My research aim is to develop crop plants that will deliver higher yields and contribute to global food security. Evidence suggests that the best prospect for increasing genetic yield potential is to improve the conversion of sunlight into biomass i.e. the efficiency of photosynthesis. My work contributes towards furthering our understanding of photosynthesis, as well as identifying and testing out new approaches to improve its efficiency. Whilst at Lancaster University, I have had the opportunity to work with wheat, cowpea and soybean.

The majority of my research has been in plant development, genetics and molecular biology.  I have worked on the following projects using the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana: ‘Determinants of seed size and yield’, ‘The regulation of biological signalling by temperature’ and ‘Increasing wax production’.  I have also been lucky enough to spend an interesting 11 months in a medical research laboratory investigating the genetics of nystagmus, a paediatric eye disease. At Lancaster, I have returned to plant science and initially worked on an International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP) funded project. Currently, my focus has changed to cowpea and soybean, with the aim of improving Rubisco biochemistry and and its regulation. This work is part of the RIPE (Realising Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency) project.

2016-present: Research associate, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, UK

2015-2016: Research technician, Southampton General Hospital, University of Southampton, UK

2011-2012: Research technician, College of Life and Environmental Science, University of Exeter, UK

2005-2009: PhD in plant molecular biology, University of Bath, UK

2001-2005: First class Undergraduate Masters in Biology (MBiol), University of Bath, UK

My degree included a one year industrial placement within the Insect and Nematode Control Traits Team at Syngenta, Jealott's Hill, Bracknell, UK.