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.