Find an expert

Professor Bhagirath Chauhan joined the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) at The University of Queensland in 2014. He now has a joint appointment with QAAFI and SAFS at UQ. He leads research on weed biology and weed management in different crops, including wheat, maize, sorghum, mungbean, soybean, chickpea, rice, and cotton. He has studied the seed ecology of >100 weed species and he has a vast experience in developing integrated weed management options based on agronomic approaches (row spacing, seeding rates, weed-competitive cultivars, etc.). Prof Chauhan has more than 20 years of research experience in conducting trials on the improved agronomy of new production systems and integrated weed management options in Australia and >10 Asian countries. Before joining UQ, Prof Chauhan worked at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines for seven years. He has a strong collaboration in several countries, including USA, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Iran, Pakistan, Nigeria and China. His research interests include weed ecology and biology, herbicide use, management of herbicide-resistant weeds, non-chemical weed management options, integrated weed management systems using agronomic and varietal components, nanoherbicides, tillage systems, and conservation agriculture systems. He is a Speciality Chief Editor with Frontiers in Agronomy and an Associate Editor of Weed Science (Weed Science Society of America). He has published over 350 articles in peer reviewed journals and several books and book chapters. He is an Honorary Member of Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) and a life member of International Weed Science Society (IWSS), Asia Pacific Weed Science Society (APWSS), and Indian Society of Weed Science (ISWS).

Professor Chen graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota. She has over twenty five years research experience in the areas of membrane separation, gas separation, biocatalytic systems, nanomaterials, and water treatment. She was professor of chemical engineering at the University of New South Wales from 2008 - 2018, the Director of the UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology from 2006 - 2014 and head of school of chemical engineering fron 2014 - 2018. She is currently on the editorial board for the Journal of Membrane Science and was formerly on the editorial board for Desalination Journal.

She currently holds ARC Discovery grants ("Putting MOFs to Work on Interfaces") and has recently held funding from diverse sources such as CO2CRC, Coal Innovation NSW, ARC Linkage program, and CRC-P (Printed Energy).

Dr Karine Chenu is Associate Professor at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) at the University of Queensland. Karine has expertise in ecophysiology, genetics and modelling with a focus on drought and heat adaptation.

Her group is conducting research that supports crop modelling technology, plant design and breeding strategies in winter cereals.

Her research mainly concerns: - understanding trait physiology and genetics, - developing gene-to-phenotype crop modelling - exploring novel combinations of genotypes, environments and management practices to assist productivity improvement in changing environments.

Karine collaborates with plant breeders, geneticists, modellers and agronomists in a range of national and international research projects in both public and private sectors.

She is also one of the UQ representatives on the APSIM Initiative Reference Panel, which is responsible for the on-going development of the APSIM model (www.apsim.info), which is now used world-wide.

Julie Cichero, PhD is a clinician (SLP), researcher and research professional with more than 25 years clinical and research experience into eating, drinking and swallowing problems (dysphagia). She has made significant contributions to the evidence base for standardised terminology for texture modified food and thick liquids, diagnostic use of swallow-respiratory sounds, characterisation of thick fluids and complexities associated with medication management in dysphagia. Recognised nationally and internationally, Julie is a consultant to professional societies, government organisations, academia, boards and healthcare organisations. As Foundation Co-Chair of IDDSI (Global) for a decade, Julie co-led development of the IDDSI Framework, an initiative to reduce food-related choking risk in vulnerable populations. The IDDSI Framework is used in more than 50 countries around the world.

I am a motivated and enthusiastic Accredited Practising Dietitian and Accredited Sports Dietitian. I am interested in building sustainable foodservices worldwide, sports nutrition for recreational runners and seperate entrepreneurial ventures. I have a passion for clinical research and quality improvement projects in hospital dietetic services. Currently I want to help build sustainable foodservice systems for public/private entities that consider the future of human and planetary health. I am an ambitious individual who loves networking and who is eager to collaborate, please reach out.

My PhD research has focussed on the measurement and management of food waste in hospital foodservices through aggregate food waste audit activities and diverting food waste from landfill.

Rich is an Honorary Research Fellow with UQ School of the Environment and the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science who focuses on how human food production systems affect our planet. His main research interests lie in the field of aquaculture – the farming of fish, seaweeds and aquatic invertebrates – and particularly how this rapidly growing food sector can evolve to sustainably provide a critical source of food and nutrition to a human population growing in number and affluence under global change.

