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I work at the interface of sensory science and analytical chemistry to understand how food production, processing and environmental conditions influence food quality, provenance, authenticity and consumer perception. My research supports agrifood industries, including meat, seafood and broader food production sectors, by linking measurable chemical changes with sensory attributes such as flavour, aroma, texture and appearance.

I am interested in partnering with producers, processors, industry bodies and technology providers to evaluate how different growing, treatment, feeding, farming, harvesting or processing methods affect product quality and consumer perceptibility. This includes industry trials focused on climate-smart crops, sustainable production systems, improved animal and seafood production methods, provenance claims and product differentiation. My goal is to help translate scientific measurement into practical insights that support innovation, product integrity and consumer confidence.

Associate Professor Ryan Turner is the Director of the Reef Catchments Science Partnership at the University of Queensland (a partnership with the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation). Ryan was previously the Department's Principal Scientist for Water Quality and Investigations and held an Adjunct Associate Professor role at Queensland University of Technology in the Managing for Resilient Landscapes, Institute for Future Environments. For 14 years, Ryan managed multimillion-dollar water quality monitoring programs that assessed the impacts of sediments, nutrients, and pesticides in numerous catchments along the Queensland coast, which discharge into the Great Barrier Reef and Moreton Bay. Ryan has served on several steering committees and technical advisory panels, including the Great Barrier Reef Foundation's Technical Advisory Panel. He has published extensively (>80 papers and reports) and led several collaborative research projects between the Queensland Government and academia. Ryan previously supervised analytical chemistry and microbiology laboratories in the private and public sectors. Ryan has developed numerous methodologies and standard operating procedures for analytical and monitoring techniques (water quality, sediments and soils). Ryan’s passion for the future of water security is what keeps him striving forward.