Rate My Professor Rose Upton

Upton's research examines the effects of environmental stressors, including climate change and disease like chytridiomycosis, on organism health, immunity, microbiome, and reproduction. Following Australia's 2019/20 megafires, she participated in a Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment-funded project monitoring populations and conducting field cryopreservation of sperm from ten fire-affected amphibian species to preserve genetic diversity. She has extended these techniques to reptiles, koalas, and aquatic species such as the Mexican axolotl, African clawed frog, and California sea hare, supporting germplasm repositories for research and wild conservation. Key publications include 'Refrigerated storage and cryopreservation of hormonally induced sperm in the threatened frog, Litoria aurea' (Animal Reproduction Science, 2024), 'Cryopreservation Cooling Rate Impacts Post-Thaw Sperm Motility and Survival in Litoria booroolongensis' (Animals, 2023), 'Generation of a sexually mature individual of the Eastern dwarf tree frog, Litoria fallax, following hormonal induction of sperm and sperm cryopreservation' (Conservation Physiology, 2018), and 'Paradigm shift in frog sperm cryopreservation: reduced role for non-penetrating cryoprotectants and higher storage temperatures' (Reproduction, 2023). Upton has received the Emerging Leader in Biobanking award (Australasian Biospecimen Networking Association, 2023), George and Mary Rabb Fellowship (Amphibian Ark, 2022), National Science Foundation Early Career Training Grant (2023), Faculty Medal (2016), MP Biomedicals Award for Best 3rd Year PhD Presentation (2018), and Animal Care and Ethics Committee Welfare in Research Award (2024). Her contributions enhance genetic management in captive and wild populations, informing conservation strategies for threatened species.