The University of Warwick has announced that Dr Rosemary Collier is to take up the role of Research Director of the University’s Crop Centre in October.

The creation of the Crop Centre, formed as part of Warwick’s formation of a School of Life Sciences, follows extensive consultation with stakeholders representing the agricultural and horticultural industries, as well as UK government departments and relevant research councils.  The centre will draw on the support of funding bodies and industrial partners to deliver high quality translational crop and environmental research that will be valued by land-based industries. It will help position Warwick at the heart of the food security research agenda, an issue of increasing importance throughout the world.

Dr Collier said:

“I am delighted to be asked to lead a Centre that brings together a talented research team and a range of specialist research facilities and which will be focused on delivering the translational research that is highly valued by our industrial and commercial partners.”

“The Centre is well positioned to draw on the wider pool of research expertise both within the new School of Life Sciences, and the University as a whole to help meet the research needs of land-based industries.”

Dr Collier is an entomologist and her own research interests include the effect of environmental conditions on insect populations and the development of integrated pest management systems for the pests of field vegetable and bulb crops. The rest of the Crop Centre research team have a range of expertise including: crop breeding, plant pathology, agronomy, crop nutrition and environmental research. The Genetic Resources Unit will also be part of the Crop Centre. This unit has a remit for collection, conservation, characterization, documentation and research for a range of vegetable crops and their wild relatives and is active in various international crop working groups and networks.

Crop Centre staff will work closely with other researchers in the School of Life Sciences and throughout the University. 

For further information please contact:

Peter Dunn, Head of Communications
Communications Office, University House, University of Warwick,
Coventry, CV4 8UW, United Kingdom
email: p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)24 76 523708  Mobile/Cell:  +44 (0)7767 655860

PR76 PJD  2nd August 2010