Biography and expertise
Biography
After completing my PhD on coral bleaching at the University of Nijmegen (the Netherlands) in collaboration with the Australian institute of Marine Science (AIMS), I worked for 7 years at the CSIRO in Canberra focusing on improving quality aspects in cereal crops using both GM and non-GM methodologies. Since 2017 I have been a Research Fellow in Plant Breeding and Genetic Resource Management at SCU with a focus on Cannabis and tea tree.
I'm a member of SCU's Research Clusters:
- Harvest to Health
- Reefs and Oceans
My work contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals
Research
I have a strong interest in all aspects of plant breeding, from the management of the genetic resources to the delivery of outcomes for commercial partners. I lead the breeding program for the Australian Tea Tree industry, providing improved genetics and addressing emerging challenges through advanced quantitative genetics methodologies.
In Cannabis/hemp, my initial focus has been the development and characterisation of a comprehensive genetic resource collection. In recent years, my work has shifting towards understanding the mechanisms of sex determination and identifying strategies to improve both medicinal cannabis and hemp productivity.
Through my PhD connections with AIMS, I am also contributing to research aimed at increasing coral resilience using assisted evolution approaches.