Sharon has been a PhD student with the CRCNPB since October 2007. She chose a project aligned with the CRCNPB as she has a keen interest in biosecurity, particularly in technology development for improving diagnostic capacities.

Sharon has been working in plant pathology since 2001 as a student and researcher with the CRC for Tropical Plant Protection, Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, and The University of Queensland. She has worked on various projects researching and developing diagnostic tests for fungal pathogens of bananas (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense, Mycosphaerella sp.), cotton (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. vasinfectum) and citrus (Guignardia citricarpa).

Most recently, Sharon worked with Dr Elizabeth Aitken (Senior Lecturer, UQ) to develop a new postgraduate course focussing on molecular diagnostics for plant protection.