Have you ever dreamt of travelling back in time to prevent existential threats such as bushfires or rising sea levels? While we can’t change the timeline, we can uncover clues from the past to inform the decisions that shape our future.

In the absence of a time machine, Dr Erin Hahn studies DNA captured from both the air around us and the historical specimens cared for by the Australian National Wildlife Collection. By analysing airborne DNA to reveal what wildlife is present in our landscapes today, and extracting genomic and epigenomic clues from century-old specimens, Erin pieces together how environmental change affects Australia’s biodiversity. She communicates these findings to support endangered species conservation, guide restoration programs, and influence evidence-based decision-making.

A conservation geneticist who gets overly excited by enormous data files full of As, Cs, Ts and Gs, Erin is equally passionate about supporting emerging women in STEM and helping them align their skills with their passions.

Erin received her PhD in Genomics from the University of Arizona in 2016, picking up a National Science Foundation traineeship—and two daughters—along the way. While at UA, she served as a founding board member of the Tucson Women in STEM (TWiSTEM) advocacy group. She is now a Research Scientist at CSIRO, leading research programs in wildlife genomics, airborne eDNA, and historical DNA.

Dr Erin Hahn is a Superstar of STEM.