David Chapple is an evolutionary ecologist whose research focuses on the ecology, evolution, conservation and macroecology of lizards, particularly skinks. His research group at Monash University investigates the evolutionary ecology of environmental change and studies both the species that expand (invasive species) and contract (threatened species) their distributions in response to human-induced environmental change. His research has focused on the lizard fauna of Australia, New Zealand and Lord Howe Island. He has organized IUCN assessment workshops for Australian and New Zealand reptiles, freshwater fish and plants. David is the Chair of the IUCN SSC Skink Specialist Group and a member of the IUCN Conservation Genetics Specialist Group.