Through data synthesis, spatial analysis, and ecological modelling, Rich’s research aims to understand the trajectory of aquaculture growth through three main approaches. The first focuses on the growth potential of aquaculture in response to demand given its need for space and inputs (e.g., feed). The second is understanding the environmental and social impacts of aquaculture’s current and projected growth. And the third is to understand how this picture changes amid a backdrop of meteorological and geopolitical shock events and sustained pressures of climate change.

He is currently developing decision-making tools for project partners in the aquaculture feed industry to minimise their environmental footprint at both global and local scales.

Dr Gary Cowin is the Facility Fellow for the Queensland Node of the National Imaging Facility (NIF) as part of the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Scheme (NCRIS), based at the Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland.

Dr Cowin's research projects are:

• Ultrahigh field magnetic resonance microimaging
• Simultaneous dynamic MRI and PET imaging
• Multimodal MRI/PET/CT imaging
• Development of magnetic resonance techniques for non-invasive determination of liver steatosis and fibrosis
• Monitoring changing fat distribution in diabetes and exercise trials
• Spinal cord imaging research
• Prostate research
• Application of ultrahigh field MRI microimaging for tissue analysis
• Molecular imaging of novel contrast agents by MRI and PET
• MRI zebrafish brain atlas
• Lung imaging with hyperpolarized Helium in humans and animals
• Investigation of the effect of gradient non-linearity on image quality

Cozzolino is a Principal Research Fellow with the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), University of Queensland. He has worked in several positions including Associate Professor in Food Chemistry (RMIT University, Melbourne), Head of Agriculture (CQUniversity, Rockhampton), Senior Research Fellow Barley Breeding Program (University of Adelaide, Adelaide), Team Leader Rapid Analytical Group (The Australian Wine Research Institute, Adelaide), Head of Animal Nutrition (INIA La Estanzuela, Uruguay).

His research focusses on the application of chemometric, machine learning and spectroscopic methods (e.g. NIR, MIR, hyperspectral) in a wide range of fields (eg. food, waste products, agricultural commodities). He has published more than 500 peer-review articles and book chapters (h index 68).

He was presented in 2013 with the Hirschfeld Award by the International Council of Near Infrared Spectroscopy for his outstanding contributions on the field of NIR spectroscopy. He ranked 94 in Australia and 3665 in the world as best-Chemistry-Scientist 2023 (Research.com).

I am a comparative and environmental physiologist based at the University of Queensland. My research focuses primarily how the environment constrains the physiology of invertebrates, fish, amphibians and reptiles. I have a highly diverse research program that incorporates fundamental, curiosity-driven research and increasingly, a more applied research agenda in the emerging field of conservation physiology. Conservation physiology explores the responses of organisms to anthropogenic threats and attempts to determine the ecophysiological constraints dictated by current conditions and future environmental change. My research interests encompass the general areas of osmo- and ion-regulation, digestive and thermal physiology, environmental drivers of physiological function (specifically immune function and disease susceptibility) and animal performance in anthropogenically modified environments.

Dr Peter Crisp is an expert in crop genomics, epigenomics and molecular genetics. He is a Group Leader and Senior Lecturer in the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability at The University of Queensland. Peter’s research program is focused on crop functional genomics, epigenetics and biotechnology, and has significantly advanced our understanding of the contribution of epigenetics to heritable phenotypic variation in plants.

His group has invented groundbreaking technologies for harnessing (epi)genetic variation and their discoveries have led to exciting new avenues for decoding genomes and for the rational engineering of gene regulation for trait improvement in plants. Having benefited immensely from brilliant mentors, Peter is passionate about training. He leads a budding group of talented students and researchers and is a Chief Investigator in the ARC Training Centre in Predictive Breeding and the International Research Training Group for Accelerating Crop Genetic Gain. Peter is also an affiliate of the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture. His research group seeks to understand the contribution of epigenetics to heritable phenotypic variation in crop plants, focusing on cereals including barley, sorghum, wheat and maize. This includes the development of methods to harness epigenetic variation for crop improvement; understanding the role of epigenetics in environmental responses and using innovative epigenomic approaches to distill large genomes down to the relatively small fraction of regions that are functionally important for trait variation. Research in the Crisp Lab spans both wet lab and computational biology providing a powerful platform to integrate genetic, genomic and biotechnological approaches.

Peter is a former recipient of an ARC DECRA Fellowship and a UQ Amplify Fellowship and an ASPS Goldacre awardee.

