Theda Hinrichs is currently working as a PhD student for the Max Planck Queensland Centre at QUT. Theda completed her BSc in Biology and MSc in Zoology at the University of Rostock in Germany, majoring in Ichthyology. Moving into fisheries science, she analysed the vertical behaviour of blue sharks in the Mediterranean Sea, relating it to bycatch and bycatch reduction measures. Fascinated by the sharks’ ability to dive into the midnight zone (> 1000 m), Theda decided to pursue the underlying mechanisms. Inspired by the potential biomedical applications of fundamental shark research, she moved to QUT, where she is comparing the composition and biomechanical properties of chondrichthyan cartilage (sharks, rays, and chimaeras) and exposing variations to mammalian cartilage that may offer direction for future regenerative medicine applications.
Thesis title
Functional organization and biophysical properties of cartilaginous tissues in deep-diving, shallow water cartilaginous fishes
Principal Supervisor
Associate Supervisor
Assoc. Prof Mason N. Dean, Prof. Shaun P. Collin