Prem Bhalla

Professor Prem Bhalla is Head of Plant Science and Professor of Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology in the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Melbourne. She leads the Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory, overseeing a research team that includes postdoctoral scientists, research and technical assistants, doctoral students, and visiting scientists. As a plant biotechnologist with an international reputation, her academic interests center on plant reproduction, developmental biology, genetic engineering, and tissue culture of crop plants. Current research specializations include breeding smaller soybean plants for yield stability in changing climates, elucidating how extreme heat impacts plant genetics to enhance crop resilience, and leveraging Andean knowledge for quinoa flowering and breeding programs. She directs major interdisciplinary collaborations, such as the Australia-India Grand Challenge program, and partnerships with Australian and international industries, attracting significant funding for biotechnology patents and projects including the ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Legume Research.

Professor Bhalla's career highlights include pioneering the world's first hypoallergenic ryegrass via genetic engineering, discovering novel stem cell markers and repressors of germ line gene expression, identifying male gamete-specific histone variants and the Bcp1 gene critical for male fertility in flowering plants, cloning the major grass pollen allergen for immunotherapy vaccines, and developing the first tissue culture micropropagation system for macadamia. She holds inventorship on 10 international patents and has authored or co-authored over 145 research papers in refereed journals, with key publications such as the co-edited book 'Wheat Biotechnology: Methods and Protocols' (2017), 'High temperature susceptibility of sexual reproduction in crop plants' (Journal of Experimental Botany, 2020), 'Pangenomics comes of age: from bacteria to plant and animal applications' (Trends in Genetics, 2020), and 'Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Brassica napus and Brassica oleracea' (Nature Protocols, 2008). Her work has received over 6,900 citations and widespread media coverage in outlets like ABC, BBC, and National Geographic. Major awards encompass the Royal Society of Victoria Medal for Excellence in Scientific Research (2000), International Fellow of the Indian Society for Plant Physiology (2023), Frederick White Prize of the Australian Academy of Sciences, and CSIRO Medal. She contributes to the field through editorial roles on six international journals, including Frontiers in Plant Biotechnology, Plant Reproduction, and Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology.

Professional Email: premlb@unimelb.edu.au