Lisa

AGRICULTURAL MEETING PREVIOUS SPEAKER

Lisa
Ainsworth
WORK
Global Change & Photosynthesis Research

Her research aims to improve crop responses to global atmospheric change, including rising atmospheric carbon dioxide & ozone pollution.

Julia

AGRICULTURAL MEETING PREVIOUS SPEAKER

Julia
Bailey-Serres
WORK
Center for Plant Cell Biology

Julia Bailey-Serres is a plant biologist known for her research on mechanisms of plant adaptive responses to environmental stresses.

Edward

AGRICULTURAL MEETING PREVIOUS SPEAKER

Edward S.
Buckler
WORK
Cornell University

His group’s research uses genomic, computational, and field approaches to dissect complex traits and accelerate breeding in maize, sorghum, cassava, and a wide range of other crops.

Joanne

AGRICULTURAL MEETING PREVIOUS SPEAKER

Joanne
Chory
WORK
Plant Biology Laboratory

Joanne Chory is a Howard Hughes Medical Investigator, Co-director of the Harnessing Plants Initiative at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the Howard H. and Maryam R. Newman Chair in Plant Biology.

Mark

AGRICULTURAL MEETING PREVIOUS SPEAKER

Mark
Cooper
WORK
The University of Queensland

Professor Mark Cooper is a global leader in quantitative genetics and plant breeding. His work involves integrating genomic prediction and crop growth models into an ‘end to end’ framework for crop improvement.

Dr. Segenet

AGRICULTURAL MEETING PREVIOUS SPEAKER

Dr. Segenet
Kelemu
WORK
International Centre of Insect Physiology & Ecology

Dr. Kelemu is a 2014 L’Oréal-UNESCO Laureate for Women in Science Awards.

Zach Lippman

AGRICULTURAL MEETING PREVIOUS SPEAKER

Zach
Lippman
WORK
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

His research group integrates genetics, development, genomics, and genome editing to study flowering and flower production in nature and agriculture.

Dr. Daniela

AGRICULTURAL MEETING PREVIOUS SPEAKER

Daniela
Lourenco
WORK
University of Georgia

Her current interests include the use of genomic information to increase rates of genetic progress, the development of methods for genomic evaluations, and the use of computational algorithms to analyze large data.

Dr. Adam

AGRICULTURAL MEETING PREVIOUS SPEAKER

Dr. Adam
Phillippy
WORK
National Human Genome Research Institute

Dr. Adam Phillippy is a Senior Investigator and head of the Genome Informatics Section at the NHGRI.

Nils Stein

AGRICULTURAL MEETING PREVIOUS SPEAKER

Nils
Stein
WORK
Research Leader at Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research & Professor at Georg-August University Göttingen

his research focuses on structural and comparative genome analysis of the small grain cereals barley, wheat and rye –with a leading role in genome sequencing of all three species.

Naomi

AGRICULTURAL MEETING PREVIOUS SPEAKER

Naomi
Wray
WORK
The University of Queensland

She is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

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2023 Featured Speakers

Robin Buell

University of Georgia

In July 2021, Dr. C. Robin Buell joined the University of Georgia as the Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar Chair in Crop Genomics in the Department of Crop & Soil Sciences and the Center for Applied Genetic Technologies. Prior to joining UGA, she was a University Distinguished Faculty and MSU Foundation Professor of Plant Biology at Michigan State University (2007-2021), an Associate Investigator at The Institute for Genomic Research (1999-2007), and as Assistant Professor at Louisiana State University (1997-1998).

Mark Cooper

The University of Queensland

Professor Mark Cooper is Chair of Prediction Based Crop Improvement at The University of Queensland, and a global leader in quantitative genetics and plant breeding. His work involves integrating genomic prediction and crop growth models into an ‘end to end’ framework for crop improvement.

Antonio Augusto Franco Garcia

University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

The ultimate goal of my research projects is trying to have a better understanding of the genetic architecture of quantitative traits, specially (but not exclusively) for polyploids, with emphasis on sugarcane. This could be useful for breeding programs and for geneticists interested on complex traits.

Gregor Gorjanc

University of Edinburgh

I lead the HighlanderLab, which focuses on managing and improving populations using data science, genetics, and breeding. We focus on populations used for food, feed, and fibre production We are particularly interested in: (i) methods for genetics and breeding, (ii) design and optimisation of breeding programmes, and (iii) analysis of data to unravel biology and to find new ways of improving populations.

Ben Hayes

University of Queensland

Professor Hayes has extensive research experience in genetic improvement of livestock, crop, pasture and aquaculture species, with a focus on integration of genomic information into breeding programs, including leading many large scale projects which have successfully implemented genomic technologies in livestock and cropping industries.

Farhad Hormozdiari

HealthAI Team at Google Research

Farhad Hormozdiari, a research scientist in the HealthAI team at Google Research, where he combines genetic data and machine learning techniques to improve disease understanding for a diverse set of populations. His long-term research aim includes utilizing genetics and machine learning for better social good. Recently, Farhad has grown his interests and focus in leveraging deep learning and statistical genetics to understand plant genomics and improve crop resistance to climate changes.

Dr. Joanna (Jo) Newton, OAM

Agriculture Victoria Research, Australia

Passionate about research that delivers tangible benefits for farmers, since obtaining a PhD in animal breeding and genetics from the University of New England, Jo’s work has focused on practical tools to illustrate the benefit of better herd-improvement decisions on farm. Jo currently works as a research scientist for Agriculture Victoria on the DairyBio initiative where she uses a multi-disciplinary approach in developing and valuing decision support tools that enable more informed breeding and management decisions on-farm. As a 2018 Endeavour Postdoctoral Fellow, Jo spent 6 months as a visiting scientist Teagasc Moorepark, Ireland.

Jo has a history of active involvement across the wider agricultural sector across numerous not-for-profit organisations, particularly in advocacy and support of young people in agriculture. Jo was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2020 for her service to agriculture through her advocacy and support of young people, volunteering, and contribution to dairy research.

Lindiwe Majele Sibanda

University of Pretoria

Prof. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda is a recognized leader, practicing farmer and esteemed policy advisor with a career spanning 30 years. She currently serves as Chair of the CGIAR System Board, Extraordinary Professor, University of Pretoria, South Africa, and Council Chair, National University of Science and Technology, Zimbabwe.

Rob Martienssen

Cold Spring Harbor Lab

Rob Martienssen studies epigenetic mechanisms that shape and regulate the genome, and their impact on transposable elements, first discovered by Barbara McClintock at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. These mechanisms underlie clonal propagation of oil palm, with implications for rain forest conservation, and of aquatic plants, including the humble duckweed, that are being engineered in the Martienssen lab for biofuel production and carbon sequestration.

Anna Sonesson

Norwegian food research institute (Nofima)

I work with the design of breeding schemes, including marker-assisted and genomic selection schemes, and with QTL mapping. I also work with the management of genetic variation, i.e. managing inbreeding, both at the level of relationship and at the genomic level.

Leena Tripathi

Director- Eastern Africa Hub

Dr. Leena Tripathi is the Director of Eastern Africa Hub and Leader of the Biotechnology Program at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). She is leading the transgenic and gene-editing research at IITA. She has been involved in plant biotechnology research for more than 25 years, with specific interests in crop improvement.