• BSc Hons1 (Horticulture and Viticulture), UWA, 1998.
• DAFWA summer scholarship 1996-7.
• PhD (Biochemistry), UWA, 2002.
• DAFWA PhD scholarship, 1998-2001.
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Oxford University, 2002-3.
• Horticulture Development Officer, DAFWA, 2003-7.
• Seconded to UWA 2007-current.

Major themes through my undergraduate and postgraduate were respiration, gene expression and development in plants, including fruits. My engagement with the Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA, now DPIRD) also shaped my career interactions with the agriculture industry. 

I am 100% seconded from the Dept Primary Industries and Regional Development to develop and lead strategic research and training for the longterm benefit of the WA crop and food industries. 

My major roles are research and postgraduate supervision, industry engagement and teaching. 

I coordinate or contribute to three postgraduate coursework units in genetics and genomics.

ARC Discovery Project DP150103211. What regulates the regulator? Oxygen signalling in grapevine bud dormancy.
ARC Linkage Project LP130100347. Genomic basis of clonal variation in Cabernet Sauvignon wine grapes.
Horticulture Australia Ltd AP12036. Bridging the knowledge-gap to breed high value, flavonoid rich apples.
ARC Linkage Project LP0990355. Influence of high temperature on phenology, metabolism and the fate of axillary buds and inflorescences in grapevine.

Major research interests are plant developmental quiescence and dormancy. These traits underpin the plant body plan, growth rate and yield, and seasonal changes in growth. In particular, the role of cellular redox and oxygen signalling in perception and transduction of environmental cues to bring about changes in gene transcription that drive cell division and growth. 

My research thus combines a range of techniques from physiology and biochemistry to molecular biology, genomics and bioinformatics. Plants and crops of interest are grapevine, apple, tomato, Arabidopsis and legumes. I thrive on working by collaboration and greatly enjoy working with graduate and postgraduate researchers.

In addition to my interests in plant development, I have contributed to a number of projects on plant food and human health, including the dietary function of apples in cardiovascular health. I am also intimately involved with the Australian National Apple Breeding Program, and collaborating to drive towards genomic-assisted breeding and selection of high-value apples.