Dinesha Jayawardana

Dr Dinesha Jayawardana is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The University of Queensland. Her research focuses on quantitative genetics, statistical modelling, and data-driven solutions in agriculture and animal science. She specialises in mixed model approaches in plant and animal breeding experiments, as well as genomic, phenotypic, and pedigree data analysis. She has extensive experience in animal and plant breeding, genetic analysis, and experimental design across livestock, aquaculture, and crop production systems, with a strong emphasis on genetic improvement and sustainable production practices. She is currently working as a statistician for the Analytics for Australian Grain Industry project, providing statistical data analysis support for initiatives across the Australian grain sector. Dinesha received her PhD in Quantitative Genetics from Massey University, New Zealand, a Master of Science in Biostatistics, and a Bachelor of Science in Statistics from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. She has also been recognised with multiple national and international awards for research excellence, including the Dean's List for Exceptional Doctoral Theses and an Animal Science Award of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production.