Prof. Stephen Wroe Email Address

Associate Professor

University Of New England is an education management institution which located in Armidale, Australia.

I am Director of the Function, Evolution & Anatomy Research lab at UNE[http://www.thefearlab.com/#&panel1-6], and, Conjoint A/Prof of Engineering at the University of Newcastle. My primary interest is in improving our understanding of relationships between shape and function in living and fossil animals to better address both evolutionary and biomedical questions. Taxa currently studied include humans and their relatives, marsupial and placental carnivores, birds, sharks, crocodiles, varanids. We use computer based 3D modelling to predict and analyse mechanical behaviour in skulls and other biological structures. In addition to providing detailed information on how animals are adapted to particular behaviours and predictions for behaviour in fossil species, we apply these techniques in a wide range of biomedical areas, e.g., predicting optimal arrangements of plates and screws for the treatment of bone fractures and understanding the mechanical consequences of osteoporosis. Other areas on which I have published and maintain an active interest in include: vertebrate palaeontology, and extinction of megafauna. Specialities: biomechanics vertebrate palaeontology phylogenetics physical anthropology megafauna extinction I have >70 peer reviewed journal articles to my name. Of 48 peer-reviewed articles since 2004 58% are in A*ranked publications and 93% are in A* or A ranked journals. A* = top 5% of journals; A = the next 15%. My h-index on Google Scholar = 30 [http://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=c65t4cwAAAAJ] I was recently awarded > $940,000 in ARC Discovery Project funding, including a level 2 Discovery Outstanding Researcher Award - one of only 2 awarded at this level in the 2014 round. My work is high profile. I have featured in 14 documentaries mostly by National Geographic and Discovery Channels, as well as 3 times in the ABC's flagship science series, Catalyst.