How can we ensure that the food we grow today will still feed us tomorrow, despite unpredictable climate changes? This is the question driving plant breeder Dr. Rebecca Thistlethwaite, who swapped the familiar streets of suburban Sydney for the expansive and often unpredictable Northern NSW country town of Narrabri over a decade ago.

Rebecca's path into agriculture wasn't straightforward, but her enthusiasm for tackling complex global issues led her into the world of research. As a Research Associate in Plant Breeding and Genetics at The University of Sydney Plant Breeding Institute in Narrabri, she's dedicated to boosting crop yields under challenging climatic conditions. Her work isn't just about scientific discovery~ it's about making sure those discoveries translate into real-world solutions.

Rebecca understands that communicating these innovations effectively is crucial. She works to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and its practical application, ensuring that new technologies are accessible and actionable for farmers, policymakers, and communities. By making science understandable and actionable, Rebecca is helping to address one of the biggest challenges in agriculture today.