Doctor Alihan Katlav

Dr Alihan Katlav is a Research Fellow at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, supported by the Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS) through the National Taxonomy Research Grant Program (NTRGP). He is an entomologist and acarologist in Professor Markus Riegler’s research team, with an interdisciplinary research profile spanning invertebrate pathology, arthropod systematics and evolution, insect endosymbiosis, and host–microbiome interactions. His research integrates fundamental and applied biology to investigate the diversity, evolution and functional significance of arthropods and their associated symbionts.

Alihan holds a PhD in Agricultural Entomology from Western Sydney University, awarded in 2022. From 2022 to 2026, he undertook four years of postdoctoral research in insect pathology and biological control in Riegler’s team at HIE, with a particular focus on the biology, ecology and application of entomopathogenic nematodes as sustainable control agents for economically important insect pests, including major pests of honey bees. His work has examined host susceptibility, infection biology, nematode virulence and reproduction, insect immune responses, and interactions among entomopathogenic nematodes, their associated symbiotic bacteria and their hosts. This research has also contributed to the development of environmentally sustainable and pollinator-compatible pest management strategies linking fundamental host–pathogen biology with applied biological control.

His current ABRS-funded project, entitled “Diversity, systematics and evolution of Australian bee-associated mites”, builds on his established expertise in acarology, systematics and insect-associated symbioses. The project investigates the rich but still poorly explored diversity of mites associated with Australian bees, encompassing the discovery and description of undescribed taxa, revision of poorly resolved groups, clarification of host associations and host specificity, and reconstruction of phylogenetic and cophylogenetic relationships between mites and their bee hosts. More broadly, the project seeks to advance understanding of the ecological and evolutionary processes shaping bee–mite associations and their significance within pollinator-associated systems.

Areas of Research

Dr Katlav’s broader research interests centre on the complex interactions among insects, mites, microorganisms, endosymbionts, nematodes, parasites and other symbiotic organisms, and how these relationships influence host ecology, physiology, health, adaptation and evolution. His research bridges taxonomy, systematics, evolutionary biology, ecology, microbiology, invertebrate pathology and biological control, connecting biodiversity discovery with questions of pollinator health, conservation and sustainable pest management.

Grants, Awards and Recognition

Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS) National Taxonomy Research Grant Program Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2026–2029 (AUD $372,935)
Eva Crane Trust Research Grant, 2024 (AUD $28,000)
World Microbiome Day Student Grant, Western Sydney University, 2021 (AUD $10,000)
John Henry Comstock Graduate Student Award, International Branch, Entomological Society of America, 2020
Australian Entomological Society Student Travel Award, Entomological Society of Australia, 2019 - Brisbane, Australia.
F.G. Swain Award, Hawkesbury Foundation, Western Sydney University, 2018 (AUD $11,200)
Best MSc Thesis Award, Tarbiat Modares University, 2015

Publications

For a complete and up-to-date list of publications, please refer to his ResearchGate and Google Scholar profiles.