Professor Helgen is on a quest to uncover how many species of mammals there are on Earth and he’s off to a good start, having already contributed to the discovery of approximately 100 previously unknown species.

Internationally renowned zoologist, Professor Kris Helgen, returned to the University of Adelaide in early 2017 after 10 years as Curator-in-Charge of the Division of Mammals at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, in Washington DC.

He worked as a zoologist in more than 50 countries and is most famous for his role in the discovery of a mammal called the olinguito, which made international headlines in 2013. The olinguito was the first new species of carnivore to be identified in the western hemisphere in almost 40 years and was found living in the cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador.

Aside from his academic credentials, Professor Helgen is also an explorer with the National Geographic Society, was named one of Business Insiders Most Inspiring Innovators and Entrepreneurs Under 40 and has featured in numerous documentaries including BBC’s Wild Burma.

In his first public lecture at the University since completing his PhD at Adelaide in 2006 on a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, Professor Helgen will share tales of his many explorations and research discoveries, and discuss the focus of his field work in New Guinea and around the world.