Edward Asare
I am a Ghanaian, and Ghana is my native country. I obtained my master’s degree in AgriGenomics (M.Sc.) from Kiel University, Germany. Prior to completing my master’s degree, I conducted a master’s thesis at the Crop Science and Plant Breeding Institute of Kiel University on “Identification of allelic variations associated with flowering time within homologs of flowering time genes in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd)”.
Currently, I am a PhD student at the ARC Training Centre for Future Crops Development at The Australian National University, working on “Improving Chickpea Productivity by Enhancing Resistance to Soil Acidity” under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Ulrike Mathesius.
Paolo Balahadia
Paolo is a plant molecular biologist and a first-year PhD candidate at the Australian National University (ANU). With a decade of experience in rice research at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), he has contributed to major initiatives in plant biotechnology. He began his career at the C4 Rice Center before transitioning to the Host Plant Resistance and Plant Pathology group.
His expertise spans CRISPR-based gene editing, molecular breeding, and plant transformation. Paolo earned his M.S. in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from the University of the Philippines Los Baños, where he investigated glycine decarboxylase complex P-protein silencing in rice mesophyll cells.
Before starting his PhD, Paolo played a key role in genome editing initiatives at IRRI, leading the first CRISPR/Cas9 field trial in the Philippines to develop bacterial blight-resistant rice. He also pioneered the development of PRIME-edited plants to validate resistance-associated SNPs.
Beyond research, Paolo is actively involved in training and capacity-building efforts. He has facilitated workshops on gene editing and plant breeding innovations, collaborating with institutions such as the Innovative Genomics Institute and the University of the Philippines Los Baños. His technical expertise includes plant tissue culture, CRISPR construct design, and biosafety compliance.
At ANU, Paolo is investigating how fungal pathogens of wheat utilize plasmodesmata during infection, aiming to uncover novel genetic strategies to enhance plant resilience. He is conducting his research under the mentorship of Dr. Florence Danila, Prof. John Rathjen, and Prof. Peter Solomon.
Paolo is also delighted to be part of the Future Crops Training Centre, particularly its wheat transformation initiatives. He looks forward to expanding his knowledge on improving Australian crops while sharing his expertise in plant genetic engineering with the center.
Ciara Danes
PhD student based in the Roy Lab at the University of Adelaide working with the GRDC to develop a protocol that enables the detection of DNA insertion in plants modified through SDN-1 techniques. I completed my undergraduate and masters degrees at the University of Leeds, researching the root architecture response of agricultural crops to suboptimal conditions. Outside of University, I enjoy running and playing netball, and I am looking forward to exploring all the things Adelaide has to offer.
Lucy Darragh
Lucy is a PhD candidate working with the Australian Centre for the Public Awareness of Science and the ANU Research School of Biology. She is also a member of the Australian Research Council Training Centre for Future Crops Development. With a career in agriculture spanning over 15 years, Lucy has worked in diverse roles with government, industry and the private sector where she has been consistently engaged at the intersection of science, policy, agriculture and the environment. Most recently, Lucy has been involved in operations and stakeholder management, policy research and advocacy roles where she has managed diverse portfolios and provided technical advice on behalf of organisations including, The Australian Farm Institute, Grain Growers, CropLife Australia and Kalyx Australia. Lucy has produced a number of journal articles, industry publications and grower resources, and continues to be involved in capacity and capability building initiatives in the Australian agriculture sector. From paddock to policy, Lucy is as comfortable behind the wheel of a tractor as she is at the desk. Focused on responsible research and innovation (RRI), Lucy’s PhD will explore the claims made about novel technologies. It will move beyond the usual boundaries of public acceptance and perceptions, instead challenging norms established within Australian agricultural and research communities.
Piyumal Demotte
Piyumal joined ANU as a PhD student in computer science and he mainly focused on machine learning for genomics. Previously, Piyumal worked as a machine learning engineer for a few years in causal machine learning. He has experience in deep learning and statistical machine learning for image processing, large language models, and bioinformatics. He will be especially focusing on developing efficient machine-learning techniques for phylogenetics and metagenomics during his research at the Center.
