Melissa Fitzgerald

Biography

My research has focussed on understanding traits of rice quality and consumer requirements of rice. I was introduced to metabolomics through an EU project, METAPHOR from 2006-2010, where I observed the power to metabolomics to move to new levels of understanding of food quality and plant biochemistry. When I moved to UQ in 2012, I established a metabolomic profiling platform for volatile compounds and primary and secondary polar and non-polar metabolites for food flavour, fragrance, nutritional value, and medical impact, and a complimentary stream of genotyping, to enable candidate genes for these compounds to be identified. I have published about 50 papers, supervised 15 PhD students to completion and currently supervise 8 PhD students working in metabolomics of food quality. My research in metabolomics of plant biochemistry and food quality is supported by the three large grants from the Australian government.

Research Interest

I was a member of the Conference Organising Committee the for International Rice Congress 2009, and was Deputy Program Chair International Rice Congress 2011. I was Convener and Chair International Network for Quality Rice (INQR) and INQR conference organiser 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and deputy chair of the Australian Grain Science Association (AGSA) conference in 2014.