Steve Johnston

Biography

Dr Steve Johnston is Senior Lecturer in Reproduction in the Wildlife Biology Unit of the School of Agriculture and Food Sciences Studies at the University of Queensland, where he teaches animal reproduction to applied science and science undergraduate and postgraduate students. Dr Johnston is a zoologist specialising in the area of reproductive biology in a broad diversity of species ranging from prawns to tigers but with a major focus on Australian mammals. Dr Johnston has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles in basic and applied science disciplines including anatomy, physiology and behaviour. He was the first person in the world to produce a pouch young following artificial insemination in a marsupial, a task that he and his colleagues have now carried out successfully in the koala, a total of 33 times. Dr Johnston is also a specialist in the cryopreservation of marsupial spermatozoa and in the assessment of sperm DNA fragmentation, including human and domestic animal spermatozoa. Dr Johnston’s recent research interests and grant success include studies aimed at a better understanding of the effect of chlamydia on male koala reproduction, heat stress in koalas, sociobiology of koalas, genetic and reproductive management of koalas, wombat captive reproduction, echidna captive breeding and crocodile artificial insemination. In association with Dr Simon Collins of the School of Veterinary Science, he is also interested in developing anatomical atlases and 3d models for a range of Australian species for the purposes of veterinary science, taxonomy and education.

Research Interest

Animal science