Cassandra Collins

Associate Professor Cassandra Collins

Associate Professor/Reader

School of Agriculture, Food and Wine

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.


Cassandra is an Associate Professor in Viticulture.

After completing a Bachelor of Agricultural Science and a PhD in Horticulture, she gained experience in the wine industry as a cellarhand, an assistant winemaker and a viticulturist. However, a love of plants and a passion for research and teaching led to a role as a research fellow with the South Australian Research and Development Institute and the University of Adelaide, and then to her current role as a lecturer.

Cassandra's current research specialization is grapevine reproduction, organic and biodynamic vineyard management, and new technologies for assessing vine performance.

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2023 Principal Supervisor Bacterial spot of almond: plant-pathogen interactions and host resistance. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Virajinee Nayanathara Don Bulathsinhalage
    2022 Co-Supervisor Use of Activated Carbon Fabric to Mitigate Smoke Taint in Grapes and Wine Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Tingting Shi
    2021 Co-Supervisor Sustaining the Australian wine industry using advanced knowledge of alternative, emerging wine grape varieties Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Laura Veronica Mezei
    2019 Principal Supervisor Understanding the Relative Sustainability of Harvesting Pruned Vineyard Biomass and the Effect on Carbon Sequestration and Disease Management Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mr Benjamin Pike
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2019 - 2023 Principal Supervisor Optimising Vineyard Floor Management Across Australian Viticultural Landscapes to Enhance Functional Plant Diversity and Soil Health Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Merek Marie Kesser
    2019 - 2023 Principal Supervisor Developing and Assessing Different Cordon Establishment Techniques for Long-Term Vineyard Management Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Patrick Vaughan O'Brien
    2018 - 2023 Co-Supervisor Manipulating Grapevine Bud Fruitfulness Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Xiaoyi Wang
    2017 - 2022 Principal Supervisor The suitability of indigenous Cypriot grape varieties to viticulture and oenology in Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Alexander Willem Copper
    2017 - 2021 Principal Supervisor The Applications of UAV and Ground Digital Imagery Analysis for Monitoring Grapevine Canopy in Vineyard Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Jingyun Ouyang
    2016 - 2018 Principal Supervisor Influence of canopy management on grapevine reproductive performance Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Dr Xiaoyi Wang
    2016 - 2017 Principal Supervisor An Investigation into the Effect of Grapevine Age on Vine Performance, Grape and Wine Composition, Sensory Evaluation and Epigenetic Characterisation Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Dylan Grigg
    2013 - 2015 Co-Supervisor Investigating factors that affect grapevine fruit set during abiotic stress Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Dr Satwinder Kaur
    2013 - 2019 Principal Supervisor Assessment of Vineyard Performance to Predict Winegrape Quality Master of Philosophy Master Part Time Mr James Douglas Hook
    2012 - 2016 Co-Supervisor Heat Wave Mitigation Strategies for Wine Grape Production and Measures of the Impact of Heat on Berry Ripening and Wine Composition Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Luciano Ricardo Caravia Bayer
    2011 - 2014 Principal Supervisor Sustainability assessment in wine grape growing Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Irina Santiago-Brown
    2010 - 2015 Principal Supervisor Grapevine Reproductive Performance: The Role of Amines, and the Effect of Salt and Silicon Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Tintu Baby
    2010 - 2015 Co-Supervisor Relationships between Berry Sensory Assessment and Wine Quality in Vitis vinifera L.Shiraz Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Miss Sandra Milena Olarte Mantilla
    2010 - 2014 Principal Supervisor The effect of rootstock and water stress on the reproductive performance of Vitis vinifera L. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Ms Catherine Mary Kidman
    2009 - 2015 Principal Supervisor Effect of Organic, Biodynamic and Conventional Vineyard Management Inputs on Grapevine Growth and Susceptibility to Powdery Mildew and Botrytis Bunch Rot Master of Agricultural Science Master Part Time Mr Benjamin Pike
  • Board Memberships

    Date Role Board name Institution name Country
    2010 - ongoing Member Vine Health Australia - Australia
  • Memberships

    Date Role Membership Country
    2005 - 2020 Member Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology Australia
  • Editorial Boards

    Date Role Editorial Board Name Institution Country
    2018 - ongoing Associate Editor OENO One University of Adelaide Australia
    2005 - ongoing Member American Journal of Enology and Viticulture University of Adelaide Australia
  • Position: Associate Professor/Reader
  • Phone: 83136813
  • Email: cassandra.collins@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: Waite
  • Building: Wine Innovation Central, floor 4
  • Org Unit: Agricultural Science

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