convenor's corner by professor ray rodgers

22092020 RHA e-News September 2020

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Convenors Corner by Professor Ray Rodgers

I am RHAs new co-convenor with Jock Findlay who was my Masters supervisor and co-supervisor for my

PhD many years ago Since then I have been an active researcher in reproductive biology of sheep cattle

and humans I am a firm believer in using data and evidence and where you do not have this option

being flexible and monitoring and adjusting decisions

We have seen a lot of this approach with our handling of the COVID pandemic this year Australia is lucky

in many ways and I think Victoria was just a bit unlucky with its second wave Ahead of us is the promise

of a vaccine living with the virus and dealing with any life-long consequences The silver lining is that

governments may be more willing to listen to researchers and their conclusions and not their own

constituencies With the bush fires and droughts having ravaged Australia one would hope for a well-

reasoned plan for the way forward

This should include research into reproduction Without this knowledge itrsquos hard to plan or mitigate future

disasters Without an audience willing to listen to that knowledge is of no practical use I am confident the

advocacy activities of Reproductive Health Australia can move our country forward

If you have not yet taken the RHA survey please do so and have your voice heard We need the numbers

to be able to claim respectability in any future advocacy Take the survey here

httpstinyurlcomRHAsurvey2020



Professor Ray Rodgers

NHMRC Principal Research Fellow Robinson Research Institute University of Adelaide

An interview with Professor Bob Wong

School of Biological Sciences Monash University

ldquoIrsquove always loved animals and am fascinated by the natural world The opportunity to

understand how our activities can affect the world around us and contribute to the

evidence base that can inform better management practices is a powerful motivatorrdquo

If yoursquove ever had the good fortune of meeting Professor Bob Wong yoursquoll know he stands out from the

crowd With an enormous amount of will and humility hersquos the perfect example of a great leader Itrsquos not

surprising that his outstanding work has been recognised by the award of a prestigious ARC Future

Fellowship As Executive Champion of the Reproduction and Environmental Sustainability theme of RHA

he is devoted to advocating for how research in reproduction can have major benefits for protecting our

wildlife and unique ecological systems

Q What do you believe is the main achievement of your reproductive research

ldquoIrsquom a behavioural ecologist which means Irsquom interested in understanding animal behaviour from an

ecological and evolutionary perspective I was initially drawn to reproductive research because I am

interested in understanding the behavioural strategies that animals use to maximise their reproductive

payoffs ndash from the way animals compete for mates to the way they look after their young However during

the course of my research career and travels to exotic field locations around the world I became

increasingly interested in how human-induced environmental change can disturb wildlife behaviours and

what the ecological and evolutionary consequences might be Major achievements in this regard are the



insights my research has provided into how disturbed reproductive behaviours can lead to ecological

dysfunction and even alter the course of evolution itself For example work I carried out in Mexico showed

how chemical pollution led to the breakdown of premating reproductive isolation in two species of

freshwater fish resulting in hybridisation between the two species and the loss of biodiversity More

recently my work on pharmaceutical pollution shows that exposure to human and veterinary medicines

can impinge on both male and female reproductive behaviours in fish with implications for the quality and

quantity of offspring that are producedrdquo

Q How has your research contributed to reproductive health in a practical sense

ldquoPharmaceutical pollutants have serious ecological health and economic implications for our country

resulting in recent export bans on tainted Australian produce and concerns over the contamination of

domestic drinking water supplies As in other parts of the world Australian freshwater environments are

common repositories for the discharge of large volumes of domestic agricultural and industrial

wastewater which can account for a significant proportion of the flow entering our freshwater systems ndash

notably during periods of drought when natural freshwater inputs are low This problem is likely to be

compounded by the ephemeral nature of many of our aquatic systems the predicted effects of climate

change and our increasing reliance on recycled wastewater for irrigation Yet relatively few studies (in

Australia or overseas) have addressed the risks and potential impacts of pharmaceutical pollutants

entering the environment Considering the in creasing pressures on our water resources and the unique

aquatic organisms supported by these systems it is especially prudent in Australia to conduct research

toward defining the issue of pharmaceutical contamination My findings are relevant to a range of

ecological contexts They will enable predictions of behavioural and evolutionary consequences from

pharmaceuticals in our fragile ecosystems and contribute valuable information for the management of

Australiarsquos freshwater resourcesrdquo

Field research



Q Where do you see this research going and how will you go about it

ldquoTo generate both mechanistic understanding and predictive value in the real world my ambition is to

develop a program of research that integrate studies across different spatial scales and levels of

ecological complexity ndash from controlled experiments in the laboratory to innovative use of tracking devices

to monitor the fate of animals in the wildrdquo

Q What do you think are the most challenging issues or gaps in knowledge facing your particular

area is today

ldquoA big challenge is simply to highlight the pervasive ecological and evolutionary impacts of pharmaceutical

pollutants on wildlife and the environment Drugs in the environment have been linked to a range of direct

adverse physiological effects in exposed organisms ndash from feminisation of male fish to death in vultures

