I serve as the Research and Protection Manager at Forestry South Africa (FSA), where I oversee various programmes vital to FSA's research strategy. My academic background is in Plant Pathology, having completed my MSc at Stellenbosch University. During my studies, I worked on exploring resistance characteristics of maize against Fusarium Ear Rot (FER) and fumonisin accumulation in South Africa.

In addition to my role at FSA, I am pursuing a PhD titled "Investigating the South African Plant Health Biosecurity System and its Role in Trade." This aims to evaluate the South African phytosanitary system, examine its connections to the international policy environment, and identify strategies to enhance the phytosanitary framework to facilitate trade in South Africa.

My vision is to bridge the gap between industry, government, and academia and contribute to building research systems to ensure that all growers can participate in growth and development in South Africa.