I have a research career spanning 36 years focused on plant genomics and understanding patterns of genetic diversity in wild and cultivated plants. A major focus of my work is developing and utilising software tools to analyze SNP variation in crop plants and their wild relatives in genetic resources and breeding applications. As a valuable byproduct of this work, the research team which I led gained an international reputation for the development of visualization approaches to understanding complex patterns of genetic diversity. The software tools we developed are in routine use with an extensive range of university and research institutes, as well as many plant breeding and biotechnology companies, around the world.

Recent projects I have participated in include working with the Crop Trust to provide public access to the data generated by their Crop Wild relatives project funded by the Norwegian Government; working with CIMMYT to develop the software infrastructure to support the MasAgro Seeds of Discovery Project and a portal for access to data generated through the International Wheat Yield Partnership; working on BBSRC funded Newton projects with NIAB, the Earlham Institute CIAT and CIMMYT to develop and deploy tools to support the analysis of molecular diversity data from their genetic resource collections; working with Cornell University, CIMMYT, ICRISAT and IRRI as part of the BMGF funded GOBII project to develop the computational infrastructure to support modern molecular breeding programs; and Biometris at WUR and VSNi to develop analysis workflows to underpin breeding programs.  I have worked with both the CGIAR Genebank and Excellence in Breeding Platforms to help define their priorities and current workplans.  I have advisory roles for the Malaysian Rubber Board, the Malaysian, Palm Oil Board, the BMGF AfricaYam Project and the ITPGRFA’s Global Information System.

Senior Research Scientist, James Hutton Institute, 50% part post

Head of Information & Computational Sciences, James Hutton Institute

Associate Programme Leader, Genetics Programme, SCRI

Director, Postgraduate Studies, SCRI

Bioinformatics Theme Leader, Genetics Programme, SCRI

Leader, Computational Biology Programme, SCRI

Deputy Head, Genomics Unit, SCRI

Head of Bioinformatics and IT Unit, SCRI

Programme Manager, BBSRC Plant and Animal Genome Analysis Initiative

Lecturer, Department of Genetics, University of Birmingham

NERC Postdoc, Department of Genetics, University of Birmingham

Demonstrator, Department of Agricultural Botany, UCW, Aberystwyth

I have developed and teach both Postgraduate Modules and Advanced Courses focussed on Bioinformatics Applications in Plant Breeding as well as short training courses  for  a number of software tools supporting genetics and genomics applications in plant breeding and plant genetic resources.