Dr Paul Umina

Director
BA Science (Honours), PhD Zoology and Genetics

Paul is passionate about the environment and loves nothing more than getting out and about in the great outdoors. Whether that means heading back to the family farm, travelling to new places or riding his bike around the foothills of Melbourne.

Growing up on a farm meant that Paul’s fascination with the natural world began at a young age and went on to become the driving force behind his decision to study biological sciences. Since completing a PhD on insects in agricultural environments, Paul has spent the last 15 years assisting Australian farmers in achieving a balance between profitability and environmental sustainability. He does this by developing new ways to combat the insect pests which plague their livelihood.

Paul is passionate about translating research findings and scientific knowledge into practical advice for industry and government. It was this that led him to team up with Andrew Weeks to form EnviroDNA. Paul is excited by the value that EnviroDNA can offer government and private organisations. He believes eDNA technology, if appropriately applied, will help to better manage natural ecosystems and protect Australia’s agricultural industries from biosecurity threats. He brings his unique experiences transcending the scientific and business worlds to EnviroDNA, and particularly likes to challenge the status quo.