Peter Kriesner
Research Scientist (Genetics)
Bachelor of Science with Honours, PhD Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Since a childhood spent in a small Victorian country town, Peter has had a lifelong passion for nature and the great Australian outdoors. He is inspired by the ‘endless forms’ and complexity of natural systems—how organisms interact with their environment and with each other, and the dynamic balance between competition and cooperation that underlies symbiotic relationships.
He recently completed a PhD at the University of Melbourne in ecology and evolutionary biology that focussed on common bacterial endosymbionts of insects and prior to that also had a broad and varied background in business management and administration, legal compliance, and workplace relations.
Peter is currently investigating gaps in our knowledge regarding population size and population structure of Victoria’s biodiversity from a genetic perspective, and the potential to enhance the genetic health of populations to bolster resilience against future threats such as climatic change, and to mitigate against the risk of inbreeding depression.
In his spare time, Peter enjoys hiking, outdoor photography, climbing, bird-watching, and spending time with his family.
Kriesner P, Hoffmann AA (2018) Rapid spread of a Wolbachia infection that does not affect host reproduction in Drosophila simulans cage populations. Evolution 72, 1475-1487
Kriesner P, Conner WR, Weeks AR, Turelli M, Hoffmann AA (2016) Persistence of a Wolbachia infection frequency cline in Drosophila melanogaster and the possible role of reproductive dormancy. Evolution 70, 979-997.
Kriesner P, Hoffmann AA, Lee SF, Turelli M, Weeks AR (2013) Rapid spread of two Wolbachia variants in Drosophila simulans. PLoS Pathogens 9, e1003607.
Walker TJPH et al. (2011) The w Mel Wolbachia strain blocks dengue and invades caged Aedes aegypti populations. Nature 476, 450-453.