Dr Stephen Hearth

Lecturer
PhD (Biomedical Science)

Email: stephen.hearth@nd.edu.au

  • Biography

    I joined the University of Notre Dame in 2025 after 10 years at the Australian College of Physical Education where I developed extensive experience and success in teaching diverse cohorts across a broad range of biomedical and health science courses.  As part of an ARC Discovery grant my research explored the evolution of social insects, examining their antimicrobial compounds as a novel bio-prospecting avenue to combat antibiotic resistance.  Currently I am exploring research opportunities in the scholarship of teaching and learning space to further inclusivity and innovation in tertiary teaching.

  • Teaching areas

    • Physiology
    • Cell biology
    • Genetics
    • Nutrition

  • Research expertise and supervision

    • Population Genetics
    • Conservation Genetics
    • Evolution of sociality
    • Invertebrate zoology

  • Journal articles and proceedings

    • Burden, C.T., Stow, A.J., Hoggard, S.J., Coleman, M.A., & Bishop, M.J. (2014). Genetic structure of Carcinus maenas in southeast Australia. Marine Ecology Progress Series 500, 139-147 https://doi.org/10.3354/meps10704
    • Hoggard, S.J., Wilson, P.D., Beattie, A.J., & Stow, A.J (2013). The effectiveness of antimicrobial defenses declines with increasing group size and genetic similarity. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 106 (1), 53-58 https://doi.org/10.1603/AN11187
    • Turnbull, C., Wilson, P.D., Hoggard, S., Gillings, M., Palmer, C., Smith, S., Beattie, D., Hussey, S., Stow, A. & Beattie, A. (2012). Primordial Enemies: Fungal Pathogens in Thrips Societies. PLOS One 7 (11), e49737 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0049737
    • Hoggard, S.J., Wilson, P.D., Beattie, A.J. & Stow, A.J. (2011). Social complexity and nesting habits are factors in the evolution of antimicrobial defences in wasps. PLoS One 6 (7), e21763 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0021763
    • Turnbull, C., Hoggard, S., Gillings, M., Palmer, C., Stow, A., Beattie, D., Briscoe, D., Smith, S., Wilson, P. & Beattie, A. (2011). Antimicrobial strength increases with group size: implications for social evolution. Biology Letters 7 (2), 249-252 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2010.0719
    • Baldwin, H.J., Hoggard, S.J., Snoyman, S.T., Stow, A.J. & Brown, C. (2010). Non-invasive genetic sampling of faecal material and hair from the grey-headed flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus). Australian Mammalogy 32 (1), 56-61 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM09015
    • Hoggard, S.J., Beattie, A.J., Gillings, M.R. & Stow, A.J. (2009). Mating system and genetic structure in the paper wasp (Polistes humilis). Australian Journal of Zoology 57 (2), 73-76. https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO08083

  • Professional affiliations

    Higher Education Research & Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA)