Toby G. L. Kovacs
Postdoctoral researcher at Aarhus University (Denmark) investigating the impact of demographic history on genetic load in marine fish.I completed a PhD on mutation rates, population demographics, and conservation genomics of Australian marsupials. My love for research started with my Honours project on cave cockroaches!Alumni of the Molecular Ecology, Evolution and Phylogenomics (MEEP) lab and the Australasian Wildlife Genomics Group (AWGG) at the University of Sydney
I am always interested in population genetic or phylogenomic projects, so if you want to collaborate get in touch. I am taxon flexible!
Toby G. L. Kovacs
Research
ORCID: 0000-0001-5322-7928Pre-prints
Genomic data confirms that mutation cannot restore genetic diversity lost through population bottlenecks
(2025) Kovacs, T. G. L., Ho, S. Y. W., Hogg, C. J., Grueber, C. E. EcoEvoRxivMethods
Not Just Ne Ne-more: New Applications for SMC from Ecology to Phylogenies
(2026) Peede, D., Cousins, T., Durvasula, A., Ignatieva, A., Kovacs, T. G. L., Nieto, A., Puckett, E. E., Chevy, E. T. Genome Biology and EvolutionGHIST 2024: The 1st Genomic History Inference Strategies Tournament
(2025) Struck, T. J., Vaughn, A. H., Daigle, A., Ray, D. D., Noskova, E., Sequeira, J. J., Antonets, S., Alekseevskaya, E., Grigoreva, E., Raines, E., McMaster, E. S., Kovacs, T. G. L., Ragsdale, A. P., Moreno-Estrada, A., Lotterhos, K. E., Siepel, A., Gutenkunst, R. N. Molecular Biology and Evolution
Vertebrates
Mutation rate estimate and population genomic analysis reveals decline of koalas prior to human arrival
(2026) Kovacs, T. G. L., Foley, N. M., Silver, L. W., McLennan, E. A., Hogg, C. J., Ho, S. Y. W. Molecular Biology & EvolutionGenome-wide diversity and MHC characterisation in a critically endangered freshwater turtle susceptible to disease
(2025) Nelson, H. V., Silver, L., Kovacs, T. G. L., … Belov, K., Hogg, C. J. ImmunogeneticsGenomics identifies koala populations at risk across Eastern Australia
(2025) McLennan, E. A., Kovacs, T. G. L., … Ho, S. Y. W., Belov, K., Hogg, C. J. Ecological ApplicationsCommensal black rats (Rattus rattus) select wild vegetation over urbanised habitats
(2022) Adams, M. W. D.†, Grant, L. S.†, Kovacs, T. G. L.†, Liang, S. Q. T., Norris, N., Wesley, H. E., Alessi, M. M., Banks, P. B. OikosMetabarcoding for stomach-content analyses of pygmy devil ray (Mobula kuhlii cf. eregoodootenkee): Comparing tissue- and ethanol preservative-derived DNA
(2019) Barbato, M., Kovacs, T. G. L., Coleman, M. A., Broadhurst, M. K., de Bruyn, M. Ecology and Evolution
Invertebrates
Blattodea systematics in the genomic age
(2026) Deng, W., Drager, K., Li, X.R., Han, W., Djernæs, M., Wang, Y., Martin, J., Schwartz, J., Zhang, Z., Kovacs, T. G. L., Lo, N., Hellemans, S., Che, Y.L., Bourguignon, T., Wang, Z., Evangelista, D. Invertebrate Systematics and DiversityDating in the dark: Elevated substitution rates in cave cockroaches (Blattodea: Nocticolidae) have negative impacts on molecular date estimates
(2024) Kovacs, T. G. L., Walker, J., Hellemans, S., Bourguignon, T., Tatarnic, N. J., McRae, J. M., Ho, S. Y. W., Lo, N. Systematic BiologyShrinking in the dark: Parallel endosymbiont genome erosions are associated with repeated host transitions to an underground life
(2024) Beasley-Hall, P. G., Kinjo, Y., Rose, H. A., Walker, J., Foster, C. S. P., Kovacs, T. G. L., Bourguignon, T., Ho, S. Y. W., Lo, N. Insect ScienceConsiderable gene flow in troglomorphic cockroach species across a vast subterranean landscape
(2023) Ewart, K. M.†, Kovacs, T. G. L.†, Walker, J., Tatarnic, N. J., Clark, H., Lo, N. Journal of BiogeographyMedia
Koala numbers crashed across Australia 100,000 years ago. Global glacial cycles are likely to blame
(2026) Kovacs, T. G. L. The Conversation† indicates authors contributed equally
Journals I've reviewed forNature
Molecular Ecology
Ecology and Evolution
Zootaxa
The back end of collecting cave cockroaches
Toby G. L. Kovacs
Education
2022 Bachelor of Science (Advanced) (Honours) in Biology with Honours Class I and the University Medal – The University of Sydney
2026 Doctor of Philosophy, From Koalescence to Conservation: Genomic insights into marsupial demographic history and climate vulnerability – The University of Sydney
