Tim Colmer

PhD in Plant Biology (1994) University of California (Davis)

BSc. Agric. (First Class Honours, 1990) The University of Western Australia

Teaching & Research Academic

Australasian Editor of Annals of Botany (2001 - present)

Handling Editor of Journal of Experimental Botany (2011-present)

International Review Board of Plant, Cell & Environment (2006-present)

President of the Australian Society of Plant Scientists (2013 & 2014)

International Committee of the International Society for Plant Anaerobiosis (2003-2016)

Plant physiologist with expertise in abiotic stress tolerance, especially salinity, drought, waterlogging and submergence stress

Research in my laboratory has been supported by a series of competitive grants from: ARC-Discovery (1), ARC-Linkage (4), GRDC (6; including via Salinity CRC and FFI CRC), HAL (7), ACIAR (1), Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (2), and others.

Coordinator of Master of Agricultural Science (2014-present)

Head, School of Plant Biology (2013-2015)

Postgraduate Coordinator, School of Plant Biology (2010-2013)

Deputy Head, School of Plant Biology (2009 - 2012)

Associate Dean, Teaching & Learning, Faculty of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (2005-2007)

My teaching focuses on responses and adaptations of plants to adverse environments, and the integration of processes from the cellular to whole plant levels. The relevance of such adaptations to plants in appropriate agricultural and natural systems are considered in the context of solving problems in these management systems. Inter-disciplinary approaches to problem solving are emphasized. Evaluations of the current scientific literature and group discussions are used as teaching tools. Laboratory- and field-based teaching is of importance, since I am convinced that hands-on experience is valuable to students learning plant science. I lecture in units in Biology (Level 1), Plant Physiology (Level 2), Plant Ecophysiology (Level 3). I supervise a cohort of PhD students and research project (Honours & Masters) students.

The research focus in my laboratory is on the identification of physiological and biochemical traits associated with plant adaptation to salinity and flooding, and the regulation of these traits. Research ranges from cellular to eco-physiological processes, since I consider that elucidation of mechanisms at several levels of organisation is essential to gain an integrative understanding of whole plant adaptation. Collaborative, multi-disciplinary research in my laboratory involves PhD students, and we have established projects with key Local, National and International scientists. Research on flooding stress has focused on anoxia tolerance using rice coleoptiles as a model system, and on oxygen movement in the aerenchyma in roots of crops (esp. rice and wheat), pasture species, and wetland plants (including ‘wild’ Triticeae). Research on salt resistance focuses on the regulation of tissue concentrations of organic solutes and Na and Cl in wheat and its wild relatives, pasture species, and Australian halophytes. Nutrient and water management in turf with Louise Barton (soil scientist).

Research student supervision: I have supervised 20 PhD students (all are jointly supervised in our School), 2 MSc, and 32 Fourth year/Honours projects to completion in my laboratory. PhD students have been successful in the publication of papers in high-quality international peer-reviewed journals and they have obtained positions in their chosen career. Three PhD students have been awarded distinctions by the Graduate Research School.