Lee Berger (born 16 January 1970), is an Australian

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual cell, a multicellular organism, or a community of interacting populations. They usually specialize in ...

and veterinarian, who discovered during her PhD that the fungus '' Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis'' was responsible for the decline and extinction of hundreds of amphibian species.

Early life and career

Berger was born in Epsom, England in 1970, but moved to

Melbourne, Australia Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metropol ...

with her family just a year later. She earned her undergraduate degree in Veterinary Science from the University of Melbourne. She was awarded her

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...

James Cook University James Cook University (JCU) is a public university in North Queensland, Australia. The second oldest university in Queensland, JCU is a teaching and research institution. The university's main campuses are located in the tropical cities of Cairn ...

in 2001 under the supervision of

Rick Speare Richard "Rick" Speare (2 August 1947 – 5 June 2016) was an Australian public health physician and veterinary surgeon. He is best known for his research on animal diseases, particularly his work on chytridiomycosis in amphibians. Research caree ...

. In her PhD she aimed to find the cause of the decline of amphibians in Queensland between the 1970s and 1990s. She identified the cause as being a chytrid fungus, '' Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis'', which causes a disease called chytridiomycosis. She served as the Associate Dean of Research within the College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences at James Cook University. She is currently an adjunct professor at James Cook University and the University of Melbourne.

Discovery of chytridiomycosis

In 1990 a mysterious decline in frog species was observed in Australia. Professor Lee Berger discovered Chytridiomycosis Dendrobatidae in 1993. Rick Speare theorised that this was caused by an infectious disease and hired Berger to study this. At the time it was thought that infectious diseases could not cause an extinction. However, in 1998 Berger was able to identify a fungus, called '' Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis,'' in the skin of the frog. This fungus disrupts the skin, making the frogs unable to absorb electrolytes and water, ultimately causing them to die. Her work on this infectious disease has helped to change practices in conservation around the world.

Awards

* 2000 – CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement * 2007 – Ian Clunies Ross Memorial Award * 2011 – Australian Research Council Future Fellow * 2018 – Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year *2020 – Fellow, Australian Academy of Science

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berger, Lee 1970 births Living people Australian biologists Australian herpetologists Australian veterinarians James Cook University faculty University of Melbourne faculty Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science