I am a Lecturer in Intellectual Property Law at Queen’s University Belfast, UK. I previously held academic posts at the University of Reading and King’s College London.
My research focuses on the history and politics of intellectual property claims to plants, drawing on the work of scholars in law, science and technology studies, and Indigenous rights. I completed my PhD at The University of Queensland, Australia. My thesis project, entitled ‘The role of the law in the circulation of the Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana)’, explored how the law shapes botanical taxonomy, food science, and the commercialisation of cosmetic products containing native plant extracts, with particular attention to how these laws and scientific practices interact with the rights and knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. My PhD research formed part of the ARC Laureate Project, ‘Harnessing Intellectual Property to Build Food Security’.