Ms Elisabeth Williamson
PhD Candidate
School of Biological Sciences
Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology
Elisabeth Williamson is a grant-funded researcher in the Invertebrate Systematics and Biodiversity lab.
Her current postdoctoral research focuses on the evolution of sensory systems in the dark biosphere, with an emphasis on neutral evolution in subterranean beetles. This work combines RNA analysis, genomic DNA sequencing, and molecular evolution studies.
For her PhD, Elisabeth studied how microbes in the food and gut of Australian native bees affect bee health. During her Honours research, she helped develop a method for estimating honey bee density using population genetics.
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Awards and Achievements
Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount 2023 Fellowship DR Stranks Travelling Fellowship The University of Adelaide Australia 5000 -
Language Competencies
Language Competency English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review French Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review -
Education
Date Institution name Country Title 2016 - 2020 University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Applied Biology (Honours) -
Research Interests
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Journals
Year Citation 2025 Williamson, E., Prendergast, K., Leijs, R., & Hogendoorn, K. (2025). The life cycle, nesting behaviour and diet of resin bee Megachile tosticauda (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Austral Entomology, 64(1), 10 pages.
Scopus12025 Williamson, E. M., Hammer, T. J., Hogendoorn, K., & Eisenhofer, R. (2025). Blanking on blanks: few insect microbiota studies control for contaminants. MBIO, 16(4), 10 pages.
2025 Williamson, E., Hill, K., Hogendoorn, K., & Eisenhofer, R. (2025). The bacterial community associated with the solitary resin bee Megachile tosticauda throughout its life cycle. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 101(4), 10 pages.
2022 Williamson, E., Groom, S., Utaipanon, P., Oldroyd, B. P., Chapman, N., & Hogendoorn, K. (2022). The reliability of honey bee density estimates from trapped drones. Apidologie, 53(6), 12 pages.
Scopus22019 Williamson, E., Groom, S., & Hogendoorn, K. (2019). A new method to sample DNA from feral honey bee hives in trees. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 143(1), 92-96.
Scopus2 WoS1 -
Preprint
Year Citation 2024 Williamson, E., Hammer, T., Hogendoorn, K., & Eisenhofer, R. (2024). Blanking on Blanks: Few Insect Microbiota Studies Control for Contaminants - A Systematic Review.
DOI
February 2023: DR Stranks Travelling Fellowship - The University of Adelaide
September 2022: Awarded the Small Grants Research Scheme - The Royal Society of South Australia
March 2022: Awarded the William Macleay Microbiology Research Fund - The Linnean Society
Connect With Me
External Profiles