What is not so well appreciated is that such changes can cascade well beyond the initial disturbance

highlighting the unpredictable consequences pharmaceutical pollutants can bring for species and

ecosystems including changes mediated through disturbances in animal reproductive behaviourrdquo

Q Why is science advocacy important

ldquoAs researchers it is not enough to merely engage with our scientific peers With the bulk of our work

funded by the public purse we owe it to the wider community to be able to effectively communicate and

share our discoveries with the broader public Most people in the community including many of our

political leaders are not trained in the language of science Here scientists have an important role to play

in communicating our research and in promoting evidence-based decision-making by policy makers and

regulatorsrdquo

Catch up on Bob Wongrsquos recent workhellip

Aulsebrook et al 2020 Reproduction in a polluted world implications for wildlife Reproduction 160 R13

Bertram et al 2019 Disruption of male mating strategies in a chemically compromised environment

Science of the Total Environment 703 134991

Martin et al 2019 Impact of the widespread pharmaceutical pollutant fluoxetine on behaviour and sperm

traits in a freshwater fish Science of the Total Environment 650 1771

Further reading

Cook et al 2020 Long-term maternal exposure to atrazine in the drinking water reduces penis length in

tammar wallaby macropus eugenii Reproduction Fertility and Development 321099



Bushfires Bristle Birds and a Dramatic Rescue

This is a story about seared landscapes a helicopter rescue and the extraordinary effort to save an

endangered species the brown bristle bird Scientists involved in the rescue effort have kindly given us

permission to share their story recently published in The Conversation This article was co-authored by

ecologist Dr Rohan Clarke (Drone Discovery Platform and Senior Lecturer Monash) Dr Katherine

Selwood (Threatened Species Biologist Zoos Victoria) and Dr Rowan Mott (Biologist Monash)

As we stepped out of a military helicopter on Victoriarsquos east coast in February smoke towered into the sky

Wersquod just flown over a blackened landscape extending as far as the eye could see Now we were standing

in an active fireground and the stakes were high

Emergency helicopter rescues arenrsquot usually part of a dayrsquos work for conservation scientists But for

eastern bristlebirds a potential disaster loomed

Our mission was to catch 15-20 bristlebirds and evacuate them to Melbourne Zoo This would provide an

insurance population of this globally endangered species if their habitat was razed by the approaching

fire

Read the full article here

Aussie Kids say Thank You to their Science Superstars

650 heart-warming letters written by kids from Malvern Primary School have been delivered to scientists

all over Australia and here are a few for RHA members to enjoy

Now more than ever the world looks to scientists to solve the big problems species extinction curing

diseases feeding the populationhellip and of course finding a vaccine for Covid-19 The kids at Malvern

Primary School wanted to show their appreciation of Australiarsquos hard-working scientists to give them a

much-needed morale boost during this difficult time

The Gratitude Project was initiated by RHA Executive member Dr Sarah Meachem during the first

remote learning period of 2020 to showcase how much kids value scientists for improving the planet their

lives and their futures



Reproductive Sciences Student Essay Writing CompetitionA big congratulations to Madina Sarwari whos essay was just one of many great entries to an essay

writing competition run by the Graduate Diploma of Reproductive Sciences (GRS) course Monash

University and RHA

First offered through Monash University 32 years ago the Graduate Diploma of Reproductive Sciences

fosters students interest in human fertility infertility agricultural production and wildlife conservation and

the environment Each year we proudly produce between 30-40 graduates that enter all facets of the

reproductive science community here in Australia and further abroad for our international alumni

This year was a tough one for our students The world in which they enrolled in this degree will not look



the same as the one they will graduate into Moving a largely practical course online to accommodate for

the lockdown restrictions placed on Victorians has been a challenge to educators and students alike

However it has also forced us to work in new and innovative ways From starting crowdsourcing

campaigns that fight for social justice in womens health to creating podcasts and video abstracts the

graduating year of 2020 knows how to be adaptive resilient and savvy when faced with challenging

circumstances

To promote student motivation alongside our crowdsourcing campaign with Marie Stopes which aims to

generate funding that will allow women who have had an abortion to access long-acting reversible

contraceptives for free we teamed up with RHA to create an essay competition

(By Dr Kiri Beilby Senior lecturer and GRS course coordinator)

