Andrew Weeks – The Conversation

Desley Whisson

March 5, 2026

We thought inbred koalas were at risk of extinction. But what we discovered upends genetic conventions

Andrew Weeks, The University of Melbourne; Adam Miller, RMIT University, and Collin Ahrens, Western Sydney University

Population crashes are dangerous and can be irreversible. But new research shows they are not always an evolutionary dead end.

Friendly Studios, Shutterstock

October 27, 2024

Dingoes are not mating with dogs – but that could soon change if the culling continues

Andrew Weeks, The University of Melbourne and Collin Ahrens, Western Sydney University

New genetic research shows dingoes are not breeding with domestic dogs in the wild. But that could change if lethal control measures continue to decimate populations in Victoria.

Frank Fichtmüller/Getty Images

October 3, 2023

Even platypuses aren’t safe from bushfires – a new DNA study tracks their disappearance

Emily McColl-Gausden, The University of Melbourne and Andrew Weeks, The University of Melbourne

We sampled 118 rivers and creeks before and after the Black Summer bushfires, searching for platypus DNA. Here’s what we found.

We might not be able to use common insecticides to kill mosquitoes that arrive from other countries. from www.shutterstock.com

March 24, 2019

Stowaway mozzies enter Australia from Asian holiday spots – and they’re resistant to insecticides

Thomas Schmidt, The University of Melbourne; Andrew Weeks, The University of Melbourne, and Ary Hoffmann, The University of Melbourne

Been on a tropical holiday? You might have brought home more than just a new sarong and extra colour in your cheeks – perhaps a mosquito that spreads dengue, or another known as ‘the BBQ stopper’.

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