Riley Furbank
Riley graduated from ANU in 2025 with a Bachelor of Philosophy (science) after completing his Honours year with the centre in the lab of Kai Chan. Here, he studied how the specialised chloroplast biochemistries of plants performing heat tolerant C4 photosynthesis intersect with specialisations in retrograde signalling, employing cell type-specific transcriptomics, metabolomics, and physiological measurements to do so. Riley is passionate about plant molecular and cell biology and is continuing his research journey through a PhD in the Chan lab. Outside of research, Riley loves to cook and is a huge sports fan, never missing basketball, tennis, or NFL games.
Audrey Henry
I have a Dual Bachelor of Science and Arts from the University of Queensland majoring in Biochemistry and Anthropology, and have an Honours in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Adelaide which assessed the domestic uptake of native foods research in Australia. I also have a graduate certificate in arts and creative communication from FHNW Academy of Art and Design in Basel, Switzerland. Professionally I have worked in a range of settings with First Nations Australians, including land rights, health, food and culture, and environmental stewardship. I also work more broadly in communication and research on food and genetic science ethics. The passions which drive this work and study are a desire to contribute to environmental preservation and appreciation, while also closing the social, economic and health divides between Indigenous peoples and the rest of the global community.
Michail Sergeev Ivanov
Having completed his Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of International Relations at the University of Adelaide in 2023, Michail is now an Adelaide-based PhD candidate within the Training Centre. He is researching the social issues arising out of the governance of genetically modified (GM) crops in Australia. The project mainly concerns itself with the public’s involvement in and its development of the soft and hard law overseeing GM crops. Michail comes to the Training Centre with a research background in gene technology, privacy and intelligence, in addition to his practical experience of working in corporate law.
Alex Jose
I come from Trivandrum, the capital of the Kerala state of India. I obtained my BSc in Biochemistry and Industrial Microbiology from the University of Kerala in 2018 and an MSc in Microbiology from the Cochin University of Science and Technology in 2020.
My research focuses on legume-root nodule symbiosis. I did my MSc thesis at the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR) in New Delhi, focusing on the endophytic bacterial diversity of chickpea root nodules. Later, I worked as a project assistant on the molecular physiology of root nodulation at the Tropical and Mediterranean Symbioses Laboratory (LSTM) in Montpellier, France.
I started my PhD three months ago under Prof. Ulrike Mathesius at the Research School of Biology, Australian National University. My PhD project deals with improving chickpea productivity by enhancing nodulation under acid soil conditions. Apart from my research, I enjoy reading, writing, and hiking.
Benjamin Suleman Kurya
Benjamin’s PhD will focus on increasing the efficiency of barley transformation and developing a “one to fit all” protocol to accommodate wider range of Australian elite varieties followed by editing these lines with herbicide tolerant genes. Ben has a background in crop breeding and years of experience working as a research technician at ICRISAT in Nigeria. During his maters degree at the University of Western Australia, Ben investigated herbicide tolerance in wheat by utilising forward breeding approach (Genome wide association + wheat 90K SNP assay) to identify genomic regions controlling metribuzin tolerance in wheat. Ben is passionate about revolutionising crop yield in Africa to record levels through genetic engineering approaches.
Xiaoce Mary Ma
Mary, who comes from China, earned her Bachelor and Master degrees in Biotechnology at ANU. She is now undertaking a PhD in the ARC Training Centre for Future Crop Development at ANU, under the supervision of Dr. Julian Greenwood. She will also be partnered up with NSW DPI. Mary is focusing on “Improved yield and harvestability in Canola through the prevention of pod shatter”. She is looking forward to her PhD life.
Muhammad Arslan Mahmood
Arslan is a PhD student working on fungal disease management, with a focus on Leptosphaeria maculans causing blackleg disease. He has recently joined the Millar group and started working under the supervision of Julian Greenwood. He completed his M.Phil. Biotechnology from National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Pakistan in 2021 and actively engaged there in improving the crops production as a research assistant. Moreover, he completed his Bachelors in plant pathology with a distinction from The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. He has published research on diversity of cotton leaf curl virus (CLCuV) and its insect-vector, Bemisia tabaci (whitefly) along with several other areas of research including genome editing, RNA interference, etc. His area of research focuses on plant-pathogen interaction and evaluation of plant disease resistance. Arslan will be working on the exploration of blackleg disease resistance mechanism in Canola within the Centre.
