Professor Diane Saunders OBE

Diane Saunders is Head of the Crop Genetics department at the JIC leading research into (re-)emerging plant pathogens that pose a significant threat to agriculture. Her research group focuses on dissecting the molecular mechanisms that drive pathogen evolution and adaptation to prevailing selective pressures, with the goal to use this new knowledge to develop new host varieties with enhanced disease resistance. Diane is well known for her breadth of expertise in plant pathology that she has applied to study some of the most important plant diseases worldwide, making many notable contributions, as reflected in her award of the highly prestigious RKS Wood Prize by the British Society for Plant Pathology in 2024. These contributions include recent work evaluating the re-emergence of wheat stem rust in the UK, developing innovative genomic-led approaches for identification of new sources of wheat rust resistance, and pioneering techniques in pathogen surveillance: the revolutionary “field pathogenomics” and “MARPLE diagnostics” techniques, for which she was awarded the BBSRC Innovator of the Year award in the International Category (2019).

Diane also works closely with industry and researchers worldwide to ensure her research discoveries are rapidly progressed to practical solutions for agriculture. Diane is hugely passionate about advocating for gender parity and mentoring early-career researchers, as reflected in her receipt of the Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Award in 2022. Diane also acts as a journal editor and science advisor, contributing to grant panels, chairing the UK Cereal Pathogen Virulence Survey steering group and acting as external advisor to the accelerating genetic gains in wheat international programme led by CIMMYT. She is incoming chair of the European and Mediterranean Cereal Rusts Foundation and leads many large multi-partner national and international research programmes. In recognition of her services to Plant Science, Agriculture and advocacy for women in STEMM she was appointed OBE in the Birthday Honours List in 2024.