Alison Gill

Alison Gill

School of Agriculture, Food and Wine

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD (as Co-Supervisor) - email supervisor to discuss availability.

I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plants For Space, supervised by Professor Jenny Mortimer. I am passionate about plant physiological responses to abiotic stress, optimising photosynthesis for future climates and controlled environments, and sustainable agriculture. I am interested in studying the physiology of photosynthesis and its interactions with environmental drivers to improve crop productivity and water use efficiency.

Currently, I am working with NASA, Space Lab Technologies (Colorado), and US universities on an Artemis III deployed instrument to grow plants on the moon. The Lunar Effects on Agricultural Flora (LEAF) project will investigate how plants respond to the unique stresses on the moon’s surface, reducing risks for sustainable off-plant crop production and enabling sustained Lunar habitation. Previously, I successfully completed a collaborative project funded by the UK Space Agency and Australian Space Agency, lead by Vertical Future (UK), and in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, University of Western Australia, University of Southern Queensland, Axiom Space (USA), and Saber Astronautics. This project focused on autonomous agriculture for Space exploration (specifically the Axiom Space Station) and controlled environment agriculture on Earth. Using cameras and machine learning, coupled with plant physiology, we developed methods for autonomous stress detection in lettuce plants.

From 2020-2023, I was a PhD candidate in the School of Agriculture, Food, and Wine supervised by Professor Rachel Burton, A/Professor Beth Loveys and Professor Tim Cavagnaro (now Flinders University). My research focused on industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) drought tolerance, water use efficiency, and physiological responses to water deficit. My PhD was awarded in May 2024 and I received a Dean's Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence. I also worked as a research assistant for Dr Stephanie Watts-Fawkes (now Wageningen University and Research) from 2020 to 2025, investigating arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses with various crop and model plants to increase plant and grain nutrition under abiotic stresses.

I spent most of 2022 as a visiting researcher at the University of California, Berkeley with a Fulbright Scholarship (Future and South Australia scholarships). At UC Berkeley, I undertook research and was part of the Bowles Agroecology laboratory where I investigated how soil management and variety influence dry-farmed tomato plant production and quality under water stress.

I am proud to also be a Playford Trust PhD Scholarship recipient, Tim Healey Memorial Scholarship recipient, CJ Everard Scholarship holder, and AgriFutures Australia Horizon Scholarship alumna.

Please get in touch about collaborations or other opportunities. 

ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space conference at the University of Adelaide, October 2024. Photo: Naomi Jellicoe.

^ ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space conference at the University of Adelaide, October 2024. Photo: Naomi Jellicoe.

^ Presenting to the Australian Space Agency, July 2025.

Ali in the Berkeley field with a Licor 6400 measuring tomatoes

^ In the field, University of California, Berkeley, September 2022.

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2024 - ongoing Postdoctoral Research Fellow University of Adelaide
    2020 - 2025 Research Assistant University of Adelaide

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2020 - 2024 University of Adelaide Australia PhD in Plant Science
    2015 - 2019 University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Science (Advanced) with First Class Honours

I have been awarded the following scholarships and grants:

2024 Graduate Women SA Trust Postdoctoral Grant
2024 FEMS Early Career Travel Grant
2023 Crawford Fund Conference Scholar
2022 Fulbright Future and Fulbright South Australia Scholarships (University of California, Berkeley)
2022 AgriFutures Australia Emerging Industries Travel Grant
2022 ASPB Plant Biology 2022 Travel Award
2021-2023 Tim Healey Memorial Trust PhD Scholarship
2020-2023 Playford Trust PhD Scholarship
2019 Aileen and Bert Kollosche Scholarship for the Study of Australian Flora
2018-2019 AW Howard Honours Scholarship 
2015-2018 Horizon Agricultural Scholarship

I have been awarded the following awards and prizes:

2024 Dean's Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence
2018 J.G. Wood Memorial Prize for Level III Plant Science subjects at the University of Adelaide
2017 Aduchem Prize in Level II Analytical Chemistry at the University of Adelaide
2016 Ena Orrock Lewcock Prize for Level II Plant Science subjects at the University of Adelaide
2015-2018 Faculty of Sciences Outstanding Academic Achievement Award

I have demonstrated in practical classes, marked, and/or helped teach in the following University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food, and Wine courses:

  • Agricultural Biochemistry II
  • Foundations in Plant Science II
  • Food Production in a Future Climate III
  • Soil and Water Resources II

  • Memberships
    Date Role Membership Country
    2023 - ongoing Member Australian Fulbright Alumni Association Australia
    2021 - ongoing Member American Society of Plant Biologists United States
    2021 - ongoing Member Australian Society of Plant Scientists Australia
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