Research Interests

My research interests cover a wide range of topics, all based on a an Evolutionary Ecological approach such as:

Ageing and immunology, conservation and population genetics, population dynamics and predator – prey interactions.

Representative Publications

Madsen, T., Shine, R., Loman, J. and Håkansson, T. 1992. Why do female adders copulate so frequently?. Nature 355: 440-441.

Madsen, T. and Shine, R. 1993. Temporal variability in sexual selection on reproductive tactics and body size in male snakes. Am. Nat. 141: 167-171.

Madsen, T. and Shine, R. 1994. Costs of reprodution influence the evolution of sexual size dimorphism in snakes. Evolution 48: 1389-1397.

Madsen, T. and Shine, R. 1996. Seasonal migration of predators and prey, a study of pythons and rats in northern Australia. Ecology 77: 149-156.

Madsen, T. and Shine, R. 1998. Quality or quantity?: Natural selection on female reproductive output in tropical pythons (Liasis fuscus). Proc. of R. Soc. Lond., B. 265: 1521-1525.

Madsen, T. and Shine, R. 1999. Life-history consequences of nest-site variation in tropical pythons (Liasis fuscus). Ecology, 80: 989-997.

Madsen, T., Shine, R., Olsson, M. and Wittzell, H. 1999. Restoration of an inbred adder population. Nature 402: 34-35.

Madsen, T., Ujvari, B. and Olsson, M. 2005. Old pythons stay fit; effects of hematozoan infections on life-history traits of a large tropical predator. Oecologia 142:407-412.

Madsen, T., Ujvari, B., Olsson, M. and Shine, R. 2005. Paternal alleles enhance female reproductive success in tropical pythons. Mol. Ecol. 14:1783-1787.

Madsen, T. and Ujvari, B. 2006. MHC Class I associates with parasite resistance and longevity in tropical pythons. J. Evol. Biol. 19: 1973-1978.

Abbreviated CV

Scientific Degrees

1973 to 1978 - Undergraduate studies at the University of Lund and University of Uppsala,

1978 - Bachelor of Science, with honours in Animal Ecology and Immunology. Grade: High distinction. University of Lund, Sweden.

1980 to 1987 – Graduate student at the Department of Animal Ecology, University of Lund, Sweden.

1987 - Ph.D., Animal Ecology. Title of thesis: ‘Natural and sexual selection in grass snakes, Natrix natrix, and adders, Vipera berus.’

Positions held

Graduate scholarship 1983 - 1986 (funded by the Swedish Science Council and the Department of Animal Ecology, University of Lund, Sweden)

Post doctoral scholar, School of Biological Sciences, the University of Sydney, Australia 1989-1991 (funded by the Australian Research Council)

Research associate, School of Biological Sciences, the University of Sydney, Australia 1992-2000 (funded by the Australian Research Council)

Senior Research fellow, School of Biological Science, the University of Sydney, Australia 2001-2005 (funded by the Australian Research Council, from 2003 the fellowship was upgraded to a Professorial fellowship).

Current: Honorary Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong.

Summary of publications

I have published 4 refereed book chapters and 100 scientific papers. Most of these appear in high-ranking journals; for example 5 in Nature and 8 in Evolution.