Sadia has commenced her PhD at the University of Western Australia under the supervision of Dr Michael Considine, in collaboration with Hop Products Australia (HPA). Her research will focus on enhancing the flavour, taste, and aroma of hop (Humulus lupulus) plants in the brewing industry.
Hops serve as an integral part of the Australian beer industry, contributing in bitterness, aroma, and flavour profiles essential to beer quality. Sadia’s research aims to identify the key factors contributing to the susceptibility of hops to oxidation during post-harvest processing. By utilising genomics and metabolomics approaches, she will conduct research to mitigate undesirable flavour changes of diverse hop varieties. Additionally, she will investigate the breeding strategies for desirable traits, aimed at developing successful high-yielding, high alpha-acid hop varieties for commercial brewers.
Previously, Sadia completed her master’s in plant pathology, where she gained extensive experience in virology, biocontrol agent development, molecular biology, and host–pathogen interaction. She also has experience in crop physiology and stress resilience, contributing to the development of stress-tolerant crop varieties. These experiences have fuelled her passion for advancing her expertise in metabolomics, genomics, and breeding to develop improved plant varieties.
Beyond her academic pursuits, Sadia enjoys travelling and exploring new destinations through hiking, discovering various cultural locations and cooking new dishes.
