Demi Sargent

Dr. Demi Sargent is a Research Fellow at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (Western Sydney University), specializing in photosynthetic physiology and climate resilience in cotton. She holds a PhD from the Australian National University and has conducted postdoctoral research on thermal dependency of photosynthesis in cotton and its wild relatives. Her work includes developing the OptiFitACi R package to analyze photosynthetic parameters under varying environmental conditions.

Education:

• Bachelor of Science (Plant Science), University of Melbourne (2014)
• Master of Science (Plant Science), University of Melbourne (2016) – First Class Honours
• Doctor of Philosophy, Australian National University (2020)

Research Focus:

• Inter-species variation in thermal tolerance of photosynthetic enzymes
• Mesophyll conductance dynamics under heat and drought stress
• Breeding climate-adapted cotton varieties
• Parameterization of A/Ci models for species-specific stress responses

Grants & Leadership:

• Principal Investigator (2021–2023): The Gatekeeper to Photosynthesis project (Department of Agriculture)
• Co-Investigator in two CRDC-funded projects (2024–2027) on climate-resilient cotton

Awards:

• ABARES Science & Innovation Award (2021)
• Multiple travel and research scholarships from CSIRO, CRDC, and ARC