SymbioticA

Audrey Appudurai

Audrey Appudurai

Audrey Appudurai

Bachelor of Science with honours (Genetics and Microbiology), UWA, 2010

Audrey Appudurai completed BSc (Hons) in 2010, and is currently a candidate for a PhD (Biological Arts) between SymbioticA and Animal Biology at UWA. Her project plans on investigating the visual experience lungfishes through an interdisciplinary approach utilizing science (anatomy, physiology, and behavioural experiments) and the arts (philosophy, cultural studies, and visual art).

Lungfishes are the closest living ancestor of all terrestrial vertebrates. This makes them an extremely important group to study the evolution of colour vision, as their visual machinery consists of many characteristics that enabled the progression of vision from water to land possible. By exploring the visual perception of lungfishes in an interdisciplinary, and consequently, more holistic manner, this research is important in unravelling the fundamental differences and similarities between human and non-human animals and illustrate the narrow spectrum of our perceived world to explore the range of realities found there..

This project is co-supervised by SymbioticA’s academic co-ordinator Associate Professor Ionat Zurr, Winthrop Professor/WA Premier’s Research Fellow Shaun P Collin (School of Animal Biology/UWA Oceans Institute), and Associate Professor Nathan S Hart (School of Animal Biology/UWA Oceans Institute).

Conferences & Presentations

2012
Exploring the visual experience of the Animal: Then and Now. Minding Animals Conference, Utercht, the Netherlands. 3-6 July 2012.
Alternative Realities: Insights into the visual perception of lungfishes. Science Week, UWA. 2012.

2011
Alternative Realities: Insights into the visual perception and behaviour of Dipnoan fishes. Anatomy and Human Biology Postgraduate Student Expo, UWA. 28 July 2011.
Alternative Realities: Insights into the visual perception of lungfishes. Science Week, UWA. 2011.

Publications & Exhibitions

2013
In Focus. Postscript Magazine 2013 (UWA Press). 2013.
Unknown structures in the retina of South American lungfish. Exhibited in LUMINOUSnight, as part of the UWA Centenary & Perth International Arts Festival. 8 February – ongoing, 2013.

PRESS
What makes these fish lose their sight? UWA News Volume 12 Number 6 (UWA Press). Published 14 May 2012.