Check out the CrispLab website here

Follow Dr Crisp on Bluesky: @pete-crisp.bsky.social, and Twitter: @pete_crisp

Professor Ram Dalal is a Professor in the School of Agriculture and Food Science at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. He has contributed significantly to create awareness in the farming, scientific and general community to the seriousness and insidious nature of soil degradation. As a consequence, restorative practices for sustainable land management were developed and promoted. The international nature of the program was demonstrated by the fact that it was part of the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Program. It is now nationally recognized by policy makers and politicians that land degradation and sustainable land management are the national and international priorities. These projects have made significant contribution towards these issues.

In the last 30 years Dr Dalal has worked towards sustainable land management systems, nitrogen management and soil carbon dynamics. He was the co-leader of soil carbon program in the CRC for Greenhouse Accounting (199-2006), leader of soil carbon changes following land clearing funded by the Australian Greenhouse Office (1998-2002), reviewer for the IPCC Good Practice Guidance (2006) for the land sector, and leader of the National Soil Carbon Program (2012-2015) and Soil Constraints Initiative - Management of Sodic, Magnesic or Dispersive Soils (2015). He has been a consultant and project research contributor to the International Atomic Energy Agency (2004-2009). Recently, he has led a number of projects on estimating soil carbon stock following land use change from native vegetation to croplands, grazing lands, and management of croplands and grazing lands and rangelands (2009-2015) funded by the Department of Environment and Heritage, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Department of Agriculture, Commonwealth of Australia. In addition, he has also been involved in estimating nitrous oxide and methane emissions/ uptake from different ecosystems including agriculture, grassland, plantation forestry and estuarine/ mangrove systems (2000 – 2015). He led the National Soil Carbon Program from 2012 to 2015.

Dr Elizabeth (Liz) Dann joined QAAFI’s Centre for Plant Science in October 2010. She is a plant pathologist based at the Ecosciences Precinct at Dutton Park. Her research aims to increase the productivity and quality of tropical and sub-tropical crops through improved management of diseases.

She obtained her PhD in 1995 from the University of Sydney, and undertook post doctoral research at Michigan State University, USA and at the University of Sydney, prior to joining the Plant Pathology (Horticulture) research team within the Queensland Government in 2002.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Dr Dann has broad expertise in the discipline of plant pathology. Her diverse area of research includes investigation of natural defence mechanisms in plants, plant disease epidemiology and diagnostics. Her research is very focused on delivering improved quality and productivity to horticultural industries through optimised disease management.

She is recognised internationally for her work on systemic induced resistance in plants and its practical implementation. A large component of her research is focused on assessing non-traditional products or treatments that may be valuable in disease management, such as compounds which activate disease resistance pathways. Such products are becoming more popular given concerns over pesticides in the environment and residues in fruit, and the drive towards more sustainable production of our food.

Dr Dann supervises several students on projects investigating molecular diversity and epidemiology of fungal pathogens and constitutive and inducible plant defences.

Current active areas of research include: assessment of avocado rootstocks for resistance to Phytophthora cinnamomi optimising phosphonate treatments for management of Phytophthora root rot epidemiology of brown root rot disease of avocados and related molecular diversity of causal “Phellinus noxius” fungi assessment of best management practices for reducing losses in mango and avocado caused by postharvest diseases investigations of UV-C exposure of fruit for disease control systemic induced resistance in passionfruit to Passionfruit Woodiness Virus evaluation of soil amendments for improved soil and plant health and soilborne disease suppression.

Dr Angela Dean is a conservation social scientist with more than 20 years’ experience leading research and engagement programs with diverse communities, from urban residents to rural farming communities. Her research draws on behavioural science to explore patterns and drivers of environmental stewardship, how people experience and perceive environmental change, and the effectiveness of different engagement & communication approaches in encouraging uptake of conservation actions. Angela works closely with a range of government and NGO partners, coordinating social monitoring of engagement in reef and waterway stewardship.

Paul Dennis leads an exciting research group that applies cutting-edge technologies to understand the roles of microorganisms and their responses to environmental change.

He is also a passionate educator and public speaker who advocates for the importance of biological diversity and evidence-based environmental awareness. He has talked about his research on ABC Radio and a range of other media outlets.

His teaching covers aspects of ecology, microbiology, plant and soil science, and climatology. He considers these topics to be of fundamental importance for the development of more sustainable societies and takes pride in helping others to obtain the knowledge and skills they need to build a better future.

Paul's research has taken him to Antarctica, the Amazon Rainforest, high mountains and oceans. The approaches used in his lab draw on a wide range of expertise in molecular biology, ecology, statistics, computer science, advanced imaging and soil science. He applies these skills to a wide-range of topics and systems including plant-microbe interactions, Antarctic marine and terrestrial ecology, biogeography, pollution and human health.

