Associate Professor Luke Kelly holds the position of Associate Professor in Quantitative Ecology within the School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, at the University of Melbourne. He leads the Biodiversity Dynamics Research Group, conducting research on ecological and evolutionary processes that shape biodiversity, particularly under changing fire regimes. His work integrates field data, experiments, and modeling to understand fire-driven population dynamics in plants and animals, forecast biodiversity responses to environmental change, and inform conservation strategies. Kelly's research addresses key areas including plant evolution in Mediterranean-type ecosystems amid climate change and novel fire patterns, the role of pyrodiversity in promoting biodiversity through fire management, animal ecology of mammals, birds, and reptiles in southern Australia with emphasis on invasive predator management, and conservation decision-making through stakeholder co-design and scenario planning. He collaborates with international teams, land managers, and policymakers, contributing to initiatives like the Wildfire Futures Hallmark Research Initiative.

Kelly's influential research has demonstrated that shifts in global fire patterns threaten more than 4,400 plant and animal species with extinction, prompting new approaches to sustain biodiversity. Notable publications include 'Fire and biodiversity in the Anthropocene' (Science, 2020), which synthesized global fire impacts; 'Can plants keep up with fire regime changes through evolution?' (Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 2025); 'Evolutionary implications of trait-fire mismatches for animals' (Global Change Biology, 2025); 'The mechanisms through which fire drives population change in terrestrial biota' (Global Change Biology, 2025); and 'How pyrodiversity shapes bat communities in a southeastern Australian woodland' (Biological Conservation, 2025). In 2022, he was awarded the Woodward Medal in Science and Technology for his contributions to fire ecology and extinction risk assessment. Previously serving as Senior Lecturer in Quantitative Ecology and Centenary Research Fellow, Kelly held a Victorian Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. He currently directs Culture, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts in his school and engages publicly through articles in Pursuit on topics such as managing bushfires for safety and biodiversity, and podcasts discussing fire and biodiversity.

Professional Email: ltkelly@unimelb.edu.au