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Research Interests:
My research has focussed on reproduction in reptiles with particular
emphasis on temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in viviparous skinks. My doctoral research extended TSD to this
previously thought of, incompatible reproductive mode. Viviparity allows greater maternal control of embryonic temperature
and sex steroid allocation throughout development and thus a means of selecting the sex of her offspring. I am particually
interested in the extent of maternal choice and facultative sex allocation. I am interested in sex ratios in relation to maternal
condition (including stress and dietry modification) and maternal effects on offspring phenotypes.
Early 2005 I conducted research in collaboration with Ass. Prof. Pamela Elf
(The University of Minnesota, Crookston) aimed at understanding the underlying mechanism that allows TSD to operate. Sex steroids
may provide the link between temperature and the gene expression pathway responsible for sex determination and differentiation
in viviparous lizards with TSD.
I spent 2 years (2005-2007) as a Postdoctoral fellow at Iowa State
University with Ass. Prof. Anne Bronikowski researching life-history stratergies in Garter Snakes. Anne's work primarily
explores ageing differences in the Western terrestrial garter snake Thamnophis elegans occuring in
two adjacent ectotypes from Eagle Lake, California. I have been working on the stress response (HPA axis) in colubrid
snakes, and how it interacts with an individual's life history profile to impact morphology, performance, and cellular markers
of stress (mitochondrial oxidant production, anti-oxidant defenses). The stress response is studied as an age-sensitive trait
to generate ontogenetic trajectories across the lifespan of the study organism.
I am currently a UWA Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Western Australia
studying both the mechanism and adaptive advantage of sex allocation in the Tammar wallaby.
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| Montane Water Skink (Eulamprus tympanum) |
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| Plains garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) |
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| Me with a Gopher snake, Eagle Lake California |
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| Me with one of my Tammar Wallabies |
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| Tammar Wallaby |
Qualifications:
2004, PhD, The University of Sydney. Temperature-dependant
Sex Determination (TSD) in a viviparous lizard, Eulamprus tympanum.
2000, BSc (Hons I), The University of Sydney.
Embryonic development and metabolism in the viviparous lizard, Eulamprus tympanum.
1997, BSc, The University of New England.
1992, Ass. Dip. App. Sci, The University of Western Sydney (Hawkesbury Agricultural College)
Current Position:
October 2007 - Present, UWA Postdoctoral Research Fellow University of Western Australia, Perth WA AUSTRALIA
Awards, Scholarships & Prizes:
2004/5, Human Frontier in Science
Program Short-term Postdoctoral Fellowship (The University of Minnesota & The University of North Dakota)
2003, Society for Research on
Amphibians and Reptiles in New Zealand 10th Biennial Conference Travel Subsidy
2002, Australian Society of Herpetologists
29th Meeting, The Peter Rawlinson Prize for Postgraduate Research Runner up
2002, The University of Sydney,
School of Biological Sciences Postgraduate Excellence Prize Winner
2000, The University of Sydney
Travel Grant (to attend the Ecological Society of Australia Conference)
2000-2003, Australian Postgraduate
Award with Stipend
1999, International Congress
of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry Travel Grant (to attend 5th International Congress)
Research Grants:
2008, University of Western Australia Research Grants
Scheme “Maternal reproductive investment and sex allocation in Macropods” ($18,837 AUD)
2007-2010, University of Western Australia Postdoctoral
Research Fellowship Project Funds ($6,000 AUD pa)
2005, National Science Foundation small grant for explorative research “Circulating plasma and yolk steroid hormone
levels in a viviparous TSD skink” ($24,992 US)
2004-2005, Human Frontier
in Science Program Short-term Postdoctoral Fellowship “Temperature-dependent sex determination in a viviparous lizard:
what role do hormones play” ($11,800 AUD)
2003, Australian Society of Herpetologists
Research Support Grant ($750 AUD)
2002, The University of Sydney
Postgraduate Research Support Grant ($878 AUD)
2002, The Linnean Society of
NSW Joyce W. Vickery Scientific Research Grant ($300 AUD)
2001, The Royal Zoological Society
of NSW Ethel Mary Read Research Grant ($600 AUD)
2001, The University of Sydney
Postgraduate Research Support Grant ($600 AUD)
Publications:
Robert, K.A., Vleck, C. and Bronikowski, A.M. (2008) The effects of maternal corticosterone
on offspring behavior in fast and slow growth garter snakes (Thamnophis elegans). Hormones and Behavior (in
press) doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2008.07.008
Robert, K.A., Brunet-Rossinni, A. and Bronikowski, A.M. (2007) Testing the "free
radical theory of aging" hypothesis: Physiological differences in long lived and short lived Colubrid snakes.
Aging Cell 6(3):395-404.
Robert, K.A., and Thompson, M.B. (2007) Is basking opportunity in the viviparous
lizard, Eulamprus tympanum compromised by the presence of a predator scent? Journal of Herpetology 41(2):287-293.
Robert, K.A, Thompson, M.B, and Seebacher, F. (2006) Thermal biology of a viviparous
lizard with temperature-dependent sex determination. Journal of Thermal Biology 31, 292-301.
Robert, K.A. (2006) An inexpensive video surveillance technique for wildlife studies. Herpetological
Review 37(1):54-56.
