Laura Fernandez-Winzer is a doctor in Biology who successfully finished her PhD in 2018 with the support of the Plant Biosecurity CRC. She focused her thesis on the Impacts of the invasive pathogen myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) on the Australian native communities. She graduated in April 2019, and further developed her teaching skills, tutoring for the Biological Sciences Department as well as the International College, both at Macquarie University in Sydney.
Laura secured a postdoc position with the prestigious SANBI (South African National Biodiversity Institute) co-hosted by the University of Stellenbosch in December 2019. In this exciting new role, she will be testing and developing 20 indicators for biological invasions. This position was due to start in April 2020, but has been postponed due to the outbreak of COVID-19. She is currently located in Launceston (Tasmania), looking for biosecurity and/or teaching jobs until she can start her journey to South Africa.
Publications – here’s an impressive list from Laura’s PhD!
- Fernandez Winzer L, Berthon KA, Entwistle P, Manea A, Winzer N, Pegg GS, Carnegie AJ, Leishman MR (In Press). Direct and indirect community effects of the invasive plant pathogen Austropuccinia psidii (myrtle rust) in eastern Australian rainforests. Accepted in Biological Invasions on 14th March 2020
- Fernandez Winzer L, Cuddy W, Pegg GS, Carnegie AJ, Manea A & Leishman MR. Plant architecture, growth and biomass allocation effects of the invasive pathogen myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) on Australian Myrtaceae species after fire. Austral Ecology 45, 177–186. DOI: 10.1111/AEC.12845
- Berthon K, Fernandez Winzer L, Sandhu K, Cuddy W, Manea A, Carnegie A & Leishman M (2019) Endangered species face an extra threat: susceptibility to the invasive pathogen Austropuccinia psidii (myrtle rust) in Australia. Australasian Plant Pathology, 48(4), 385-393. DOI: 10.1007/s13313-019-00640-4
- Manea A, Fernandez Winzer L & Leishman MR (2019) Rapid field assessments of impacts of plant fungal pathogen Austropuccinia psidii on five high priority Myrtaceae species in New South Wales, Australia. Cunninghamia, 19, 1-6. DOI: 10.7751/cunninghamia.2019.19.001
- Fernandez Winzer L, Berthon Katherine A, Carnegie AJ, Pegg GS, Leishman MR (2018) Austropuccinia psidii on the move: survey based insights to its geographical distribution, host species, impacts and management in Australia. Biological Invasions, 21(4), 1215-1225. DOI: 10.1007/s10530-018-1891-0
- Fernandez Winzer L, Carnegie AJ, Pegg GS & Leishman MR (2018) Impacts of the invasive fungus Austropuccinia psidii (myrtle rust) on three Australian Myrtaceae species of coastal swamp woodland. Austral Ecology, 43(1), 56-68. DOI:10.1111/aec.12534