Christen Mirth
| Christen Mirth | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| 🎓 Alma mater | University of Cambridge (PhD) |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| Known for | Developmental plasticity; body-size regulation; critical weight in Drosophila |
| 🏅 Awards | Ross Crozier Medal (2019) |
Christen Mirth is an Australian evolutionary developmental biologist and academic advocate in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). She is an Associate Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University and serves as the Faculty of Science's Associate Dean (Equity, Diversity & Inclusion).[1] She received the Genetics Society of AustralAsia's Ross Crozier Medal in 2019 for outstanding mid-career contributions to genetics.[2]
Early life and education
Mirth completed a PhD in zoology at the University of Cambridge under Michael Akam, followed by postdoctoral research with Lynn M. Riddiford and James W. Truman at the University of Washington.[3]
Career and research
Mirth leads the Developmental Responses to Environmental Change group at Monash University, using Drosophila to investigate how environmental conditions such as nutrition and temperature regulate body size, organ growth, and life-history traits.[4]
Her early work showed that the insect prothoracic gland determines when larvae reach "critical weight" and begin metamorphosis — a study published in Current Biology[5] and highlighted by Nature Reviews Genetics[6] and UW News.[7] Subsequent publications have explored how endocrine pathways and dietary sterols influence lifespan and fitness trade-offs, including work in BioEssays[8] and eLife.[9]
Equity, diversity and inclusion
Mirth was appointed Associate Dean (Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) in 2023, coordinating policy, training and awareness programs to improve representation across the Faculty of Science.[10][11] She has publicly discussed unconscious bias in STEM and the importance of allyship.[12]
Awards and honours
- Ross Crozier Medal, Genetics Society of AustralAsia (2019)[13]
Selected publications
- Mirth, C. K.; Truman, J. W.; Riddiford, L. M. (2005). "The role of the prothoracic gland in determining critical weight for metamorphosis in Drosophila melanogaster." Current Biology 15(20): 1796–1807. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2005.09.017.
- Mirth, C. K.; Riddiford, L. M. (2007). "Size assessment and growth control: how adult size is determined in insects." BioEssays 29: 344–355. doi:10.1002/bies.20554.
- Zanco, B.; Mirth, C. K.; Sgrò, C. M.; Piper, M. D. W. (2021). "A dietary sterol trade-off determines lifespan responses to dietary restriction in Drosophila melanogaster females." eLife 10: e62335. doi:10.7554/eLife.62335.
References
- ↑ "Christen Mirth – Staff profile". Monash University. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ↑ "Past GSA award winners". Genetics Society of AustralAsia. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ↑ "Christen Mirth". The Mirth Lab. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ↑ "Christen Mirth – Staff profile". Monash University. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ↑ Mirth, Christen K.; Truman, James W.; Riddiford, Lynn M. (2005). "The role of the prothoracic gland in determining critical weight for metamorphosis in Drosophila melanogaster". Current Biology. 15 (20): 1796–1807. Bibcode:2005CBio...15.1796M. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2005.09.017. PMID 16182527.
- ↑ "Body-size regulation: combining genetics and physiology (Research highlight)" (PDF). Nature Reviews Genetics. 6 (11). 2005. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ↑ "Researchers find gland that tells fruit flies when to stop growing". UW News. 24 October 2005. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ↑ Mirth, Christen K.; Riddiford, Lynn M. (2007). "Size assessment and growth control: how adult size is determined in insects". BioEssays. 29 (4): 344–355. doi:10.1002/bies.20554. PMID 17373652.
- ↑ Zanco, Brooke; Mirth, Christen K.; Sgrò, Carla M.; Piper, Matthew D. W. (2021). "A dietary sterol trade-off determines lifespan responses to dietary restriction in Drosophila melanogaster females". eLife. 10. doi:10.7554/eLife.62335. PMC 7837700 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 33494859 Check|pmid=value (help). Unknown parameter|article-number=ignored (help) - ↑ "Women are still underrepresented in STEMM disciplines". Monash University. 11 February 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ↑ "Equity, Diversity and Inclusion – Faculty of Science". Monash University. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ↑ "Women in Science 2024". Monash University. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
- ↑ "Past GSA award winners". Genetics Society of AustralAsia. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
External links
Category:Living people Category:Australian biologists Category:Developmental biologists Category:Australian women scientists Category:Monash University faculty
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