Professor Stefan Arndt is Professor of Physiological and Ecosystem Ecology in the School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, at the University of Melbourne. He completed his MSc in Biology, Chemistry, and Education at the University of Münster, Germany, in 1995, followed by a PhD in physiological ecology at the University of Vienna, Austria, in 2000, where his thesis examined the mechanisms of drought tolerance in the tropical fruit tree genus Ziziphus. After his PhD, he conducted postdoctoral research on plant adaptations in the Taklamakan Desert in China. In 2001, he moved to Australia for an 18-month position at the University of Western Australia working on plant adaptations to environmental stresses. He joined the University of Melbourne's School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences in late 2002, progressing to Senior Research Fellow in 2005, Associate Professor in 2009, and Professor in 2014. Additional appointments include Visiting Professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2008, Director of the Burnley Campus from 2011 to 2022, Director of Research in the School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences from 2023 to 2026, Director of OzFlux—the community of practice for flux towers in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand—since 2024, and Associate Dean (Infrastructure) in the Faculty of Science since 2026.

Arndt's research investigates how plants and ecosystems respond to environmental changes and climate extremes, such as drought and heat stress, to predict species performance in future climates for forests, revegetation projects, and urban environments. He leads the Ecophysiology and Flux research group and contributes to understanding ecosystem carbon and water cycles, stable isotopes in plant water relations, and plant trait databases. Notable publications include 'Research frontiers for improving our understanding of drought-induced tree and forest mortality' (2018), 'Stable isotopes in leaf water of terrestrial plants' (2016), 'An introduction to the Australian and New Zealand flux tower network – OzFlux' (2016), 'AusTraits, a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora' (2021), and 'Physiological and morphological adaptations of the fruit tree Ziziphus rotundifolia in response to progressive drought stress' (2001). He serves as Section Editor-in-Chief for Forest Ecophysiology and Biology in the journal Forests.

Professional Email: sarndt@unimelb.edu.au