ISBE Congress Melbourne 2024

Members of the Stuart-Fox, Medina and Franklin labs were excited to attend the International Society of Behavioural Ecology (ISBE) congress held in Melbourne this October. Organised in part by our fearless leader Devi Stuart-Fox, the conference was a raging success.

The ISBE exists to promote the discipline of behavioural ecology, to provide researchers in behavioural ecology with a forum to present and publish their work, exchange views, and get to know each other. With this philosophy in mind, the society holds a congress every other year, with the notable delay in Melbourne’s event due to covid. It was exciting to connect with fellow behavioural ecologists and dive into the latest research on a diverse range of fascinating topics. Researchers presented phenomenal projects combining animal behaviour, evolutionary biology and population ecology, and physiology and molecular biology. It was my first time attending a conference and I was blown away by the vibrant atmosphere and sense of community.

Our combined labs presented in epic numbers, with talks by Iliana, Amanda, Claire, Silvia, Kei-Lin, Min and Nik, and posters by Avichal, Amy and me. Each member showcased their projects with confidence and skill, reflecting all the hard work they have put into their research. And the conference could not have run without the help of the volunteers from our lab – Ayush, Haodan and Fabian!

Beyond the science, the conference had a fun social side too! I was fortunate enough to be involved with the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion social committee where we organised events such as a panel discussion on navigating life in academia for ECRs, mentor – mentee sessions and an LGBTQIA+ Trivia night. All of which were a great success and contributed to the amazing experience that was ISBE 2024!!

Post by Mia, PhD student