I have obtained a PhD degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Australian National University in 2003, in which I investigated the molecular mechanisms causing cold-induced pollen sterility in rice using a combination of plant physiology, cell biology, molecular biology and proteomic approaches. I was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Genomic Interactions Group, Research School of Biological Sciences, and Australian National University. In 2004, I was promoted to research fellow. Currently, I am a senior research associate at the Plant Sciences Division of Research School of Biology at the Australian National University.

The roots of plant productivity and fitness

Sustainable food security is of utmost importance to the future of the planet and it is under threat. The importance of root architecture in plant productivity stems from the fact that the spatial deployment of the root system will substantially determine the ability of a plant to exploit nutrient resources and to survive. Plant roots show remarkable developmental plasticity that is essential for plant fitness and productivity. In legumes, this developmental plasticity enables the formation of several de novo organs: lateral roots which are critical for the development and the dynamics of root architecture and symbiotically-derived nitrogen-fixing root nodules, which are essential for sustainable agriculture. We are investigating common signalling mechanisms linking the regulation of these developmental programs. In particular, we are elucidating the functions of genes that play critical roles during root development and its response to the environmental cues.