Full CV

Lecturer in Buddhist Studies, School of Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne, June 2024 -

Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellow, The University of Melbourne, June 2022 - May 2024

QualDeath Research Fellow/ Project Officer, Centre for Palliative Care, St Vincent’s Hospital, 2021 - 2022

Research Associate, DeathTech Research Team, University of Melbourne, 2018- 2022

Visiting Researcher, Toyo University Japan, 2017-2018

Visiting Researcher, Kanazawa University Japan, 2017-2018

Graduate Research Assistant, “Sonic Japan“ (DP: 130102035), Monash University, May 2016 – Jan 2018

Graduate Research Assistant, “Digital Commemoration“, The University of Melbourne, October 2015 – Jan 2018

PhD in Cultural Anthropology (University of Melbourne), 2016-2020

MSc. Visual, Material and Museum Anthropology (University of Oxford), Distinction (1:1), 2014 – 2015

Bachelor of Arts (University of Melbourne), First Class Honours, 2009 – 2013

Diploma of Modern Languages (Japanese) (University of Melbourne), First Class Honours, 2012-2013

Modern Japan History Association, F. Hilary Conroy First Book Prize, 2025

“Do-It-Yourself Commemoration of the Dead”, Australian Research Council Discovery Project, 2025, Chief Investigator (AUD$689,566)

“Designs for the Dead in Hong Kong” Hong Kong Research Grants Council, General Research Fund (Grant ref #14601022), 2023-2025. Total amount HK$1,019,323. Co-Investigator (CI) with PI Andrew Kipnis (CUHK) and CI Ruth Toulson (MICA).

Contemplative Studies Centre, Seed Funding ‘Dying ‘Buddhish’ in Australia: Investigating the role of Buddhist contemplative practices in end-of-life and death care’, June 2022 (AUD$18,000)

Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellowship, The University of Melbourne, June 2022-June 2025

Australian Anthropological Society, Engaged Anthropology Fund (R2 2021) for “Endline: Deathcare during Melbourne’s Covid Crisis”, 2021 (AUD $1250)

Japanese Studies Association of Australia for “Cultures of Scent in Japan” Workshop, with Gwyn McClelland, 2020 (AUD $3500)

Japan Foundation Mini Grant, Project Lead for “Research at a distance: Japanese Studies in an Age of Covid-19”, 2020 (AUD $6632)

Arts Collaboration Seed Funding Grant, Lead Investigator on “Remote, Restricted and Redesigned: Memorialisation practices and the COVID-19 pandemic” project, 2020 (AUD $16,648)

Northeast Asia Council Japan Studies Grants, with partner Anne Allison, Duke University, 2020 (US $3000)

Dyason Fellowship, with partner Anne Allison, Duke University, 2019 (AUD $3500)

Arts-MDHS Collaborative Research Initiative Seed Funding, 2019 (AUD $10,000)

Japan Studies Association of Australia, Grants Scheme Award, 2019 (AUD $5000)

Japan Foundation Research Fellowship, 2017-2018. (AUD $50,000)

Australian Postgraduate Award (now “Research & Training Program”), 2016-2019

Rae and Edith Bennett Travelling Scholarship, 2014 ($40,000)

1854 Student Scholarship, Museum Victoria, April 2013

Melbourne Global Grant and Universitas 21 Award, 2011

Dean’s Honours List, The University of Melbourne, 2010

National Scholarship (now “Chancellor’s Scholars”), The University of Melbourne, 2009

Australian Student’s Prize, Australian Federal Government, 2008

All listed talks are by invitation and fully funded.

Workshop, Death, Funerals, Ghosts and the Afterlife: Continuity and Change across Asia, Chinese University of Hong Kong, 9 December 2025

Japan Studies Seminar, Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies, Oxford University, 3rd May 2025

WASTE & VALUE Centre for Contemporary Buddhist Studies, Copenhagen University 2025

Keynote, Australian Funeral Directors Association National Convention, Adelaide, 2024

Lecturer, subject designer and co-ordinator for "MULTI 20021: The Buddhist Universe: An Introduction" (2024)

Subject co-designer and co-ordinator, Death and Dying: Lifting the Lid, (1st year MD elective) University of Melbourne, 2022 & 2023