Awards, Scholarships and Grants
2025 Best Student Talk, AES2025 – Australasian Evolution Society
2025 Best Student Talk, HDR Showcase – The University of Sydney
2025 AES Travel Award – Australasian Evolution Society
2025 Postgraduate Research Support Scheme – The University of Sydney
2025 Young Investigator Attendance Award - Society for Molecular Biology & Evolution
2024 Postgraduate Research Support Scheme – The University of Sydney
2024 G.H.S. and I.R. Lightoller Scholarship – The University of Sydney
2023 Yim Family Foundation PhD Top Up Scholarship – The University of Sydney
2023 Postgraduate Research Support Scheme – The University of Sydney
2023 AES Travel Award – Australasian Evolution Society
2022 William John Dakin Memorial Prize in Zoology – The University of Sydney
2022 Science Centenary Fund Scholarship – The University of Sydney
2022 Research Training Program Stipend Scholarship – Australian Federal Government
2021 The Sidney James Prize for Best Student Poster – Genetic Society of Australasia
2020 Joyce W. Vickery Scientific Research Fund – Linnean Society of NSW
2020 Yim Family Foundation Scholarship – The University of Sydney
2019 Denison Research Scholarship – The University of Sydney
2019 New Colombo Plan Scholarship – Australian Government
2018 Vice Chancellor's Global Mobility Scholarship – The University of Sydney
2017 Dean’s List of Academic Excellence – The University of Sydney
2017 Academic Merit Prize – The University of Sydney
2017 Dean’s Entry Scholarship, Faculty of Science – The University of Sydney
Work Experience and Volunteering
Work
2026– Postdoctoral researcher, Aarhus University
2020–2026 Lab Demonstrator/Tutor, The University of Sydney
BIOL1007: From Molecules to Ecosystems
BIOL1008: Human Biology
BIOL1996: Life and Evolution (Special Studies Program)
GEGE2001: Genetics and Genomics
AVBS3004: Wildlife Conservation
BIOL3005: Evolutionary Biology
2021–2022, 2025–2026 Research Assistant, The University of Sydney
2022–2026 Casual Academic in the Science Partner Engagement and Outreach team, The University of Sydney
2025 Invertebrate Education Officer, ArludoVolunteering
2018–2019 University of Sydney science mentor
2019 Secondary student education – Operation Earth (Taronga Zoo)
2022–2025 Sydney Phylogenetics Workshop instructor/lecturer
Toby G. L. Kovacs
Conference talks/posters
Do I look vaguely familiar? I have recently been sighted at the following conferences:2026 Annual Meeting of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution (poster, see below!)
2025 Australasian Evolution Society Conference (12 min talk)
2025 Annual Meeting of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution (poster, see below!)
2024 Annual Meeting of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution (12 min talk)
2024 Genetics Society of Australia Conference (10 min talk)
2023 Australasian Evolution Society Conference (10 min talk)
2023 Sydney Comedy Festival Future Science Talks (10 min talk)
2022 ComBio Conference (poster, see below!)
2021 Genetics Society of Australia Conference (poster)
2021 Australian Entomology Society Conference (10 min talk)
2021 Australasian Evolution Society Conference (10 min talk)
Poster Archive
where posters come to die
Did you love or hate my poster? You can have another look below!
This work is now published!
Mutation rate estimate and population genomic analysis reveals decline of koalas prior to human arrival
(2026) Kovacs, T. G. L., Foley, N. M., Silver, L. W., McLennan, E. A., Hogg, C. J., Ho, S. Y. W. Molecular Biology & Evolution
This work is not yet published, but a preprint is available here:
Genomic data confirms that mutation cannot restore genetic diversity lost through population bottlenecks
(2025) Kovacs, T. G. L., Ho, S. Y. W., Hogg, C. J., Grueber, C. E. EcoEvoRxiv
This work is now published!
Dating in the dark: Elevated substitution rates in cave cockroaches (Blattodea: Nocticolidae) have negative impacts on molecular date estimates
(2024) Kovacs, T. G. L., Walker, J., Hellemans, S., Bourguignon, T., Tatarnic, N. J., McRae, J. M., Ho, S. Y. W., Lo, N. Systematic Biology