Oula Ghannoum

Professor Oula Ghannoum is a renowned plant scientist and academic leader at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (HIE), Western Sydney University. She serves as Director of the ARC Training Centre for Smart and Sustainable Horticulture and holds leadership roles, including Biological Sciences Discipline Lead and Associate Editor at Functional Plant Biology. Her research focuses on photosynthesis, global change biology, and protected cropping, aiming to enhance food security and climate resilience through crop improvement and sustainable agricultural practices.

Education:

• BSc (Honours) in Plant Biochemistry, University of NSW (1993)
• PhD in Plant Physiology, Western Sydney University (1998)

Research Interests: Professor Ghannoum’s work addresses global challenges like food security and climate change by exploring plant responses to environmental stress. Her lab uses advanced technologies like smart glasshouses and hyperspectral imaging to optimize crop yield and quality. Key areas include sugar signaling pathways in C3/C4 plants, water use efficiency, and heat tolerance in cereal crops.

Grants & Funding: She has secured over $25M in research funding, leading projects on C4 photosynthesis, automated crop monitoring, and protected cropping systems. Notable collaborations include the ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis and Future Food Systems CRC.

Awards:

• 2024 Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence in Research Award
• 2023 Education and Outreach Award (Australian Society of Plant Scientists)
• 2001 ARC Postdoctoral Fellowship

Labs & Teams: Her team develops innovative frameworks for sustainable horticulture, combining biology with AI and smart technologies. Ongoing work includes imaging-based crop monitoring and phenotyping for climate-resilient crops.