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Senior Leadership Team

Prof Richard Newcomb

Chief Scientist

Professor Newcomb is responsible for quality assurance of our science, science strategy, strategic collaborations and science capability development within Plant & Food Research. He completed his BSc and MSc in Zoology at the University of Auckland, followed with a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from The Australian National University based at the CSIRO in Canberra. He has broad research interests focused on the biology, genetics and evolution of odour sensing in animals, is a co-author on over 100 publications and an inventor on five patents. Professor Newcomb is Associate Editor for the Journal of Chemical Ecology and on the editorial boards of the journals, Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Chemical Senses. He is currently a member of the Marsden Council at the Royal Society of New Zealand, Te Aparangi.