Rate My Professor Carlo Pacioni

Carlo Pacioni holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), a Master of Veterinary Studies in Conservation Medicine (MVS), and a PhD from Murdoch University, awarded in 2010 for his thesis titled 'The population and epidemiological dynamics associated with recent decline of woylies (Bettongia penicillata) in Australia,' supervised by Ian Robertson. His doctoral research investigated factors contributing to the sharp decline of this critically endangered marsupial, integrating population genetics and disease epidemiology. Pacioni serves as an Honorary Research Associate in the School of Veterinary and Life Sciences at Murdoch University and is affiliated with the Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability. Currently, he is a Senior Researcher at the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, Victoria, Australia, where he applies genetic and modeling tools to wildlife management and vertebrate pest control.

Pacioni's research specializations include conservation genetics, molecular epidemiology, population genetics, and wildlife disease dynamics, with a focus on Australian native and invasive species such as woylies, dingoes, sambar deer, rusa deer, fallow deer, and lagomorphs. He has authored or co-authored over 120 publications, including highly cited works like 'dartR v2: An accessible genetic analysis platform for conservation, ecology and agriculture' (Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 2022), 'Contribution of genetics to ecological restoration' (Molecular Ecology, 2015), 'Introduced deer and their potential role in disease transmission to livestock in Australia' (Mammal Review, 2019), 'Genetic diversity loss in a biodiversity hotspot: ancient DNA quantifies genetic decline and former connectivity in a critically endangered marsupial' (Molecular Ecology, 2015), and 'vortexR: an R package for post Vortex simulation analysis' (Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 2017). Other key contributions encompass 'Guidelines for genetic management in mammal translocation programs' (Biological Conservation, 2019), studies on Neospora caninum in wild deer and dogs ('Evidence of Australian wild deer exposure to N. caninum infection,' 2023; 'Moderate Neospora caninum Detection in Wild Dog Populations,' 2025), hybridization in deer ('Hybridisation rates, population structure, and dispersal of sambar deer and rusa deer,' 2023), and rabbit haemorrhagic disease epidemiology ('Comparative Epidemiology of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus Strains,' 2022). His work informs biosecurity, translocation strategies, invasive species management, and sylvatic disease cycles, enhancing conservation outcomes for threatened species.