Subject Co-ordinator and Seminar Leader, ANTH40001 Anthropology Philosophy & Scope (honours level anthropology course), 2021

Guest Lecture: “Death Futures”, STU 1112 Landscape Architecture Core II, Harvard University (Annually, 2022-2024)

Guest Lecture: “Death as a rite of passage”, Anthropology 101, University of Melbourne (May 2019)

Guest Lecture: Religion & Anthropology, Kanazawa University (November 2017)

Guest Lecture: CRIM40002 Qualitative Research Methods, The University of Melbourne: “Interviews” and “Ethnography”

Tutor Co-ordinator, ANTH10001 Anthropology: Studying Human Diversity, The University of Melbourne, Semester 2, 2018

University Tutor, The University of Melbourne, 2015- 2018. (MULTI10018: Power; ANTH20012: Engaging the World in Theory & Practice; POLS40013: Social Science Research Seminar; ANTH3001: Theory and the Anthropological Imagination)

College Tutor, St Hilda’s College, 2016 – 2018 (DEVT10001: The Developing World; MULT10014: Identity; MULT10015: Language)

College Tutor, Janet Clarke Hall, 2016- 2018 (ANTH20012 Engaging the World in Theory & Practice)

Open House Melbourne ‘Six Feet Under: Design + Death’

Mortality and Memory: a walking tour, Being Human Festival, October 2023

Curator, Endline: Deathcare during Melbourne’s Covid Crisis, 2022, 75 Reid Street Gallery

Assistant Curator, The Dead Don’t Bury Themselves, Ian Potter Gallery, September 2016 – March 2017

Lead Curator, Aftershocks for Noel Shaw Gallery, October 2013 – February 2015

Curatorial Research and Engagement Assistant, The Pitt Rivers Museum, April-May 2015

Research Assistant, Museum Victoria, June 2011 – December 2013

Co-Editor, Contemporary Buddhism: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 2025-

H-Net Buddhism Editor, 2023-

Editorial Board, "Disposing the Dead" Book Series (Routledge), 2024-

Editorial Board, “Death and Culture” Book Series (Routledge), 2023 -

Book co-editor, Aromas of Asia (Penn State University Press, 2023)

Special Issue co-editor, Journal of Global Buddhism, 2021

Copy Editor, Journal of Global Buddhism, 2017-

Book Reviews Editor, Journal of the Anthropological Society of Oxford, 2014-2015

"Recognise and Respond: Suicide Prevention for Everyday Life", BlackDog Institute Training, 2024

Graduate Certificate in University Teaching, The University of Melbourne (Enrolled)

Masterclass on the art and science of effective lecture delivery (April 2024)

Graduate Supervision Training, The University of Melbourne (2022)

Good Clinical Practice Certification (2021)

Melbourne Teaching Certificate, The University of Melbourne (2021)

Society for the Anthropology of Religion, American Anthropological Society, Board Member

Advisory Committee, Buddhism in Australia Grant

Advisory Committee, Spirituality in Australia ARC Project

Book Proposal Reviewer, Cornell University Press

Chair, 3BLNR Ethics Committee, The University of Melbourne, 2022

Redesigning Deathcare Conference, Committee Chair, 2022

School Research Committee, ECR Rep, School of Social and Political Sciences, 2022

Member of the Reference Group for the Contemplative Studies Centre

Assessor for Multiple Mini Interviews (used for admission to Doctor of Medicine), University of Melbourne, 2020 -

Australian Death Studies Society, President, 2020 -

Community Advisory Committee Member, Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, 2020- 2022

Association for the Study of Death and Society , Australia Country Representative

Peer Reviewer for: Mortality, Death Studies, The Australian Journal of Anthropology, ETHNOS, International Journal of Cultural Studies, The Journal of Global Buddhism, Hau, etc.

Oxford University Society of Victoria: Committee Member, 2018-2021; President, 2021 -

Academic Teaching and Learning Committee, The University of Melbourne, 2018-2019

Australasian Association of Buddhist Studies, Committee Member, 2018-2019

Ethnoforum secretary, 2016 - 2018

Australian Anthropological Society Member, 2017-

Association of Social Anthropologists of the UK and Commonwealth Member, 2018-