Kirsten Benkendorff is a marine scientist who works on molluscs, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory properties and cancer fighting properties. She was awarded Young Australian of the Year in 2000 and a Dorothy Hill Medal for Science in 2011.

Early life and career

Benkendorff obtained a Bachelor of Science from

Macquarie University Macquarie University ( ) is a public research university based in Sydney, Australia, in the suburb of Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of S ...

in 1994, followed by a PhD at the

University of Wollongong The University of Wollongong (abbreviated as UOW) is an Australian public research university located in the coastal city of Wollongong, New South Wales, approximately 80 kilometres south of Sydney. As of 2017, the university had an enrolment of ...

in 1999. She was a career consultant for the Shellharbour Council in New South Wales, before becoming a lecturer in Marine Biology at

Flinders University Flinders University is a public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia, with a footprint extending across 11 locations in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of British navigator ...

in South Australia, from 2006 to 2010, and then working at

Southern Cross University Southern Cross University (SCU) is an Australian public university, with campuses at Lismore and Coffs Harbour in northern New South Wales, and at Coolangatta, the most southern suburb of the Gold Coast in Queensland. It is ranked in the top ...

. Benkendorff has conducted research on a combination of medical and marine research, investigating the anti-cancer extracts from the Australian marine life including the whelk. Benkendorff is a Professor of Marine Science, and the Co-Deputy Director of the Marine Ecology Research Centre at Southern Cross University. She is also a Councillor, within the Malacological Society of Australasia as well as an Associate Editor Scientific Reports and Marine Drugs. In 2011 she was awarded the

Dorothy Hill Medal The Dorothy Hill Medal is awarded annually and honours the contributions of the late Professor Dorothy Hill to Australian Earth science and her work in opening up tertiary science education to women. The award supports research in the Earth scien ...

for her research on marine science, molluscs and their medicinal properties. She was awarded the Young Australian of the Year, in 2000, for Science and Technology and NSW Australian of the year, in 2001, for her contributions to the environment. Benkendorff has research projects on studying the effects of pesticides on both prawns and oysters. She also has a research project on the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties within marine mollusc extracts. She has a research project investigating the influence of ocean climate change stressors on the quality of seafood and marine invertebrates and their lipid profiles.

Publications

Select examples of Benkendorff's publications are as follows: * Chemical defense in the egg masses of benthic invertebrates: an assessment of antibacterial activity in 39 mollusks and 4 polychaetes. (2001) K Benkendorff, AR Davis, JB Bremner. ''Journal of invertebrate pathology'' 78 (2), 109-118. * Free fatty acids and sterols in the benthic spawn of aquatic molluscs, and their associated antimicrobial properties. (2005) K Benkendorff, AR Davis, CN Rogers, JB Bremner. ''Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology'' 316 (1), 29-44. * Molluscan biological and chemical diversity: secondary metabolites and medicinal resources produced by marine molluscs. (2010). K Benkendorff. ''Biological Reviews'' 85 (4), 757-775.

Prizes and awards

Media

Benkendorff has published in ''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...

'', and ''The Conversation'', on her research into the cancer fighting properties of molluscs.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benkendorff, Kirsten Australian women academics Australian women scientists Living people Macquarie University alumni University of Wollongong alumni 1973 births