Doctor Adam Frew

I’m interested in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, how they affect plants and the ability of plants to cope with herbivory.

I obtained my PhD from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment in 2017, where I studied the impacts of the soil environment on root feeding insects. I was then awarded an independent research fellowship at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga where I continued to pursue my interests in belowground ecology by exploring aspects of how arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi affect plant performance and responses to insect herbivory. After this fellowship I took up an ongoing faculty position at the University of Southern Queensland teaching into a variety of environmental and sustainability subjects while continuing my research into mycorrhizal ecology.

I was awarded an ARC DECRA that explores how agricultural management shapes mycorrhizal fungal diversity and how community composition impacts plant defences against insect herbivores. At this point, the call to return to HIE was one I could no longer ignore, and I (re-) joined the institute in 2022.

Awards and Recognition

Next Generation Ecologist Award by the Ecological Society of Australia (2023)
Awarded a Young Tall Poppy Science Award by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science (2021)
Awarded a Thomas Davies Award and Grant by the Australian Academy of Science (2020)

Teaching expertise

Sustainability Science (Coordinator), 2019-2021, UniSQ
Sustainable Resource Use (Coordinator), 2019-2021, UniSQ
Ecology for Sustainability (Lecturer), 2019-2021, UniSQ
Environmental Studies (Lecturer), 2019-2021, UniSQ
Conservation for Sustainable Futures (Lecturer), 2019-2021, UniSQ

Grants

Sowing the spores of sustainability: linking fungal community ecology and functional outcomes to promote sustainable crop production
Partner/Funding Body: British Ecological Society
Period: 2023-2025

Delivering defences: Using fungi to enhance plant resistance to herbivory
Partner/Funding Body: Australian Research Council DECRA
Period: 2022-2024

What mycorrhizal fungal communities effect plant responses to root herbivory?

Partner/Funding Body: Thomas Davies Research Grant for Plant, Soil, and Marine Biology
Period: 2021-2022

Finding fungal friends for a fight: How do different mycorrhizal fungal communities alter plant defences?

Partner/Funding Body: British Ecology Society
Period: 2020

Fields of Research

Community Ecology; Microbial Ecology; Soil Biology