Biography

Dr Louisa Parkinson is a Research Officer at The University of Queensland. She graduated from the same university with a B. Biotechnology (First Class Honours) degree in 2013 and a PhD in Plant Pathology, Phylogeny & Comparative Analysis, and Agricultural Biotechnology Diagnostics in 2017. Her PhD research focused on the phylogeny, pathogenicity and molecular detection of the nectriaceous fungi associated with black root rot of avocado. Her PhD thesis received the UQ Dean's Award for Outstanding Theses and she was a recipient of an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) Scholarship. During her PhD Louisa was the winner of the 2015 QAAFI institute 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) and runner up in the UQ 3MT All-Institutes Final; and received the UQ Graduate School International Travel Award (GSITA) Scholarship and QAAFI Top Up Scholarship. In her highest profile activity, Louisa was the face of the UQ Create Change brand in multimedia and billboard advertisements in 2015 - 2017. She has since worked as a research officer for QAAFI in integrated disease management of avocado (HIA project 14012) before her current role in biosecurity diagnostic capacity building for the Australian avocado industry (HIA project 16010).

Louisa identifies as culturally and linguistically diverse.

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