Nationality Australian Alma mater University of Sydney | Fields Zoology | |
Institutions SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment Thesis In vitro and in vivo developmental capacity of oocytes from prepuberal and adult sheep (1997) | ||
Dr Justine K. O'Brien, an Australian zoologist, is best known for her use of reproductive research to assist in wildlife management and conservation.
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Education
O'Brien graduated from the University of Sydney in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and in 1998 was awarded a PhD from the University's Faculty of Veterinary Science for her thesis on the production of offspring from pre-pubertal livestock using in vitro fertilization techniques and sperm sexing technology. She went on to complete a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden's Center for Research of Endangered Wildlife where she gained specialist knowledge in coordinating and conducting conservation-based research programs in a zoo setting. O'Brien's second Postdoctoral Fellowship was at the University of Sydney in collaboration with Taronga Zoo, developing sperm sexing and preservation technologies for endangered primates.
Career
In 2003, O'Brien commenced collaborative research with SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment (USA), and in 2006, co-supervised the establishment of the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Reproductive Research Center (SWBGRRC) in San Diego, California, with Dr Todd Robeck. Since 2006, O'Brien has worked as the Scientific Director of the SWBGRRC, focusing on assisted reproductive technology (ART) development and application, for managing and conserving the genetic diversity of marine and terrestrial wildlife. O'Brien and her colleagues at the SWBGRRC and collaborating zoos have undertaken detailed study of the reproductive biology of numerous marine species, and have developed artificial insemination using fresh and frozen-thawed sperm in five species of marine animals: killer whale, bottlenose dolphin, Pacific white-sided dolphin, beluga and the Magellanic penguin, with over 50 offspring born to date. The center's primary activity of characterising a species' basic reproductive physiology is used not only to enhance natural breeding and to develop ART, but also is used to form a species-specific reproductive baseline database, which can be incorporated into population health assessments of ex situ and in situ wildlife.
Professional activities
O'Brien is co-chair of the Regulatory Subcommittee of the International Embryo Transfer Society's Parent Committee on Companion Animals Non-Domestic and Endangered Species (CANDES), and the Reproduction Co-advisor for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Rhino Research Advisory Group.
Selected publications
O'Brien has published over 50 journal articles, predominantly focusing on assisted reproductive technologies.