Alison Stewart (biologist)

Alison Stewart CNZM (born 1957) is a New Zealand biologist who specialises in plant pathology. As of 2022 she is the CEO of the Foundation for Arable Research, based in Christchurch.[1]

Alison Stewart
Stewart in 2009
Born1957 (age 66–67)
Scotland
Academic background
EducationUniversity of Glasgow
Alma materUniversity of Stirling
ThesisMechanisms of resistance to botrytis in onion (Allium cepa. L) (1983)
Academic work
InstitutionsUniversity of Auckland
Lincoln University

Early life and education

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Stewart was born in Scotland in 1957.[2] She completed a BSc majoring in botany in 1980 at the University of Glasgow and graduated from the University of Stirling in 1983 with a PhD in plant pathology.[2][3][4]

Career

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Stewart moved to New Zealand where she became a senior lecturer in biological sciences at the University of Auckland in 1984.[2] She moved to Lincoln University in 1994 and four years later she was the first woman to be promoted to professor at Lincoln University. She was the inaugural director of the Bio-Protection Research Centre, a Centre of Research Excellence.[5][6]

She was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2009 Birthday Honours in recognition of her services to biology, in particular plant pathology.[7] Her investiture was held in the ballroom at Lanarch Castle in Dunedin.[8]

In 2011 Stewart was honoured by Lincoln University as the inaugural Distinguished Professor of Plant Pathology.[6] Appointed Emeritus Professor on leaving the university,[9] she joined Marrone Bio Innovations in California in April 2013.[10] She returned to New Zealand as general manager, forest science at Scion, formerly the New Zealand Forest Research Institute.[11] In March 2018 she became the CEO of FAR, the Foundation for Arable Research.[12]

Her research has focused on developing bioprotection technologies[13][14] and included extensive studies of Trichoderma.[15][16][17]

Stewart has served as vice president of the New Zealand Plant Protection Society and the Australasian Plant Pathology Society. She has also been the Australasian councillor for the International Society of Plant Pathologists.[5]

The standard author abbreviation Alison Stewart is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.[18]

References

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  1. ^ "FAR Research – Staff". www.far.org.nz. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "ATL: Unpublished Collections: Stewart, Alison, 1957–". Alexander Turnbull Library. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  3. ^ Densem, Yvonne (2010). "Honour for Professor Alison Stewart". National Library of New Zealand. p. 33. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  4. ^ Stewart, Alison. "Mechanisms of resistance to botrytis in onion (Allium cepa. L)". University of Stirling Library. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Alison Stewart". The Governor-General of New Zealand. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Inaugural Distinguished Professor of Plant Pathology". Lincoln University Living Heritage: Tikaka Tuku Iho. 20 December 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  7. ^ "The Queen's Birthday Honours List 2009". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 1 June 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  8. ^ "Investiture ceremony in Dunedin". Otago Daily Times Online News. 10 September 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Lincoln University appoints distinguished pair to Emeritus Professor rank". Lincoln University. 6 May 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Alison Stewart – President of Marrone Bio Innov | MBII". Macroaxis. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  11. ^ "Alison Stewart". Scion: New Zealand Forest Research Institute. Archived from the original on 21 January 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  12. ^ "The Foundation for Arable Research welcomes Alison Stewart as Chief Executive Officer". Decipher Group. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  13. ^ "Professor Alison StewartFuture Foods for NZ – Cutting through the hype". New Zealand Horticulture Conference 2019. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  14. ^ Travis Glare; John Caradus; Wendy Gelernter; Trevor Jackson; Nemat Keyhani; Jürgen Köhl; Pamela Marrone; Louise Morin; Alison Stewart; et al. (13 February 2012). "Have biopesticides come of age?". Trends in Biotechnology. 30 (5): 250–258. doi:10.1016/J.TIBTECH.2012.01.003. ISSN 0167-7799. PMID 22336383. Wikidata Q37984157.
  15. ^ Sarah L. Dodd; Ross N. Crowhurst; Allen G. Rodrigo; Gary J. Samuels; Robert A. Hill; Alison Stewart (January 2000). "Examination of Trichoderma phylogenies derived from ribosomal DNA sequence data". Mycological Research. 104 (1): 23–34. doi:10.1017/S0953756299001100. ISSN 0953-7562. Wikidata Q58002642.
  16. ^ Johanna M. Steyaert; Richard J. Weld; Alison Stewart (22 December 2009). "Ambient pH intrinsically influences Trichoderma conidiation and colony morphology". Fungal Biology. 114 (2–3): 198–208. doi:10.1016/J.FUNBIO.2009.12.004. ISSN 1878-6146. PMID 20943130. Wikidata Q42860197.
  17. ^ Kirstin Lee McLean; Mark Braithwaite; Jayanthi Swaminathan; Alison Stewart (2 February 2012). "Variability in control of onion white rot by Trichoderma atroviride under different disease pressures". Australasian Plant Pathology. 41 (4): 341–346. doi:10.1007/S13313-011-0113-3. ISSN 0815-3191. Wikidata Q111457531.
  18. ^ International Plant Names Index.  Alison Stewart.