Sadia Majeed
An agriculture graduate with passion for research and collaboration, Sadia has just joined ANU as a full time PhD candidate. Previously, she has been actively engaged in agriculture advisory service as an agriculture officer with a focus on improving productivity and sustainability of farm. She completed her Bachelors and Masters in agronomy with distinction from The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Her specialisation is plant physiology and biochemistry and has published research on mechanisms responsible for increasing abiotic stress tolerance in crops. She loves to meet new people, explore diverse cultures and travel for learning and fun. Sadia will be working on Canola within the Centre.
Ebtihal Mohamed
Ebtihal will be partnered up with CSIRO and NSW DPI for the duration of her studies. She’ll be working on gene editing canola to increase oil content. Ebtihal just finished her Masters in Horticulture in Sudan. She loves reading and listening to Michael Jackson.
Edith Mugehu
Edith Mugehu is a food security and crop improvement professional whose previous work sought to foster climate smartness, resilience, and adaptation in African cropping systems. Upon completion of her undergraduate and master’s degrees in plant breeding, Edith has worked with the Zimbabwe Sugar Industry since 2015, where she utilized contemporary biotechnological and classical tools for positive gene identification and genetic evaluation toward the production of climate-smart sugarcane cultivars and robust seed systems. Her work has exposed her to regional collaborations in several African countries including South Africa, Kenya, Senegal, and Nigeria. Edith is a recipient of the US Department of State TechWomen Award which enabled her to undergo professional mentorship at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the United States. She recently completed her Fulbright fellowship at Cornell University, New York as well as a professional affiliation with the Genome Engineering division at Corteva Agriscience, Johnston, Iowa. Edith is driven by the nexus of biotechnology, digitalization, seed systems, and gender-responsive agriculture toward food security and zero hunger. She is passionate about science communication, career guidance, and applying scientific solutions to empower disadvantaged young women and girls in marginalized communities.
Asma Zia Muhammad Hanif
Asma has just started her PhD at the Research School of Biology (Chan group) and ARC Training Centre for Future Crops Development. She is a Pakistani student who came to undertake research on Nanotechnology Enabled CRISPR Gene Editing in Crops. Her project includes industrial collaboration with Grain Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). She is interested in developing nano-based plant transformation protocol for transgene free genome editing in Chickpea. Looking forward to starting the new PhD journey and travelling around Australia.
Olalekan Musa Amoo
Ola is a resourceful and determined individual with a strong work ethic, enthusiasm, and a well-developed team spirit. He has successfully managed a 300-hectare fully mechanized rice farm, overseeing all stages from land preparation to harvesting and processing. Additionally, he served as a Seed Certification Officer, ensuring compliance with the National Agricultural Seeds Council regulations.
Ola holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Plant Science and Biotechnology (First Class Honours) and a Master of Science in Genetics with Distinction. He also earned a master’s degree in Plant Breeding and Genetics from Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU), Wuhan, China, where he received the 2020 Outstanding Volunteer Award from the International Student Volunteer Center. Currently, Ola is excited to work with Jenny, Chris, Jenna, Scott, and other members of the ARC Training Center for Future Crop Development, contributing to the development of novel herbicide-tolerant wheat varieties. He looks forward to future collaborations with the center’s team.
Nyssa
I obtained Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia. I was a primary school science teacher before joined Indonesian Institute of Sciences (now National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia) as a research assistant in 2014. In 2019 I completed my Master of Biotechnology at the University of Adelaide. My master thesis was about image-based phenotyping of transgenic rice. I came back to the University of Adelaide in 2025 to pursue my PhD in Agricultural Science. Both my master and PhD studies are sponsored by the Australia Awards Scholarship for Indonesia.
My current PhD research aims to identify gene/s contribute to peduncle growth in barley and to improve barley head retention against head-loss by CRISPR gene editing. My work is based in the University of Adelaide under supervision of Prof. Matthew Tucker. I am looking forward to becoming an independent researcher in plant genetic engineering area for crop improvement.
Samuel James Nix
James is a second year PhD student in the Furbank lab studying C4 photosynthesis. His interests are in electron transfer within the photosystems of photosynthesis, specifically cyclic electron flow (CEF) that occurs between Photosystem I and the Cytochrome b6f Complex via the PGR5/PGRL1 pathway. One of the goals of his project is to explore the cell-differential expression of two PGRL1 homologs in mesophyll and bundle sheath cells. His second goal is to improve electron transfer in important crop plants such as Maize, Sorghum, and Sugarcane by over-expressing PGRL1. Elucidating PGR5/PGRL1 CEF in these important crops may lead to improved yields and may also help with introducing the C4 metabolic pathway into Rice as a part of the C4 Rice Project.
Jamie Piroe
I’m Jamie, your new colleague, and I am incredibly stoked to be here!
Before joining the training center as the last PhD student, I finished an MPhil in Linguistics and Communication Sciences, specializing in Environmental Science Communication, at Tilburg University and Radboud University in the Netherlands. Fundamental to choosing this path is my huge passion for nature, wildlife, and contributing to mitigating the consequences of climate change on our natural systems. This is also one of the main reasons why I chose to continue my academic career in Australia’s Bush Capital!
In addition to my academic career, I have been working as the chair of a student-driven foundation for inclusive education, a topic close to my heart as a first-generation student in the Netherlands. I have also been hosting Tilburg’s Children’s University for the past 5 years, as science communication to children is another topic that’s really important to me. This also reflects in the work I have been doing for the Jane Goodall Foundation, where I created courses for children between 9 and 15 about nature conservation.
Moving on to more hobbies (I consider the above described as hobbies as well), I have been volunteering at our natural history museum as a fossil and dino bone preparator for the past few years! In other words, I like prehistorical stuff. In addition, I am currently in Yoga Teacher Training, as yoga is also a big passion. I also really enjoy cooking, baking, hiking, water sports, gardening, (Greek) philosophy, history, and, of course, traveling. Fun fact about me: I am actually the Chimpanzee Expert of the Netherlands! (through my work with the Jane Goodall Foundation). So if you have any questions or want to have a chat about chimps or any other topic described above, feel free to reach out to have a coffee or wine.
Zuzana Plšková
Zuzana is a PhD Candidate at the ANU Research School of Biology (Pogson group, Chan group) and the ARC Training Centre for Future Crops Development. She is a Czech student who swapped the mild weather in Europe for the bright Aussie sunshine to study drought tolerance in wheat and barley. Her PhD project includes a collaboration with InterGrain, and she is interested in research with practical applications in agriculture and industry as well as fundamental research.
Reshma Roy
Reshma started her Ph. D with Tony Millar in September 2022 and is working to develop transformation and gene-editing technologies in Brassica carinata. She completed her Bachelor’s in Agricultural biotechnology at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. As an undergraduate, her research focused on the various aspects of plant genetic engineering, bioinformatics etc. Afterwards, she completed her master’s in molecular biology and biotechnology at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad. Her master’s was focused on two main objectives: a) Designing of guide RNAs, b) Construction and validation of CRISPR/Cas vector targeting the Rep gene of Chilli leaf curl virus. Her research was supported by Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Ministry of Science and Technology, India and was also the Valedictorian for the faculty of Agricultural Sciences. Her research during master’s put in front of her a lot of questions that drove her crazy and curious about molecular biology which is why she is here at ANU. Reshma is so excited to engage in her research which is a partnership between academia and industry. Out of science, she is more passionate about dance, driving and travelling.
Alex Seward
Hi guys, I’m Alex – I’m a newbie to Australia, having lived all my life in the UK before moving to Adelaide about a month ago. My upcoming research will focus on investigating the salinity tolerance of wheat in the face of increasingly hostile environmental conditions. I’ll be looking to uncover the mechanisms behind salinity tolerance, and exploring the extent to which wheat yield can be improved in dryland environments by increasing sodium accumulation in leaves and shoots. In my free time, I love playing hockey, cooking, and binge-watching unhealthy amounts of TV shows! I also love to travel, and have hopes of setting foot on every continent. I can’t wait to meet everyone and get more involved in the centre!
