Michelle’s research broadly focuses on applied conservation research that is linked directly to the on the ground actions. More specifically, she is interested in efficient reserve design, landscape management, planning and mitigating dynamic threats, cost-effective conservation actions, ecosystem service management and conserving threatened species and habitats under climatic change. 

Michelle has worked for several years on sustainable development in Turkey, Qatar and South Africa. She has a Masters in Environmental Management majoring in Conservation Biology from the University of Queensland. Her masters research focused on valuing ecosystem services to align environmental management with the Sustainable Development Goals. She is now completing her PhD with a focus on planning economical, efficient and effective national reserve systems under a variety of cumulative threats.

She volunteers for Wildcare Australia, predominately rescuing and rehabilitating native, orphaned mammals. She is also an IUCN WCPA Commission Member and is working closely with the Green List Specialist Group.

Her current supervisors are Associate Professor Jonathan Rhodes, Professor Hugh Possingham, Associate Professor James Watson and Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg.