Professor Kirsten Benkendorff

Prof. Kirsten Benkendorff is a professor at the National Marine Science Centre, Southern Cross University, Australia. She obtained her PhD from the University of Wollongong in 1999, followed by an Australian Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship, then a lectureship at Flinders University, before moving to Southern Cross University in 2010.

Kirsten is an interdisciplinary marine researcher who has made significant contributions towards assessing the impacts of ocean climate change and environmental contaminants on the health, nutritional quality and functional food properties of seafood species. She is also investigating the use of marine molluscs for human medicine and has identified a promising anticancer and anti-inflammatory agent. Kirsten has published over 120 peer-reviewed papers in international scientific journals (H-index = 39). She has supervised an international team of 35 Higher degree research and 34 Honours students to completion.

Prior to moving to the National Marine Science Centre, Kirsten was the School Director of Higher Degree Research for Science and Engineering at SCU. In recognition of her contributions to marine science, Kirsten was awarded the 2000 Young Australian of the Year Award in Science and Technology, a 2008 SA Young Tall Poppy Award and the 2011 Australian Academy of Science Dorothy Hill Award.