Research Interests

Open to PhD applications in: 

• Plant variety rights (PVR) or plant breeder's rights (PBR)
• Geographical indications
• Access and benefit sharing (ABS) laws
• Intellectual property and biodiversity
• Intellectual property and Indigenous rights
• History of intellectual property
• Comparative and/or international intellectual property law

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Public outreach & key achievements

• I have advocated for reforms to the access and benefit sharing (ABS) legislation in Queensland, called the Biodiscovery Act 2004, through my publications and participation in the Queensland Government’s Traditional Knowledge Roundtable, and subsequently, the Biodiscovery Reference Group. Some of my recommendations were reflected in the amendments which introduced the ‘Traditional Knowledge Obligation’ to streamline the research approval processes and introduce a world-leading framework for the use of traditional knowledge and engagement between scientists and Indigenous peoples.
• Through our advocacy during the publication of an article about the amendments to the Queensland Biodiscovery Act, my co-authors and I successfully pushed The Conversation (Australia) to change their authorship policies to better recognise the knowledge and contributions of Indigenous people.

Discover More

• Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
• School of Law
• Global Intellectual Property and Technology (G-IPTech) Centre

Get ahead: tips on how to prepare your application to study for a PhD at QUB Law

Read our guidance on the steps in our PhD applications process and how to present your research proposal.

Interested in a postdoctoral fellowship at QUB Law?

If you have already completed a PhD or are about to do so, and you are looking for a mentor for a postdoctoral fellowship in one of my areas of expertise, please get in touch via email. The School of Law has a strong track record in supporting able candidates who are working towards fellowship applications to funders such as the British Academy, EU Marie Sklodowska-Curie scheme, ESRC NINE and the Leverhulme Trust.