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Distinguished Professor Belinda Medlyn (Theme Leader - Ecosystem Function and Integration)

I have an Honours degree in Applied Mathematics from University of Adelaide. After graduating I went to work for a merchant bank and didn't take to it at all.

Then I heard a seminar by Hugh Possingham on mathematical ecology. As a keen outdoors type, I was fascinated by the idea that one could apply mathematics to the outdoors.

I went back to university and obtained a PhD in theoretical biology from University of NSW. I then spent four years as a post-doc in Europe, where I was privileged to work closely with a number of experimentalists who taught me how to interpret data.

On my return to Australia I married, had two children, and worked part-time for several years. I'm now full-time again and am enjoying leading a productive research group.

With collaborators around the world, beautiful forests to work in, and a number of challenging research problems to work on, I have never regretted leaving finance!

Please visit (opens in new window) Opens in a new window

Areas of research/teaching expertise

My research focuses on how plants, especially forests, respond to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide and climate change. I work at the interface between experiments and models: my aim is to develop evidence-based models of how ecosystem productivity, water use and species composition will be affected by global change, and to do so I work closely with a number of experimental teams world-wide to test and improve ecosystem models.

Bushfire Research

Our research also includes the role of fire and its effects on global change. Please, see Opens in a new window for further details on our bushfire research.

Awards and Recognition

Grants / Current Projects

Rainforest growth analysis
Partner/Funding Body: NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (NSW DCEEW)
Period: 2025

Understanding the confluence of Eucalyptus dieback and koala habitat in NSW - Stage 1
Co-Researchers: Rachael Nolan, Brendan Choat, Ben Moore, Rachael Gallagher, Matthias Boer
Partner/Funding Body: NSW Department of Planning and Environment
Period: 2023-2024

Understanding the confluence of Eucalyptus dieback and koala habitat in NSW - literature review
Co-Researchers: Rachael Nolan, Brendan Choat, Ben Moore, Belinda Medlyn, Matthias Boer
Partner/Funding Body: NSW Department of Planning and Environment
Period: 2023-2024

The causes and consequences of plant biodiversity across scales in a rapidly changing world

Partner/Funding Body: National Science Foundation [via University of Minnesota]
Period: 2022

NSW Bushfire and Natural Hazards Research Centre

Co-researchers: Matthias Boer, Rachael Gallagher, Rachael Nolan, Ben Smith
Partner/funding body: NSW Department of Planning and Environment
Period: 2022-2026

NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub
Co-Researchers: Benjamin Smith, Brajesh and Mark Tjoelker
Partner/Funding Body: NSW Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer/NSW Environmental Trust (via UNSW)
Period: 2022-2030

Predicting vegetation dynamics in Australia's arid zone
Co-Researchers: Rachael Nolan and Brendan Choat
Partner/Funding Body: Bush Heritage Australia and Arid Recovery
Period: 2022-2024

Lianas in a CO2-rich world
Co-Researchers: Matthias Boer and Rachael Gallagher
Partner/Funding Body: The Royal Society [via University of Nottingham]
Period: 2022

Impacts of drought stress on bushfire risk
Co-Researchers: Rachael Nolan, Matthias Boer, Brendan Choat and Anne Griebel
Partner/Funding Body: Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources and RedEye Consulting
Period: 2021-2022

The Regreening of the Blue Mountains: Using Citizen Science to Study Post-Fire Recovery in the Blue Mountains
Partner/Funding Body: NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
Period: 2021-2022

Determining the physiological underpinnings of eucalypt dieback in NSW
Co-Researchers: Brendan Choat, Matthias Boer, Sebastian Pfautsch, Rachael Nolan, David Tissue, Paul Rymer and Mark Tjoelker
Partner/Funding Body: NSW Environmental Trust
Period: 2021-2024