Qiwei Shen
I am Qiwei, and I come from China. I am delighted to join the ARC Training Center for Future Crops Development as a PhD student based in TPA at the University of Adelaide. My academic journey began at Sichuan Agricultural University, where I earned my Bachelor’s degree with a specialization in P-phytoextraction. During my studies, I became acutely aware of the limitations inherent in conventional plant phenotyping methods. Driven by these constraints, I pursued a Master’s degree in Geomatics at Delft University of Technology, specializing in advanced techniques for 3D data analysis, computer graphics, and deep learning.
My PhD research primarily focuses on developing innovative, field-based phenotyping methods. Specifically, my aim is to leverage integrated 3D, RGB, and hyperspectral sensors mounted on an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) to extract trait information. My objective is to establish a high-throughput, automated algorithm capable of accurately and efficiently evaluating morphological and physiological crop traits under field conditions.
Outside of academia, I enjoy photography and exploring new places, particularly through hiking. I am eager to actively contribute to the vibrant academic community at the training center and engage in collaborative projects.
Hiu Lam (Rita) Tam
Rita is a PhD student working on fungal genomics using diverse bioinformatic approaches, with a focus on wheat stripe rust pathogen. In her first year, her work will span genome assembly, functional and comparative genomics to study its virulence evolution. Having contributed to the ACT SARS-CoV2 genomic surveillance in 2022, Rita is motivated to transfer the methods she has learnt to this fungal pathogen. She will employ the latest molecular and computational genomic technologies to enable better fungal pathogen diagnostics. In her down time, Rita enjoys playing story-driven video games, motorcycling and playing with her neighbour’s cat.
Amy Tristam
Amy has a strong interest in Plant Science after being mentored by the Byrt Lab during several research projects during her undergrad. As a result, she is beginning her Honours in the Byrt Lab and will be focusing on salt and water transport through mangrove aquaporin genes as novel salt tolerant strategies. Amy is grateful for the Honours Scholarship support and is excited to be part of the Training Centre this year. In her free time, Amy is an avid cyclist, swimmer, and bushwalker.
Hong Ting (Natalie) Tsang
Natalie is from ANU in her second year of PhD aiming to build a synbio toolbox for artificial retrograde signalling circuit. Her project’s focus is on the retrograde signal H2O2, through studying the targets and effects of chloroplast- sourced H2O2, the knowledge obtained will provide insights for the ways to manipulate this signal for improving plant’s stress responses for increased yield and stress resilience.
Rebeccah Tyrrell
Bec has recently started her PhD in the Pogson lab at the ANU. She is very passionate about plant molecular biology, with experience in many different labs at the ANU and the CSIRO. She has worked in the Pogson lab for many years as a technical assistant and last year, during her honours, studied how short sequences in the 5’UTR of the mRNA influence protein production. She will now be working with Intergrain to apply her findings and high-throughput protoplast system to her PhD project, aimed at improving the energy use efficiency (EUE) and yield of wheat. Using this high-throughput system, she will be able to test the effects of combinations of genes linked to yield traits by the IWYP program, and explore how their expression may be improved with the mRNA sequences found during her honours.
Tasman Uppal
After completing a double degree in biotechnology and science, Tasman is continuing his studies at ANU with an Honours year with the Centre. Tasman is extremely interested in anything surrounding genetic engineering and gene-biotechnologies with a special place in his heart for CRIPSR-cas9 genome editing. Tasman’s project revolves around knocking out flowering regulators in Brassica Carinata to decrease flowering times and make carinata more viable as a cover crop. This is for the purposes of creating / expanding the market for sustainable aviation fuels with minimal agricultural impact. Tasman looks forward to improving his knowledge and skillsets around gene editing and learning more about the relationship between research and industry. In his spare time (if he has any) Tasman enjoys learning more about sciences, philosophy and emerging technologies such as AI.
