Louise Thatcher

Louise Thatcher is a Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO Agriculture and Food, leading the Biologicals Crop Protection science area. Her work bridges microbial technologies, plant pathology, and sustainable agriculture to develop innovative crop protection solutions.

• Education: BSc (1st Class Honors) and PhD in Microbiology/Plant Molecular Biology from the University of Western Australia
• Research Focus: Biological control of plant diseases via microbiomes, biopesticides, and omics-driven discovery of microbial compounds

Her expertise spans microbial engineering, plant genetics, and microbiome applications in agriculture. She has secured over $9.1M in competitive funding as lead investigator and collaborates globally, including stints at USDA and INRA.

Scientific Awards:

• Julius Career Award (2018-2020)
• CSIRO Director’s Award for Inclusion & Diversity (2017)
• AW Howard Study Grant (2015)
• CSIRO Postdoctoral Fellowships (2007-2013)

Louise actively mentors STEM students and has held leadership roles in the Molecular Microbiology Department at the John Innes Centre and the Plant Pathology Research Unit at INRA.