Plenary Speakers
Dame Juliet Gerrard
Dame Juliet Gerrard trained at Oxford and moved to New Zealand in 1993. Her research career has been broad and interdisciplinary, centred on protein science. She is currently a professor at the University of Auckland (based across the Faculties of Science and Engineering). From 2018-2024 Juliet served as the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor to three Prime Ministers (Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, Chris Luxon) during a tumultuous time. She provided science advice on a broad range of topics, including plastics, cannabis, AI in healthcare and food waste. She also had a front row seat during three emergencies – the Christchurch mosque shooting, the volcanic eruption of Whakaari | White Island, and the COVID-19 pandemic. She will reflect on her experiences in this and other roles in this presentation.
Invited Speakers
Plant Science
Dr Bryn Funnekotter
Dr Bryn Funnekotter is a Research Scientist at Kings Park Science, which is a part of the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions in Perth, Western Australia. Bryn’s research focus is to enhance and solidify the use of cryopreservation and plant tissue culture to conserve Australia’s unique plant species. He has a keen interest in studying the fundamental science underpinning conservation biotechnologies. By pinpointing and understanding the limitations of current methodologies, more efficient, wider-reaching protocols will enhance our ability to conserve our threatened species.
Dr Farley Kwok van der Giezen
Dr Farley Kwok van der Giezen is a Research Associate at the ARC CoE in Plants for Space. Farley completed his PhD at the University of Western Australia, and studies the evolution, mechanisms and engineering of RNA editing proteins in plant chloroplasts and mitochondria. He is currently serving as the chair of the Perth Protein Group, and co-chair of the WA RNA Salon.
Dr Lee Hickey
Professor Lee Hickey is a plant breeder, crop geneticist, and ARC Future Fellow at the University of Queensland, where he directs the ARC Training Centre in Predictive Breeding. Lee is one of the pioneers of speed breeding — a technique that fast-tracks the development of new crop varieties and is now used by breeding programs worldwide. His work integrates AI, genomics, and genome editing to build better crops for farmers. His research has featured in the BBC, National Geographic, and the New York Times, and is backed by more than 100 scientific publications.
More speakers to be announced – please check back soon!