The influence of climate change on bushfire fuels in Victoria
Co-Researchers: Mingkai Jiang, Ben Smith, Rachael Nolan, Matthias Boer and Assaf Inbar
Partner/Funding Body: Country Fire Authority
Period: 2021-2024

Tumbarumba flux tower consultancy
Co-Researchers: Ben Smith
Partner/Funding Body: Mullion Group
Period: 2020

Quantifying forest mortality after record-breaking drought and unprecedented wildfire in Eastern Australia
Co-Researchers: Rachael Nolan, Brendan Choat, Matthias Boer and Anne Griebel
Partner/Funding Body: Hermon Slade Foundation
Period: 2020-2022

Report on the impact of drought on tree health and consequences for storm damage
Co-Researcher: Brendan Choat
Partner/Funding Body: AUSGRID
Period: 2020

Forecasting live fuel moisture content, the on/off switch for forest fire
Co-Researchers: Rachael Nolan, Matthias Boer and Brendan Choat
Partner/Funding Body: Australian Research Council Linkage grant
Period: 2020-2023

A unified dynamic vegetation model for Australia
Partner/Funding Body: Australian Research Council – Georgina Sweet Laureate Fellowship
Period: 2020-2024

Quantifying adaptive capacity to climate change through a multi-faceted approach: habitat suitability, functional traits, physiological tolerance and genetic adaptation
Co-Researchers: Paul Rymer, David Tissue and Brendan Choat (Beaumont, Gallagher, Rossetto, Bragg, Tierney, Auld, Denham, Tozer)
Partner/Funding Body: NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
Period: 2018-2021

Burning for a healthy future: people and their environment. Founding partner of NSW Bushfire Risk Management Research Hub
Co-Researchers: Brendan Choat, Matthias Boer, Mark Tjoelker, Elise Pendall, Ross Bradstock, David Bowman, David Keith (Clarke, Dosseto, Johnston, Jenkins, Nolan, Price, Murphy, Ooi, Whittaker, Williamson)
Partner/Funding Body: NSW Department of Environment and Heritage
Period: 2018-2022

Brown is the new green: grassland responses to drought and heat
Co-Researchers: Sally Power, David Tissue and Elise Pendall
Partner/Funding Body: Australian Research Council Discovery
Period: 2018-2020

To grow or to store: Do plants hedge their bets?Co-Researcher: Remko Duursma
Partner/Funding Body: Australian Research Council Discovery
Period: 2016-2018

Identifying regions of high drought mortality risk for tree species in NSW
Co-Researchers: David Tissue, Mark Tjoelker, Paul Rymer and Remko Duursma
Partner/Funding Body: Australian Research Council Discovery
Period: 2015-2017

Accurate and early yield predictions through advanced statistical modelling
Co-Researchers: van Sluyter
Partner/Funding Body: Grapes and Wine Research and Development Corporation
Period: 2014-2017

Modeling to accompany stakeholders towards adaptation of forestry and agroforestry systems to climate changes
Co-Researchers: Roupsard, Laclau, Nouvellon, Le Maire, Rapidel, Subervia, Loustau, Bosc, Trichet, Domec, Avelino, Duursma, Imbach, Maris, Garcia, Barrichelo
Partner/Funding Body: Agence Nationale de la Recherche (France)
Period: 2014-2017

Building better climate change vegetation models: How do leaves allocate nitrogen among photosynthesis and stress proteins in future climate scenarios?Co-Researchers: Westoby, Haynes, Tissue, Wang
Partner/Funding Body: Australian Government – Science and Industry Endowment Fund
Period: 2013-2014

Model-Data Synthesis of Terrestrial Responses to Elevated CO2Partner/Funding Body: US Department of Energy
Period: 2013-2014

Trading water for carbon: a synthesis of plant water-use efficiency from leaf to globe
Co-Researchers: Colin Prentice, Remko Duursma and Almut Arneth
Partner/Funding Body: Australian Research Council Discovery
Period: 2012-2014

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Honorary and Adjunct Appointments

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