Affiliation: University of Melbourne, School of Biosciences

Ashley M. Dungan is currently a Research Fellow at The University of Melbourne (UoM), working under Profs. Madeleine van Oppen and Linda Blackall. Her research interests are in the functional roles of bacteria in symbiosis with coral and harnessing these functions in microbiome engineering approaches. Microbiome engineering has been proposed as a strategy to facilitate adaptation to changing environmental conditions by enhancing the coral holobiont with the metabolic capabilities of the introduced bacteria. Using the coral model, Acropora loripes, which has a naturally occurring low biodiversity microbiome, she is modeling metabolic exchanges between the coral host and their bacterial symbionts to characterize bacterial functions and identify potential bacterial candidates for microbiome engineering.

She advocates for equity in science for women, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, people of color, Indigenous community members, minorities, people with disabilities, and anyone else who has ever felt that they do not belong. She serves as co-Chair of the BioSciences Early Career Academics Committee (UoM), is a member of the People and Culture Committee (UoM), and serves as a member of the International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME) Early Career Scientist Committee.

Outside of science, she is a volunteer for Seeing Eye Dogs, Vision Australia, and cares for two gorgeous girls, Kelly and Ocean. She is also an avid CrossFitter and specializes in lifting heavy weights fast. She hopes to be a role model for young women to see that strength is never a weakness, and that gender can never define what you are capable of.