Jenna is a PhD candidate in Genetics and Evolution at the University of Adelaide where she researches vertebrate sensory systems.
Jenna grew up in Canberra and received a Bachelor of Science from the Australian National University in 2011. She started volunteering for turtle conservation research and began to SCUBA dive. In 2012, she was invited to participate in field expeditions to Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea. Unfortunately, these once pristine environments had recently experienced a drastic and inexplicable decline in sea snake populations. This motivated Jenna to undertake research into this extinction event in the following year, receiving First Class Honours from the University of Adelaide in 2014.
To achieve conservation goals, Jenna believes that there must be an open channel between science and society, and that conservation in the inevitable byproduct of a society that is engaged with science and the living world. A passionate communicator, Jenna is an up-and-coming stand-up comedian, detailing the oddities of the biological world on stage. She plans to use these skills to foster scientific literacy and enthusiasm in the community. She has been invited to speak at the Natural History Museum in London and at university Open Day events, and hopes to be one of Australia’s foremost science communicators.
Sea snakes are poorly understood but fascinating examples of evolutionary transitions. Jenna aims to uncover novel sensory abilities in these animals, taking a multidisciplinary approach that builds a picture of the sensory system at every level: from genetic, to population, to species, and the ecosystem. The Fulbright scholarship will allow Jenna to research alongside world experts in reptile evolution, behaviour and physiology. Once complete, the project can serve as a model for integrative biological research that can be easily transferred to other species upon return to Australia.