Robert, K.A, Thompson, M.B, and Seebacher, F.(2003) Facultative sex allocation
in the viviparous lizard Eulamprus tympanum, a species with temperature-dependent sex determination. Australian
Journal of Zoology 51(4), 367-370.
Robert, K.A. (2003). Temperature-dependent sex determination in the viviparous lizard, Eulamprus
tympanum. PhD Thesis, The University of Sydney.
Robert, K.A., and Thompson, M.B. (2003). Reconstructing Thermochron iButtons
to reduce size and weight as a new technique in the study of small animal thermal biology. Herpetological Review.
34(2), 130-132.
Robert, K.A., and Thompson, M.B. (2001). Sex determination: Viviparous lizard selects sex of embryos.
Nature. 412, 698-699.
Robert, K.A., and Thompson, M.B. (2000). Influence of feeding on the metabolic rate of the lizard, Eulamprus
tympanum. Copeia. 3, 851-855.
Robert, K.A., and Thompson, M.B. (2000). Energy consumption by embryos of the viviparous lizard, Eulamprus
tympanum, during development. Comparative Biochemistry & Physiology Part A. 127, 481-486.
Robert, K.A. (1999). Embryonic development and metabolism in the viviparous lizard, Eulamprus tympanum.
Honours Thesis, The University of Sydney.
Robert, K.A., Gao, H. and Bronikowski, A.M. Evolution of senescence in a natural population of snakes: A comparative
physiology study in the Western Terrestrial Garter Snake. (in prep)
Robert, K.A., Thompson, M.B., Fivizzani, A. and Elf, P. The role of sex steroids in a viviparous lizard with temperature-dependent
sex determination: Embryonic yolk and maternal circulating sex steroids throughout development and pregnancy in Eulamprus
tympanum. (in prep)
Invited seminars & presentations:
*Robert,
K.A. and Bronikowski, A.M. (2007) Australian Society of Herpetologists 33rd Meeting – Albany,
WA. Evolution of Aging in a natural population of Western Terrestrial Garter Snakes.
(oral presentation)
*Robert,
K.A. and Bronikowski, A.M. (2007) Australian & New Zealand Society for Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry, Perth,
Australia. Evolution of Aging in a natural population of snakes: a comparative physiology
study in the Western Terrestrial Garter Snake. (oral presentation)
*Robert,
K.A. and Bronikowski, A.M. (2007) The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia. Evolutionary physiology of Aging in Colubrid snakes. (Departmental seminar series - invited speaker)
*Bronikowski,
A.M. and Robert, K.A. (2007), European Society for Evolutionary Biology, Uppsala, Sweden. Physiological evolution and
rate of aging in a wild population of Garter Snakes (Thamnophis elegans) (*invited speaker)
*Robert,
K.A., and Bronikowski, A.M. (2007), The Society for Intergrative and Comparative Biology, Phoenix USA. Testing the “free radical theory
of aging” hypothesis: Physiological differences in long lived and short lived Colubrid snakes. (*oral presentation)
*Robert,
K.A., Elf, P.K., Fivizzani, A.J., Thompson, M.B. (2005), 5th World Congress of Herpetology, University of Stellenbosch,
Western Cape Province, South Africa. Temperature-dependent sex determination in a viviparous
lizard: What role do sex steroid hormones play? (* speaker)
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Elf, P.K, *Robert, K.A., Thompson, M.B, Fivizzani, A.J. (2005) 15th International
Congress of Comparative Endocrinology, Boston USA.
Steroid hormone levels in maternal plasma and yolk during embryonic development in a viviparous TSD reptile. (*poster
presentation)
Robert, K.A. (2005), Iowa State University, Ames USA.
Designer families: Sex determination in an Australian viviparous lizard. (Invited
speaker)
Robert, K.A. (2005), The University of North Dakota,
Grand Forks USA. Designer families: Sex determination in an Australian viviparous lizard. (invited speaker)
Robert, K.A. (2005), The University of Minnesota,
Crookston USA. Sex determination in a viviparous lizard: what role do hormones play? (invited speaker)
*Elf,
P.K., Robert, K.A., Thompson, M.B., Fivizzani, A.J. (2004), The Society for integrative and comparative biology – New Orleans, Louisiana USA. Steroid hormone levels in maternal plasma and
yolk during embryonic development in a viviparous TSD reptile. (*speaker)
Robert, K.A. (2003), SRARNZ 10th Biennial Conference – Whakatane, NZ. Designer Families: Sex Determination
in an Australian viviparous lizard. (Invited speaker)
Robert, K.A. (2002), Australian Society of Herpetologists 29th Meeting – Canberra. Designer Families: Sex Determination in the Viviparous Lizard Eulamprus tympanum.
(Speaker, runner up postgraduate prize)
Robert, K.A. (2002), Australian Society of Herpetologists 29th Meeting – Canberra. Reconstructing Thermochron iButtons to reduce size and weight as a new technique
in the study of small animal thermal biology. (Poster)
Robert, K.A. (2000), Ecological Society of Australia – La
Trobe University, Melbourne. Temperature-dependent sex determination in a viviparous lizard; potential impacts
of climate change? (Poster)
Robert, K.A. (1999), 5th International Congress of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry – Calgary University, Alberta Canada. Energy consumption by embryos of a viviparous lizard during development.
(Invited speaker)
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