Dr. Debashish Dev is an applied social researcher whose work spans energy transitions, agricultural development, and communication for social change. His research explores how policy, technology, and knowledge systems are received, contested, or reshaped through everyday practice, particularly when transitions are complex, uneven, or resisted. He is especially interested in how learning from implementation challenges, social risk, and overlooked or discontinued ideas can inform more inclusive, adaptive, and context-aware planning.

At the University of Queensland’s Gas and Energy Transition Research Centre, Dr. Dev contributes to research on local benefit-sharing, public discourses on energy policies, social risk assessments, and community engagement strategies in coal seam gas regions. He also works on participatory approaches to community-based monitoring and social impact assessment in strategic regional development, including recent projects in the Northern Territory.

His academic background bridges development sociology, agricultural extension, and communication studies. He has designed and taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses in research methods, data and society, and communication for social change, including COMU2030: Communication Research Methods, COMU1130: Data & Society, HHSS6000: Research Design, and COMU7102: Communication for Social Change—Foundations at UQ. He has also contributed to course development at QUT (QUT You 003: Real Action for Real Change), creating content on systemic responses to global challenges such as food security, public health, and environmental risk.

Before his work in Australia, Dr. Dev taught and researched at Bangladesh Agricultural University, focusing on agricultural extension, climate change adaptation, and technology transfer. He holds a Bachelor's (Honours) in Agricultural Science (Bangladesh Agricultural University), a Master's in Agricultural Extension (Bangladesh Agricultural University), and a PhD in Climate and Development (UQ). He is a certified Carbon Literate professional and an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK).

Plant viruses and horticultural crop improvement

Dr Dietzgen is internationally recognised for his work on plant virus characterisation, detection and engineered resistance. Before joining UQ, Dr Dietzgen was a Science Leader in Agri-Science in the Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation. He previously held research positions at the University of Adelaide, University of California, Cornell University and University of Kentucky. Dr Dietzgen’s research interests are in molecular virus-plant-insect interactions, virus biodiversity and evolution, and disease resistance mechanisms. His focus is on the biology of RNA viruses in the family Rhabdoviridae and the molecular protein interactions of plant-adapted rhabdoviruses and tospoviruses. He has published extensively on plant virus characterisation and genetic variability, RNAi- mediated virus resistance and diagnostic technologies with 20 review articles and book chapters and over 65 peer-reviewed publications.

Dr Bob Doneley graduated from the University of Queensland in 1982 and worked in veterinary practices in Bundaberg, Brisbane, Toowoomba and the UK before opening his own practice, the West Toowoomba Veterinary Surgery, in Toowoomba in 1988.

His interest in bird medicine was initially developed shortly after graduation when he was asked to give a talk to the Bundaberg Budgerigar Association and realised that he had been taught virtually nothing on this subject while a student. He pursued this interest through private study, visiting colleagues, and attending conferences. He was awarded his Fellowship of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (FANZCVS) in 2003, becoming Queensland’s first specialist in bird medicine, the third in Australia. In the same year he was awarded the College Prize by the Australian College for outstanding contributions to veterinary science in Australia

In 2010 he sold his practice after 22 years to take up the position of Head of Small Animal Services, Veterinary Medical Centre at the University of Queensland’s Gatton campus. He is now an Associate Professor and Head of the Avian and Exotic Pet Service, a specialist bird practice, as well as treating reptiles, small mammals and wildlife. In 2015 he was awarded the Meritorious Service Award by the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists.

He lectures to both University of Queensland and James Cook University veterinary students on bird and exotic animal medicine, has published two textbooks on bird medicine (one of which has been translated into German and is about to be re-published as a second edition), written chapters for five other textbooks and has published numerous papers in veterinary journals.

Genetics of mental health (new research)

We are using the genetic model organism, C. elegans, do investigate the genetic basis of both normal and disordered behaviour. Our current interests are identifying the genes responsible for anxiety and depression as well as the genes for eating disoders and addiction. Using C. elegans as a model organism will also allow us to study gene function as it relates to behaviour.

Molecular mechanisms of phosphine resistance (other research)

Genetic mapping of oxidative stress resistance genes. The fumigant phosphine disrupts oxidative metabolism, resulting in the production of reactive oxygen intermediates. This causes the premature ageing and death of targeted pests. Insect pests of stored grain in Australia now exhibit resistance to phosphine at levels more than 200 times the normal lethal dose.

We have genetically mappedf and identified the genes responsible for phosphine resistance in tall major insect pests of stored grain. We are using a systems biology approach in the model organism C. elegans to understand the molecular basis of phosphine action. Our genetic studies have recently shown that resistance to phosphine is associated with an extension of lifespan