University of Sydney professor named in Queen’s Birthday Honours list

Less than a decade ago the fate of the Tasmanian devil was sealed — the little marsupial was destined for extinction until Professor Kathy Belov and her team stepped in.

Queen's Birthday Honours recipient Professor Kathy Belov studies animal genome and has been mapping the genome of Tasmanian devils, koalas, and bilbies (AAP IMAGE / MARK SCOTT)

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There are not many people that can say they have saved an entire species from extinction, but Katherine Belov can.

The Denistone West professor of comparative genomics and animal genetics successfully bred Tasmanian devils removing the deadly facial tumour disease out of the population saving the tiny devils from the same fate as the Tasmanian tiger.

“It has been amazing what has been achieved,” Prof Belov said.

“We’re at a point where we are over the worst fears and are actively managing the numbers in the wild. This time 15 years ago we thought they would go extinct.”

By mapping the genes of every single Devil in captivity, Prof Belov was able to single out the strongest genes and breed the Devil’s to survive the deadly non-viral face cancers which killed 95 per cent of the wild population between 1996 and 2015.

Tasmanian devil with a facial tumour. Picture: Manuel Ruiz

A healthy Devil with Prof Belov

The gene mapping has proven to be so successful that Prof Belov is expanding the pool to bilbies and koalas, where she hopes to save more native Australian species.

“We’re already make ways with the bilby,” Prof Belov said.

“We’ve almost got a sample from every single bilby around the country, and one we receive all of that information we will be able to sequence and characterise the genome to breed genetically superior animals, that are healthier and have a lower susceptibility to parasites.”

Prof Belov, who has lived in Denistone for the majority of her life and teaches at the University of Sydney, is one of 23 people appointed as an Officer of the order of Australia, one of the highest honours given on the Queen’s Birthday.

Kathy Belov (centre) with her team at the University of Sydney

Prof Belov said she puts the success of the genome project down to her team of student scientists.

“I have had the absolute privlige of working with a whole team of fantastic people, and seen many of them, go on to do amazing things in the field which I'm so proud to be a part.”

“Having a success like this has been an absolute joy, and I can say that in my field I have only come across passionate people really eager to make a difference and putting in so much energy to make a difference,” she said.

“I am lucky with my field that I have been supported and able to provide support for others, particularly women to move in the right direction for gender equity and leadership in the sciences.

Prof Belov has worked to push women into leadership roles.

“These students will be the future. They will be the ones that are going to change the world, I just want to help them get there.”

While Australia is facing the loss of 20 unique species in the coming years, which the Wilderness Society — a not-for-profit environmental advocacy organisation — has labelled an animal extinction crisis, Prof Belov said urgent measures need to be taken.

“We need politicians that think beyond the next election cycle,” Prof Belov said.

“We should know better and we can do better and if we don’t want a species to go extinct on our watch we need to act.”

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