Madinas winning essay addresses the question

If we know that contraceptives are physiologically 997 effective why do 51 of pregnancies

remain unplanned in Australia

ldquoNational surveys have reported that 51 of pregnancies are unintentionally conceived each year with

part of this statistic reflecting women who were taking at least one form of contraception at the time of the

unplanned pregnancy This statistic is reflected in both Australian and American studies (1 2) Improving

accessibility and education of contraception for both women of reproductive age and healthcare

providers is essential in preventing unplanned pregnancyrdquo

Read the rest of Madina Sarwaris essay here

Congratulations to the following RHA members

Associate Professor Simon de Graaf from the School of Life and EnvironmentSciences University of Sydney was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of News

South Wales in recognition of his substantial contribution to the field of animalreproduction and the development of reproductive technologies for animal

agriculture Simon has also been awarded the title of 2020 Fellow of the Society for Reproductive

Biology

Ms Nicola Rivers a member of STEM women and final year PhD student in theDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology has achieved first place in the Monash

Visualise Your Thesis competition and now qualifies for the finals to be held inOctober Good luck Nicola See here for Nicolas brilliant example of a 1 min thesis

Dr Mark Green from The University of Melbourne who has been awarded the title of

2020 Fellow of the Society for Reproductive Biology

Professor Brett Nixon (one of the foundation members of RHA) from the School of



Environmental and Life Sciences University of Newcastle announced as theincoming President of the Society for Reproductive Biology

Whatrsquos On Due to ongoing COVID-19 disruptions major adjustments have occurred Updates below

Virtual Endocrine Society of Australia annual meeting 31 October-1 November 2020Cancelled Australian Reproductive Update November 2020 2021 dates pending

Cancelled ESA-SRB-APEG Annual Scientific Meeting 1-4 November Christchurch New ZealandStudent Research Zoomsposium Australian Society for Medical Research 17 November 2020Virtual meeting National Scientific Conference Australian Society for Medical Research 18-19

November 2020Postponed ASMR Medical Research Weekreg until November 2020

Date change Digital Andrology 2020 12 International 11th European and 32nd German Congressof Andrology 5-9 December Munster Germany

Moved International Congress on Animal Reproduction (ICAR) 27th June ndash 1nd July 2021Moved Fertility Society of Australia conference 11-15 September 2021 Sydney

Moved International Federation of Placenta Associations Dates pending 2022 AmsterdamNetherlands

Moved Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry World Congress 4-8 September2022 Singapore Mary Bay Sands

Moved International Society for Behavioural Ecology Congress 11-16 September 2022Melbourne Australia

RHA Executive ChampionsProfessor Eva Dimitriadis The University of Melbourne (Human Health)

Professor Michael Holland University of Queensland (Agricultural Productivity)Professor Bob Wong Monash University (Environmental Sustainability)

RHA OfficeProfessor Jock Findlay AO FAHMS (Co-convenor)

Professor Ray Rogers (Co-Convenor)Dr Sarah Meachem (Executive Officer)

Dr Liza OrsquoDonnell (Manager)Ms Nicola Rivers (Early career representative)For RHA Steering group members see hereFor RHA Supporters and Affiliates see here

Copyright copy 2020 Reproductive Health Australia All rights reserved



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Professor Ray Rodgers

NHMRC Principal Research Fellow Robinson Research Institute University of Adelaide

An interview with Professor Bob Wong

School of Biological Sciences Monash University

ldquoIrsquove always loved animals and am fascinated by the natural world The opportunity to

understand how our activities can affect the world around us and contribute to the

evidence base that can inform better management practices is a powerful motivatorrdquo

If yoursquove ever had the good fortune of meeting Professor Bob Wong yoursquoll know he stands out from the

crowd With an enormous amount of will and humility hersquos the perfect example of a great leader Itrsquos not

surprising that his outstanding work has been recognised by the award of a prestigious ARC Future

Fellowship As Executive Champion of the Reproduction and Environmental Sustainability theme of RHA

he is devoted to advocating for how research in reproduction can have major benefits for protecting our

wildlife and unique ecological systems

Q What do you believe is the main achievement of your reproductive research

ldquoIrsquom a behavioural ecologist which means Irsquom interested in understanding animal behaviour from an

ecological and evolutionary perspective I was initially drawn to reproductive research because I am

interested in understanding the behavioural strategies that animals use to maximise their reproductive

payoffs ndash from the way animals compete for mates to the way they look after their young However during

the course of my research career and travels to exotic field locations around the world I became

increasingly interested in how human-induced environmental change can disturb wildlife behaviours and

what the ecological and evolutionary consequences might be Major achievements in this regard are the


























Field research









area is today













regulatorsrdquo







Further reading


















fire
















University and RHA













circumstances


















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Field research









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regulatorsrdquo







Further reading


















fire
















University and RHA













circumstances


















Biology



































area is today













regulatorsrdquo







Further reading


















fire
















University and RHA













circumstances


















Biology










































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convenor's corner by professor ray rodgers

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