Heshani Edirisinghe – The Conversation

Ecologist, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University

Hi there! My name is Heshani, and I am a highly qualified and experienced zoologist with a passion for communicating scientific concepts to the public. I hold a PhD in Zoology, which I completed in November 2021, and have published multiple papers in international peer-reviewed journals. My expertise in scientific research and writing has also led to me being invited to publish an article for the 'Curious kids' series on The Conversation, New Zealand.

I am deeply committed to environmental conservation and sustainability, and have gained valuable experience in these areas through my work as an ecologist at Wildland Consultants Pvt Ltd.

My passion for communicating scientific information to a wider audience has led me to pursue opportunities to engage with the public through my writing. I am excited to be a part of The Conversation New Zealand, where I can share my expertise and contribute to informed public discussion on important scientific issues.

In my spare time, I enjoy exploring the natural world through hiking and wildlife photography, and am always eager to learn more about the amazing diversity of life on our planet.

Experience

2022–present

Ecologist, Wildland Consultants Pvt Ltd
2021–2022

Research assistant, Massey University
2021–2022

Lecturer, Massey University
2016–2021

PhD candidate, Massey University

Education

2021

Massey University, New Zealand, Doctor of Philosophy
2014

University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, BSc (Bioinformatics)

Publications

2021

Insights into the establishment of introduced species using Coccinellines (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) as a model system, The Coleopterists Bulletin
2014

Predicting the relationship between body size and habitat type of tiger beetles (Coleoptera, Cicindelidae) using Artificial Neural Networks, Journal on New Biological Reports

Experience

Education

Publications

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