Elizabeth Aitken

Professor Elizabeth Aitken is a leading plant pathologist at The University of Queensland, affiliated with the School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability and the ARC Research Hub for Sustainable Crop Protection. Her research focuses on tropical crop diseases, particularly bananas, ginger, cotton, and sunflower, with collaborations spanning Queensland Department of Primary Industries and CSIRO.

• BSc (Hons) in Agricultural Science, University of Edinburgh
• PhD in Plant Pathology, University of Aberdeen

Research Interests: Genetics of plant-pathogen interactions, molecular pathogenicity mechanisms, and disease diagnostics. Key areas include Fusarium wilt resistance in bananas, pathogenicity gene analysis (e.g., Six genes in Fusarium oxysporum), and climate change impacts on pathogen fitness.

Recent Research Trends: Her 2025-2023 publications highlight genomic studies of Fusarium and Verticillium pathogens, QTL mapping for banana resistance, and RNAi-based disease management strategies.

Scientific Awards:

• Fellow, Australasian Plant Pathology Society

Supervision & Grants: Supervised over 20 PhD/MPhil students. Current projects (2022-2027) include advanced genomics for horticulture and banana resistance gene identification, funded by BMGF, ARC, and Hort Innovation Australia. Past grants involved myrtle rust impact studies and climate change research.