Find an expert

Dr Thea Voogt is an Associate Professor in the School of Law and the Director of Business Law.

She specialises in income tax law, agriculture tax policy tools, the impact of climate change on the financial fortitude of farming families, corporate governance and business structures.

Thea leverages her significant business experience in senior executive roles and her background as a chartered accountant in industry projects. She holds a Doctorate in Financial Management and Master of International Commercial Law (UQ).

Thea is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an award-winning law teacher. She is the 2017 recipient of the prestigious UQ Business, Economics & Law Faculty Teaching Award and a joint recipient of the 2022 Business, Economics & Law Faculty Award for Excellence in Citizenship (Innovation). She also received the 2017 Inspired Me to Learn Award for Teaching Excellence in an undergraduate compulsory course, and the 2016 Award for Teaching Excellence in an undergraduate compulsory course from the UQ School of Law.

Thea is an academic member of the UQ Law School Pro Bono Centre and a member of the Pro Bono Centre Regional Rural Remote Steering Committee. She is also an independent member of the Management Committees of Rural Financial Counselling Services North Queensland and Farm Business Planning North Queensland.

Prior to joining UQ, Thea was the CEO (Principal Officer) of the superannuation funds of the University of Johannesburg, a Professor in Accounting and managed large tenders for this institution. Over the course of her career in South Africa, she was closely involved with the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants as sought-after speaker, researcher and umpire for the national qualifying exams for chartered accountants. Thea also held a Ministerial appointment to the Board of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).

Scott grew up on a mixed farming property in western Queensland, has an undergraduate degree in Asian studies and a PhD in agricultural economics.

Scott worked for the Economist Intelligence Unit in Beijing, graduated from the Nanjing-Hopkins Centre for Advanced Chinese and American Studies and is fluent in Chinese. In China he has: collaborated with 20 research and government organisations; conducted fieldwork at country level and below for at least 30 months; and provided technical assistance in trade negotiations.

He has written eight books on China, two of which were translated into Chinese, and he has published in leading China studies journals, includingThe China Journal and China Quarterly. His research in recent years was on China's trade barriers on Australian exports, and China's economic growth model and implications for trade relations. Scott has been invited to deliver talks on China for a wide range of Australian government and non-govenment agencies, including training for DFAT's China Literacy program.

For more information see the website of the China Agricultural Economics Group

At UQ Scott has conducted 25 agricultural development projects in China, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. He led multi-country and multi-stakeholder projects funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the Partnership for Australia-Indonesia Research (PAIR) and the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations (NFARCR).

He coordinated the courses AGRC7520 "International Agricultural Development in Asia", AGRC7127 "Agricultural and Resource Policy" and ECON3820 "Understanding China"

In 2024 Scott joined the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, as an economist in the Trade and Gobal Change program

I completed a BSc (Hons) and a PhD at the University of Melbourne before undertaking post-doctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. My research focused on marsupial and eutherian developmental biology. After 6 years in the US I returned to Australia to study Veterinary Science (BVSc) at the University of Queensland (UQ), going on to work in equine and small animal practice. A longing to get back into research lead to my current position as a Teaching & Research academic in the School of Veterinary Science, UQ. My lab has generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from dogs and horses that are being used to model diseases in vitro and as the basis for research into stem cell-based treatments for a variety of diseases. We have also produced iPSCs from the Tasmanian devil and the platypus, the first stem cells ever described from a marsupial and a monotreme, respectively, allowing us to pursue research directed at treating devil facial tumour disease, understanding marsupial and monotreme embryonic development, and the conservation of endangered species.

Education

• BSc (Hons), University of Melbourne (1990)
• PhD, University of Melbourne (1996)
• BVSc (Hons), University of Queensland (2006)

Employment

• Post-doctoral researcher, University of California, Berkeley, USA (1996-1997)
• Post-doctoral researcher, MD Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, Texas, USA (1997-2002)
• Veterinary Surgeon (2006-present)
• Lecturer, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland (2010-2017)
• Affiliate Senior Research Fellow, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland (2016-present)
• Senior Lecturer, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland (2017-2022)
• Associate Professor, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland (2023-present)

My research focusses on soil health in cropping and pasture systems, specialising in soil carbon and soil organic matter dynamics, microbial ecology, and plant-soil interactions. I am interested in how agronomic interventions impact soil health and in developing methods to reverse soil fertility decline and build healthier, more productive soils. This includes understanding the impacts of tillage, cover cropping, crop rotational diversity, nutrient management, and organic amendments on soil functional processes and crop development and productivity.

I have extensive experience in designing and analyzing field and glasshouse experiments and implementing advanced statistical models using R. I have excellent verbal and written communication skills, maintain positive relationships with collaborators both nationally and internationally, and publish manuscripts in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Luke Williams is a proud Gumbaynggirr man of northern NSW. Luke’s research primarily focuses on the traditional uses of native Australian plants with an emphasis on understanding how these plants can contribute to our modern food systems. This includes the promotion of traditional foods in Indigenous communities to improve food security and cultural wellbeing, through to supporting Indigenous businesses to lead the bush food industry, so that the nutritional and environmental benefits attributed to native plants can be enjoyed by all.

