Aleena Iype
Higher Degree by Research Candidate
School of Biological Sciences
Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology
Aleena Iype is a PhD candidate in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Adelaide. Her research focuses on the molecular assessment of pathogen and parasite diversity in Australian reptiles involved in the wildlife trade, with the aim of evaluating the zoonotic disease risks and improving biosecurity and animal welfare practices. Her PhD explores the role of traded reptiles as reservoirs of infectious agents.
Aleena holds a Master of Science in Wildlife Studies from the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. Her Master’s thesis, “Molecular Characterisation of Amblyomma integrum (Deer tick)”, first-author article in Parasitology International on several peer-reviewed publications, including in Parasitology International and Helminthologia. She also completed a Bachelor of Science in Botany with Zoology and Chemistry from Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala.
Before commencing her PhD, Aleena worked as a Research Officer for the High-Range Mountain Endemic Animal Conservation and Education Project with FORCE (Fraternity for “One-Health” Research and Conservation Education) NGO.
Aleena is an emerging researcher in the field of wildlife parasitology and molecular ecology, with a particular focus on zoonotic pathogen transmission associated with the trade in Australian reptiles. Her work explores the complex intersections between wildlife trade, emerging infectious diseases, and biosecurity risks. Aleena’s research aims to inform national biosecurity frameworks and animal welfare protocols, contributing to efforts to prevent zoonotic spillover events. Her work has broad relevance across sectors including public health, environmental conservation, wildlife trade regulation, and global disease surveillance.
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