A/Prof Barbara Drigo is a Microbial Ecologist at the School of Agriculuture, Food and Wine and a member of the editorial boards of several esteemed international academic journals. Her passion for applied research is reflected in her strong commitment to advancing microbiological science and practice, resulting in significant global impact.
 
A/Prof Drigo leads the molecular microbial components of multiple large-scale research projects with a combined funding portfolio of approximately $17 million. She was recognised as a finalist in the 2023 South Australian Women in Innovation Awards (Science category). Deeply committed to addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) globally, she has worked in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to strengthen laboratory capacity in low- and middle-income countries.
 
She holds several leadership and ambassadorial roles, including Chair of the Joint Academic Microbiology Seminar (Adelaide branch), Chair of 500 Women Scientists Australia and New Zealand, and Senior Researcher and Ambassador for eXXpedition. Since 2023, A/Prof Drigo has collaborated with colleagues from the Future Industries Institute (FII), CRC SAAFE, the College of Science and Health to help shape a cohesive educational vision for Adelaide University. These initiatives aim to:
 

Address critical epidemiological challenges.
Co-design a comprehensive research strategy for Food, Agriculture, and Wine in South Australia.
Develop a multidisciplinary microbial ecology course integrating environmental science, geospatial analysis, food science, and soil science.

 
Career Highlights
 
A/Prof Drigo completed her MSc at Wageningen University & Research Centre (2002–2004) and obtained her PhD from Leiden University in 2009, following doctoral research at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology. She also undertook visiting doctoral studies at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Oxford University (2004–2008). She began her career as a project manager at Plant Research International before relocating to Australia to undertake a fellowship at Western Sydney University, where she established molecular microbial facilities.
Between 2010 and 2011, she contributed to the development of the world-class Molecular Microbial Ecology Facility at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (HIE), officially launched in 2012. During her time at HIE, she led research on climate change and microbial interactions and co-supervised three Master’s and three PhD students.
 
A/Prof Drigo has held visiting research fellowships at the James Hutton Institute (UK) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and has trained scientists internationally in stable isotope probing techniques and multivariate statistical analysis.
In 2016, she relocated to Adelaide, where she was appointed Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer. She led research on food, soil, and water safety and security, with a strong focus on antimicrobial resistance, contributing to a total research funding portfolio of approximately $17 million. Her collaborative work in 2016–2017 on the impacts of human activities on ecosystem functioning received international attention, including from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (Obama Administration), the Royal Geographical Society, and the Theo Murphy High Flyers Think Tank, as well as various media outlets.
 
In 2017, she was a visiting research fellow at the Faculty of Biotechnology, Catholic University of Portugal. A/Prof Drigo has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and invited reviews with leading international experts in plant–soil–microbial interactions, microbial ecology, and antimicrobial resistance. Many of these publications rank among the top cited in their respective fields.
 
Throughout her career, she and her research team have presented at 30 national and 39 international conferences. She has delivered keynote presentations, chaired scientific sessions, and served as an invited panelist in workshops organised by DFAT, WHO, and FAO.
 
In 2020, she became the principal lecturer and tutor for the Microbial Ecology course and assumed coordination responsibility in 2021. In January 2023, she was awarded a competitive tenure-track position, becoming an Associate Professor in 2024. In January 2026, she was appointed Academic Lead in the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine.