As a fresh graduate from All Saints, Sam knew that biology was his calling, though it wasn't until his third year of study that he unearthed his true passion for wildlife and genetics. 

One of Sam's university research projects involved extracting DNA from cow stomachs to identify organisms that were associated with high and low methane emissions which, with selective breeding, could subsequently lead to sustainable, low emission herds.

Following this and other successful academic pursuits in similar fields, Sam was invited by a supervisor to volunteer on a very special project that would become his life's passion.

It began with catching a dragon.

"The bearded dragon," Sam laughs. 'They're my favourite animal of all, so much so that as a young boy I had one as a pet, and I even have one tattooed on my arm."

Sam joined other academics and scientists in the field to find these dragons, gather them and study them with the goal to identify and eliminate diseases affecting the species.

What Sam and his fellow researchers confirmed was the potential emergence of a pandemic.

"I want you to think about something that's really dear and important to you, something you really love, and imagine it is under threat," Sam says. 'That's the reality that I live with."

During his presentation to All Saints students for National Science Week in August, Sam explained his PhD research surrounding the pathogen called nannizziopsis barbatae, or NB for short

He described how NB, a disease which attacks the skin of reptiles and leads to severe dermatitis, lesions, loss of limbs and death, has been seen spreading among the wild bearded dragons of Australia.

This marks the first time anywhere in the world that the disease has been identified in wild populations, as opposed to animals in captivity.

"NB was identified in the 1980s and it had only ever really affected captive bearded dragons, although in 207 3 it was discovered in a population of Eastern Water Dragons - the first time that it had ever been witnessed in the wild," says Sam.

"It has quite a huge risk to Australian reptiles because not only does it affect dragons, but it can affect multiple different reptiles, such as goannas, skinks and turtles."

Sam's doctoral research is focused on identifying how NB is transmitted, likening the process of his work to how scientists might identify the means of transmission for other diseases such as COVID.

"During the COVID pandemic for example, we were only able to implement measures such as social distancing or cleaning surfaces only after we knew how the disease was transmitted;' Sam says.

"This same process is true of all diseases. So, after collecting data on hundreds of dragons in the field, the question I was asking was, how does the sociality of dragons and their space use influence their NB infection risk?"

Sam's findings have so far revealed that there are direct and indirect ways that NB is being transmitted, not just locally but to different areas around the country.

The next steps are to continue identifying exact means of transmission, such as through soil or other carriers, and to eventually implement methods that will eliminate or mitigate the spread.

Sam says that when it comes to wildlife conservation, deep understanding is always key.

"If we want to conserve wildlife or ensure species survival, we need to understand the threats that are that are acting against those populations," he urges.

"So, for dangers like disease, human interference, climate change - you can't do anything to action against them without first understanding the mechanisms that drive them."

Returning to the board game metaphor, Sam believes that his success in science stems from the fact that he chose to play within his passions.

He encourages the other future scientists of All Saints to do the same.

"In science there are so many areas where transferrable skills are valuable," he says.

"For students who love music for example, there are amazing things happening in the field of bioacoustics, and in sports there might be biomechanics - understanding how bodies work."

"In a lab you're never just working with specialists, you always need skills from all these different disciplines.

The doctor who loves catching dragons is proof; there's a calling in science for all.