Forest trees are under threat from abiotic and biotic stresses. My current research focuses on optimising frost tolerance phenotyping strategies in pine trees to improve our understanding of the genetic architecture underlying stress tolerance and support the development of more climate-resilient forestry systems.

Having grown up at the foot of the Soutpansberg, surrounded by extensive plantation forests, this field of research has a special significance for me. I am fascinated by the ways in which plants respond and adapt to environmental stress, and am motivated by the opportunity to apply scientific research to solving real-world challenges facing the forestry industry.

I bring enthusiasm, curiosity, resilience, and a strong work ethic to everything I do. I particularly enjoy fieldwork, collaborative research, and the process of transforming complex biological data into meaningful insights.