Dr Romane Cristescu | UniSC | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

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Dr Romane Cristescu

PhD UNSW., MSc University of Tours, France, Veterinarian specialisation: Wildlife National Veterinary School of Nantes, France, DVM: Doctor veterinarian National Veterinary School of Alfort, France

  • Senior Research Fellow
Email
Telephone
+61 7 5456 5190
Office location
FDM02 (Demountable Building near Building E)
Campus
Sunshine Coast
Dr Romane Cristescu

Dr Romane Cristescu is Director of Detection Dogs for Conservation and a Senior Research Fellow at the University of the Sunshine Coast. She is a conservation ecologist with a wide range of interests - all centred around this single and complex question: “how can we best help wildlife in a world dominated by humans?” 

As part of understanding how wildlife negotiates the increasingly anthropogenic landscape, Romane has focused on developing new methodologies to collect data more accurately and efficiently at landscape scales. In particular, during the past decade Romane and her team have been developing detection dog and drone-mounted thermal camera survey methods, non-invasive molecular analyses (genetic, diseases and hormones measured in poo) and innovative technologies to monitor koala movement - both ear tag and collar based.

Romane believes robust science is necessary to support good decision making, and she is especially keen to test that legislation is grounded in science and effectively delivering conservation outcomes. Her methodology and legislation work has been specifically focusing on koalas.

Romane is a qualified veterinarian and originally worked on conservation genetics before moving to Australia for her PhD in landscape ecology. She worked in the Mining Industry on Mine Closure / Rehabilitation, where she transformed her research on restoration ecology into practice. Since then, she continued working with the private sector, as well as the Government, not-for profits and Academia – by interacting with a wide range of stakeholders, understanding their constraints and aspirations, Romane hopes that her research can be transformed into informed and effective policy, investments and management actions. Since its creation in 2015, the Detection Dogs for Conservation team has grown to include five detection dogs and many dedicated students and researchers.

Research areas

  • conservation biology
  • new methodologies in conservation including detection dogs and remote surveys
  • restoration ecology
  • wildlife / human conflicts
  • conservation genetics
  • emerging infectious diseases

Dr Romane Cristescu's specialist areas of knowledge include a wide range of interests in developing new methodologies in conservation to achieve results more accurately and efficiently - including using detection dogs or remote surveys; landscape ecology, restoration ecology, conservation genetics, fauna responses to habitat loss and fragmentation, wildlife/human conflicts, interactions and synergies in threats to endangered species and emerging infectious diseases in wildlife.

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