Urmil Bansal

Dr. Urmil Bansal is an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney, affiliated with the School of Life and Environmental Sciences. She leads the development of rust resistance markers in wheat through the Australian Cereal Rust Control Program (ACRCP). Her research focuses on molecular genetics, plant breeding, and host-pathogen interactions, with a global network of collaborators to enhance disease control and food security.

Education: PhD in Genetics from Punjab Agricultural University (India), followed by postdoctoral research at the University of Sydney's Plant Breeding Institute. Promoted to Senior Research Fellow in 2014.

Research interests include rust resistance mechanisms, genomic regions in wheat, and adult plant resistance strategies. Her work bridges fundamental genetics with applied breeding, addressing climate-resilient crop development.

Awards: 2018 Mentor of the Year (Borlaug Global Rust Initiative, Gates Foundation).

Grants & Projects:

• 2021: ACIAR grant for wheat hybrid breeding in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Pakistan.
• 2015: Australia Awards Fellowships grant for rust-resistance marker implementation.

Active in mentoring students globally and advancing lab-based research at the Sydney Institute of Agriculture.