Luke’s PhD examined the dietary safety assessment of Australian native foods. He continues this line of research today using a mixed-methods approach that includes working with Traditional Custodians to understand histories of use and cultural context, while supporting consumer safety through the generation of quantitative evidence, such as toxicological endpoints and chemical analyses. Luke is currently expanding this work to develop new laboratory approaches for characterising biological activity and potential toxicity, including emerging non-animal and high-content screening tools to better understand safety and mechanism of action.

Luke sees the growing native foods industry as a culturally appropriate economic opportunity for Indigenous Peoples. However, he also recognises that if these foods and plant-based products are to be made widely available, development must occur under Indigenous leadership and be supported by robust scientific evidence to ensure they are safe for general consumption.

Wayne Wilson is an Associate Professor in the Discipline of Audiology at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland (UQ). He holds a PhD and Post-graduate Diploma in audiology and a BSc(Hons) in auditory physiology. His research interests include listening and listening difficulties in children, the objective assessment of auditory function, and clinical competence in audiology. Wayne has published >110 papers in refereed scientific journals, 12 book chapters and 3 patents; has presented >325 papers at scientific conferences including 17 key-note/opening addresses; and has secured >35 competitive research grants totaling >AUD$4.2 million.

I am an interdisciplinary researcher and a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy (HEA) Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF). With a strong background in Agricultural Biotechnology, Molecular Plant Physiology, Biochemistry, Omics (Proteomics, Metabolomics, Transcriptomics), and Statistical data analysis, I am dedicated to advancing knowledge and finding practical solutions in the field of crop production.

My current research focuses on studying axillary bud outgrowth and axillary meristem arrest, a variable trait that holds significant importance in crop production. By delving into the intricate mechanisms governing axillary branching, I aim to unravel the underlying molecular and physiological processes that contribute to the regulation of this trait. Understanding the factors influencing axillary branching has the potential to revolutionize crop yield and quality by optimizing plant architecture and resource allocation.

I have a keen interest in the evolutionary relationships that underpin symbioses, particularly those involved in plant disease. There are countless examples of how diseases have impacted different crops throughout history, and this is an ongoing issue that deleteriously impacts food security. My research involves developing a better understanding of the epidemiology of plant diseases and pests, and delivering improved diagnostics and field management. Working with collaborators and international experts, my work involves research on a broad range of plants that are affected by bacteria, fungi, oomycetes, viruses, nematodes and arthropod pests. I have a strong interest in the biotic factors that govern soil health and the methods by which we can promote the development of beneficial microbial communities.

Trained as a veterinarian, Dr Yuen is a veterinary microbiologist with expertise in pathobiology, host-pathogen interactions, and immunology in infectious diseases. Currently, he is a veterinary virologist at the Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute within the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, and holds an adjunct research fellow position at the School of Veterinary Science at UQ. While his current research focuses on vaccine development and immunology, he has active collaborations with academics in universities and research institutes in the areas of antimicrobial resistance, disease biomarkers discovery, epidemiology of emerging zoonotic diseases, and disease pathogenesis.

Dr Yan Zhao is a dedicated researcher in the field of agricultural systems, utilizing remote sensing observations to unveil spatial and temporal patterns and advance earth observation techniques and modelling. He is an integral member of a multi-disciplinary predictive agriculture research group based at QAAFI.

Currently, Dr Zhao's focus lies in the intricate integration of spatial technologies, crop modelling, and climate forecasting systems at various scales. His primary objective is to leverage remote sensing and crop simulation techniques for a comprehensive understanding of Australia's dryland cropping system. In pursuit of this goal, he has successfully developed pipelines for handling volumetric spatial datasets and delivering crucial information on crop types, production, and phenology, spanning from local to national scales.

Engaging actively with agri-business companies, government departments, and local growers, Dr Zhao collaborates closely with stakeholders to validate and implement his research findings in practical applications.

Dr Zhao earned his Doctoral Degree in Natural Science, with a specialized focus on Cartography and Geographic Information Systems. He completed his doctoral research at the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in 2013.

The aim of Allie's research is to improve soil health for sustainable agricultural production and environmental protection. Her research spans the areas of plant-soil-microbe interactions, soil microbiology, nutrients cycling and the recylcing of organic wastes, currently focusing on (i) the development of advanced and novel methodologies for investigation of plant-soil-microbe interactions; (ii) dynamics of nutrients (N, P, K) and carbon in soils including greenhouse gas emissions; and (iii) soil carbon sequestration and persistence.

Rebeka R. Zsoldos is an animal biomechanist who graduated at the Animal Science Faculty of the University of Kaposvar/Hungary (2008). In Vienna/Austria, she then completed her PhD on the biomechanics of the equine cervical vertebral column at the Movement Science Group at the Veterinary University (2011), followed by her own collaborative research project titled “Generic Motion Models based on Quadrupedal Data” at the University of Natural Resources together with the Veterinary University and the University of Bonn/Germany (Multimedia, Simulation and Virtual Reality Group). During this time, she taught Animal Biomechanics to undergraduate and graduate students. Having completed the project, she continued work with her collaborators at the University of Bonn in Germany. After that she worked on a mathematical approach to the elastic behaviour and shape of the equine spine as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Computational Sciences Group, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Thuwal in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.