Lian Yeap

I am currently Lecturer in Wildlife and Conservation Medicine and have been teaching in the veterinary program since 2010. My role primarily entails teaching core components of Wildlife and Conservation Medicine units to both undergraduate students in the DVM degree and post-graduate students. I provide clinical veterinary support/training to HDR and postgraduate students. I have co-supervised 5 PhD completions and currently co-supervise a number of HDR students ( 2 Phd, 3 DVetMedSci )

I co-coordinate and supervise the Namibia Conservation Medicine Field Trip and coordinate the Tasmania field trip for undergraduate veterinary students and have previously co-ordinated and supervised field trips to South Africa and Thailand

I am responsible for day to day teaching and teaching development in the fields of wildlife, zoological and conservation medicine to veterinary science (DVM) and postgraduate coursework students. Veterinary science students require training in wildlife and exotic pet medicine to enable them to effectively deal with sick and injured wildlife and exotic companion animals that will be encountered working in private practice. Training in wildlife and conservation medicine also provides our students with a strong foundation for further postgraduate studies, which can be undertaken by students wishing to pursue a career outside of general practice, such as a veterinarian working in a zoo or wildlife conservation project.

I am responsible for co-coordinating and teaching Advanced Practice in Wildlife, Zoological and Conservation Medicine (VET645) and teach into Primary Care, Unusual Pets and Wildlife (VET677). I was unit coordinator for Avian, Exotic Pet and Wildlife Medicine (VET636) prior to it ending (combined with Primary Care to create VET677 in the new veterinary curriculum). The Wildlife and Exotic Pet Clinical sub-rotation (VET619) and Advanced Topics in Wildlife, Zoological and Conservation Medicine (VET645) were established in collaboration with Perth Zoo to provide a unique learning experience in wildlife and conservation medicine.

The focus of my research in the field of conservation medicine involves studying the health of endangered wildlife species within ecological contexts in order to assist recovery efforts to conserve these species. Disease is a major threatening factor for wildlife conservation , and the new disease emergence is often associated with inter-relationships between human, animal and ecosystem health; decreased genetic variation; anthropogenic environmental impacts; and changes in host-parasite relationships associated with ecological change.

As wildlife population declines often have multi-factorial causes (including ecological factors such as habitat modification, altered fire regimes and introduced species), my research and research undertaken by other staff and postgraduate students in the Conservation Medicine Program requires the establishment of collaborative teams with scientists from multiple disciplines. As It addresses key questions associated with endangered wildlife conservation; and research findings inform policy and management practice of Australian and international governments and non-governmental organisations responsible for biodiversity conservation.

I am currently involved in the national and international conservation medicine research projects listed below, which are being undertaken by staff and postgraduate students in the Conservation Medicine Program.