Paramount Importance

Dr Narelle Dybing is a parasitologist whose research investigates the hidden world of parasites and the role they play in wildlife health, invasive species ecology and biosecurity. After completing her PhD at Murdoch University, her work has focused on parasites carried by invasive animals such as feral cats, foxes, rats and wild dogs, helping to uncover how these often-overlooked organisms move through ecosystems and the risks they can pose to wildlife, livestock and even people. In this episode we explore the fascinating and sometimes unsettling world of parasites. Drawing on years of field and laboratory research, Dr Dybing shares stories from dissecting feral animals across Western Australia to investigating parasites on remote Christmas Island. Her work reveals that invasive species don’t just impact ecosystems through predation, they can also carry hidden pathogens and parasites capable of affecting native wildlife and altering ecological balance. We discuss the complex life cycles of parasites, zoonoti