Ruonan Wang
Ruonan is interested in studying the gene function of wheat during her study at the Centre. Her PhD research work was based on multiomics techniques to analyse the physiological and molecular mechanisms of wheat response to phosphorus deficiency.
Christina Wenzl
Chris is undertaking a PhD within the Training Centre, based in Adelaide. Originally, Chris is from Austria, but she’s spent the past 4 ½ years living and studying in Nagoya, Japan. Chris’ research in Japan was on the vegetarian and vegan movement and how identity is constructed around these dietary lifestyles. Aside from food, Chris is passionate about different kinds of arts and crafts and is falling in love with the birds in Australia. “I am very excited to be working together with you. If you have any questions (academic or personal), feel free to contact me :)”
Ava Wilkinson
Ava has moved to Adelaide from New Zealand to pursue her PhD journey with the University of Adelaide. As part of the Adelaide Business School, she will be researching Market-Shaping phenomena within the Future Crops space. She will be focusing on how to shape sustainable markets and how the Training Centre can shape it’s market through collective actor engagement. Previously, Ava has completed her Bachelors and Honours Degrees at Auckland University of Technology in International Business. Her research projects were on ‘Shaping the Organic Wine Market’ and a ‘Market Shaping Across National Borders – A Theory Synthesis’. In her free-time, Ava enjoys travelling and exploring new places. She also enjoys trying out the incredible wines Adelaide has to offer with friends.
Russell Woodford
Russell is continuing his studies at the ANU through an Honours year with the Centre. Russell is passionate about all things plant science related, though his project will focus on studying the molecular mechanisms of C4 photosynthesis. Russell has recently joined the Centre under the supervision of Chief Investigator Prof Robert Furbank and is looking forward to getting to know everyone involved in the Centre.
Yiting Xie
After completing his Master of Science at the University of Adelaide, Yiting pursued a PhD at the same institution, conducting research at the Plant Accelerator, the Adelaide branch of the Australian Plant Phenomics Facility situated on the Waite campus. Yiting’s research interests lie in the fields of machine vision and machine learning, with a particular emphasis on deep learning applications for imaging-based plant phenotyping in the context of precision agriculture.
Yiting’s ongoing research project focuses on the development of an efficient, accurate, and cost-effective image-based crop anthesis prediction method for wheat, barley, and canola in genetically modified field trials. This method aims to reduce field flowering inspection costs associated with genetically modified field trials while also streamlining regulatory compliance processes. In addition to his academic pursuits, Yiting is passionate about plant photography, taking pleasure in capturing the intricate details and beauty of plants from various angles.
Rose Zhang
After completing her undergraduate research degree at ANU in 2019, Rose is now a PhD student whose project focuses on the role of aquaporin proteins in chickpea drought tolerance. In chickpeas, terminal drought events can be responsible for 40-50% of yield losses, making drought resilience a critical trait for safeguarding future chickpea production. Aquaporins (AQPs), a family of plant membrane proteins, are emerging as a novel mechanism for unlocking greater plant tolerance to abiotic stresses, and this project has the potential to enhance chickpea drought resilience beyond what exists in present cultivars. Outside of research, Rose enjoys reading, cheering on the Matildas, and going for hikes in the beautiful Canberra region.
Yu-Wen (Cara) Huang
I’m from Taiwan and completed my Master’s degree at National Taiwan University, where I focused on the role of RNA splicing in regulating plant flowering. I’ve been pursuing my PhD at the Australian National University under Prof. Joanna Melonek for about three months. My project investigates the CMS (cytoplasmic male sterility) system in wheat and explores the function of RFL-mTERF proteins in fertility restoration.
SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE GENETIC & FIELD TECHNOLOGIES FOR FUTURE CROPS
The ARC Training Centre for Accelerated Future Crops Development is funded by the Australian Research Council under its Industrial Transformation Training Hubs Program to run from 2022 to 2027.
It is a collaboration of universities, government research agencies and the Australian grains sector’s key stakeholders in training, R&D, social engagement, responsible innovation, breeding, marketing and delivery.
It also has international partners in gene-editing, SynBio, crop breeding, and, other partnerships for co-developing deep technologies to transform the agriculture industry and global food security.