Shane Tobe is an Associate Professor of Forensic Science at Murdoch University, where he serves as Honours Academic Chair for the Forensic Science and Molecular Biology disciplines within the School of Medical, Molecular, and Forensic Sciences and as a Research Integrity Advisor.

His research integrates forensic genetics, forensic serology, environmental DNA (eDNA), wildlife forensics, conservation genetics, biosecurity, population genetics, and bioinformatics. His work focuses on improving the recovery, analysis, interpretation, and evidential value of biological material for applications spanning forensic investigations, biodiversity monitoring, conservation management, and biosecurity surveillance.

Modern forensic investigations continue to rely heavily on biological evidence; however, research attention has increasingly shifted towards DNA technologies while foundational areas such as forensic serology have received comparatively limited research investment. Professor Tobe's research integrates forensic serology with contemporary molecular approaches, including forensic genomics and environmental DNA, to improve the detection, interpretation, and evidential value of biological traces across forensic, conservation, and biosecurity applications.

Associate Professor Tobe has secured more than AUD $8 million in research funding through fellowships, competitive grants, scholarships, and collaborative research projects. He is recognised among the world's top 2% of scientists in Legal and Forensic Medicine (Stanford University/Elsevier rankings). His work spans forensic, environmental, conservation, and biosecurity applications, enabling translation of molecular technologies across multiple disciplines.

Prior to joining Murdoch University in 2019, Associate Professor Tobe held academic appointments in the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States. Following completion of his PhD in 2008, he was awarded a Leverhulme Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Strathclyde, Scotland. He subsequently held a Vice-Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellowship at Flinders University, Australia, before joining Arcadia University, USA, as Assistant Professor of Forensic Science.

He is the author of Forensic Serology (Elsevier, 2025) and co-author of Wildlife DNA Analysis: Applications in Forensic Science (Wiley). He has authored over 65 peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, and book chapters.

Associate Professor Tobe's work has been presented internationally through invited and keynote lectures, including TEDxFlindersUni, the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (USA), the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR, New Zealand), the Third Circuit Judicial Conference (USA), and the Science Teachers Association of Australia.

Research Leadership and Impact

Associate Professor Tobe's research sits at the intersection of forensic science, molecular biology, conservation genetics, biosecurity, and environmental monitoring. By adapting techniques originally developed for forensic DNA analysis to environmental and ecological systems, his work contributes to emerging challenges in biodiversity conservation, invasive species detection, biosecurity surveillance, and wildlife crime investigation.

His current research program focuses on the development and application of molecular and environmental DNA technologies for:

• Biodiversity monitoring and ecosystem assessment
• Biosecurity surveillance and invasive species detection
• Wildlife forensic investigations
• Conservation genetics
• Recovery and interpretation of low-template and degraded DNA
• Forensic serology and biological evidence examination
• Provenance determination and species identification
• Population genetics and bioinformatics

Through collaborations across forensic science, environmental science, and conservation biology, Associate Professor Tobe's research seeks to generate innovative molecular approaches that deliver both scientific advances and practical outcomes for government agencies, industry, and the broader community.

Associate Professor Tobe has led the development of the LEAF (Low-Template, Environmental DNA, Archaeological DNA and Forensic Science) Laboratory and associated specialised molecular biology infrastructure designed for ultra-low-template DNA analysis. The facility supports research in forensic genetics, environmental DNA, conservation genetics, wildlife forensics, and biosecurity, and provides a platform for collaborative research and HDR training. The contamination-controlled facility enables the analysis of low-biomass and degraded DNA samples that would otherwise present significant analytical and contamination challenges.

Current Research Areas

• Forensic Genetics and Forensic Genomics
• Environmental DNA (eDNA)
• Biosecurity
• Wildlife Forensics
• Conservation Genetics
• Forensic DNA Profiling and Interpretation
• Forensic Serology
• Biodiversity Monitoring
• Population Genetics
• Bioinformatics

Education and Academic Leadership

Since joining Murdoch University, Associate Professor Tobe has provided academic leadership in forensic science education through curriculum renewal, development of authentic laboratory experiences, and enhancement of teaching aligned with contemporary forensic and molecular biological practice. He currently coordinates units in forensic science and forensic DNA analysis and provides leadership across honours education in forensic science and molecular biology.

His contributions to teaching and supervision are informed by extensive international experience across undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional education in accredited forensic science programs in the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States.

Professional Practice, Industry Engagement and Outreach

In addition to his academic research, Associate Professor Tobe undertakes professional forensic consultancy, casework, training, and outreach activities. He has collaborated with police agencies in Australia and the United Kingdom, worked with the Innocence Project in Philadelphia, and provided expert advice on legal matters in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

He regularly delivers invited lectures, keynote presentations, professional training, and public outreach activities for forensic, legal, educational, scientific, conservation, and government organisations.