Kirsten Benkendorff, School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University

	School of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science & Engineering

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Dr Kirsten Benkendorff

Contact Details

Phone:	+61 8 8201 3959
Fax:	+61 8 8201 3015
Email:	kirsten.benkendorff@flinders.edu.au
Location:	Room 024, Biological Sciences building (building 51)

Key Responsibilities

Senior Lecturer in Marine Biology
Member of the marine/aquaculture cluster within the School

Teaching

Topic Coordinator: BIOL3330 Functional Ecology of Marine Organisms, BIOL2271 Marine and Terrestrial Animal Diversity. Lecturer: AQUA2241 Introduction to Fish Health, BIOL3340 Marine Microbiology Marine Organisms and their Environment, BIOL3500 Restoration Ecology, Environmental Sustainability and Bioremediation, BTEC3630 Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, SERC1202 Introduction to Research.
2004 Completed Flinders Foundations of University Teaching, including courses on Occupational Health and Safety for Supervisors, Honours Supervision, Grading to Reflect Learning & Postgraduate Research Supervision.
Member of the School of Biological Sciences Teaching Committee and the Faculty of Science and Engineering Courses and Curriculum Committee.

Research

I am an interdisciplinary researcher with a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences and Chemistry (University of Wollongong).

My principal research activities are in the field of “marine bioprospecting” and encompass studies on the biological and chemical diversity of marine organisms (particularly molluscs), as well as their bioresource value and conservation. I aim to instil my students with a sense of wonder and appreciation for ALL forms of life that have evolved on earth - particularly invertebrates that might be otherwise overlooked and undervalued. The predatory marine snail Dicathais orbita is the principle species under investigation in my laboratory, as a novel Australian bioresource.

My current research activities can be seen in greater detail on my Research Activities page, but are concentrated on the three areas below:

Molluscan and intertidal reef biodiversity
Bioprospecting, bioresources and molluscan secondary metabolites
Molluscan aquaculture and immune health

Post-Doctoral Researcher: Dr Cassandra McIver 2006-2008

See publications list

Postgraduate and Honours Students - a list of students in my Molluscan Research Lab

My Biography

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