat Society