2018 ACRS Early Career Research Medal Assoc. Prof. Tracy Ainsworth In 2018, the Australian Coral Reef Society presented Associate Professor Tracy Ainsworth with the ACRS Early Career Research Medal for her outstanding contribution to Australian coral reef research. Associate Professor Tracy Ainsworth is a Scientia Fellow in the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of New South Wales. Ainsworth’s research focuses on the impact of environmental stress on reef-building corals, their host-microbe interactions, symbioses, and disease outbreaks. In a relatively short timeframe, Ainsworth has established herself as a reference in the coral biology field. She has produced 52 scientific articles, including two first author papers in Science. This prolific record has propelled her to the forefront of the fields of coral microbiology and stress biology, with significant contributions identifying unique prokaryotic coral symbionts, highlighting the significance of subbleaching thermal stress in corals, and improving our understanding of the rapid changes that coral microbial communities are experiencing in a changing ocean, to name a few.
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Assoc. Prof. Ainsworth’s impact, however, extends way beyond academic circles. She is as passionate about conducting cutting-edge research as she is at communicating it. For example, since being awarded her PhD in 2008, Ainsworth has contributed popular articles to The Conversation, engaged in numerous public interviews, and her work has been highlighted by international media such as the Washington Post, Time, and National Geographic. Assoc. Prof. Ainsworth is an active member of the coral reef community. Her drive and commitment to expand and diversify our community is exemplified by her central role in the ARC Centre of Excellence Women in Science Group. Moreover, she is also dedicated to mentoring female researchers through the L’Oreal Women in Science Program and is an International mentor for a NSF international travel fellowship, and a member of the International Society for Reef Studies Council. You can follow Assoc. Prof. Ainsworth on Twitter at @CoralTrace
