Dr. Helena P. Baird
Monash University
Helena is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Monash University, Australia. Her research explores the evolution of invertebrate biodiversity in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic, using emerging molecular techniques to explore genetic patterns within and among species. After graduating with a PhD from the University of Tasmania in 2012, Helena worked in science outreach to improve conservation outcomes for remote marine ecosystems in the developing world. She returned to research in 2014 and has since worked across a wide range of projects addressing threats to Antarctic ecosystems, from ocean acidification to soil contamination. She has extensive experience conducting both marine and terrestrial field work in the Antarctic and throughout the Southern Ocean. Her current work focuses on the phylogenetic relationships of sub-Antarctic springtails and weevils, to help shed light on the historical biogeography of the region.
Key Publications
Baird HP and Stark JS (2014) Spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the distribution of an Antarctic amphipod and relationship with the sediment. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 502: 169-183. DOI: 10.3354/meps10715
Baird HP and Stark JS (2013) Population dynamics of the ubiquitous Antarctic benthic amphipod Orchomenella franklini and its vulnerability to environmental change. Polar Biology, 36: 155-167. DOI: 10.1007/s00300-012-1246-8
Baird HP, Miller KJ, and Stark JS (2012) Genetic population structure in the Antarctic benthos: insights from the widespread amphipod, Orchomenella franklini. PLoS One, 7: e34363. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034363
Baird HP, Miller KJ, and Stark SJ (2011) Evidence of hidden biodiversity, ongoing speciation and diverse patterns of genetic structure in giant Antarctic amphipods. Molecular Ecology, 20: 3439-3454. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2011.05173.x