Postdoctoral researcher, Spoel lab, IMPS, University of Edinburgh

I am a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh, specialising in plant pathology, molecular plant science and bioengineering for food crops.  I develop novel crop varieties and agricultural technologies to improve post-harvest quality and safety.  I address the challenge of food waste through innovative methodologies that will increase storage times for vegetables, with fewer energetic and chemical inputs.  I also develop crop technologies to reduce foodborne human disease, and reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within the food system.

My research develops post-harvest technologies for reduced food waste and more sustainable storage; these will contribute to the European Commission’s vision of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture, and ensuring a sustainable food system along the full length of the supply chain.  My work spanning cutting-edge molecular biology and applied crop science gives me valuable insights into emerging technologies in crop development, and the potential scope, and limitations, of bioscience as a tool for engineering sustainable change in food systems.

Prior to working as a plant researcher, I worked for the British Foreign Office as a political officer in embassies across the Middle East. Whilst posted to Damascus, interactions with crop scientists in Syria demonstrated to me that food security, and therefore food systems policies, are key to local and global stability.  Inspired by these interactions, I retrained as a bioscientist with the aim of positively impacting food security and sustainable food systems.  This Fellowship will provide me with a valuable opportunity to apply my skills from both my foreign policy background, and my scientific research, to the challenge of European agricultural policy and international food trade.