Presenters

Professor Neena Mitter, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Charles Sturt University, NSW,Australia, is an agricultural biotechnologist with more than 30 years of experience delivering sustainable, climate-resilient solutions for food and nutritional security. Beginning her career in India, she has dedicated her work to impactful translational research, nurturing the next generation of scientific leaders, and fostering collaborations that transcend disciplines and borders. Before joining Charles Sturt University, Professor Mitter was the founding Director of the Centre for Horticultural Science at the University ofQueensland and continues to lead the Australian Research Council Research Hub for Sustainable Crop Protection. She is internationally known for developing two groundbreaking platform technologies—BioClay®, an environmentally sustainable RNA-based crop protection solution, and clonal propagation of avocado using plant stem cells. These innovations are aimed at influencing agricultural productivity, environmental sustainability, and the socio-economic resilience of farming communities.

Her contributions have been recognised with honours including Fellowship of theAustralian Academy of Technology and Engineering, Fellowship of the NationalAcademy of Agricultural Sciences (India), and the Women in TechnologyOutstanding Life Sciences Award. A strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in STEM, Professor Mitter is passionate about building global partnerships and integrated solutions to address the most pressing challenges in food, nutrition, and environmental security for a rapidly changing world.