President
Professor Scott Johnson (Australia)
Scott Johnson is Professor of Ecology at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Australia. His research explores how silicon enhances plant resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses, from insect herbivory to climate change. His group investigates silicon biology across scales, from the evolutionary origins of silicon accumulation in plants to practical applications that improve agricultural sustainability. Working across cereals, legumes and natural ecosystems, Scott combines ecological and applied research to develop innovative, science-based solutions for resilient food production.
Vice-President
Dr Mônica Sartori de Camargo (Brazil)
Mônica Sartori de Camargo is a scientific researcher at APTA (São Paulo State Secretariat of Agriculture and Food Supply), Brazil, specialising in soil fertility, plant nutrition and sustainable crop production. Her research focuses on silicon fertilisation in tropical agriculture, particularly in sugarcane and soybean systems, examining how silicon improves nutrient uptake, crop productivity and tolerance to environmental stresses such as drought. She also investigates silicon dynamics in soils and develops long-term nutrient management strategies to support sustainable agriculture.
Secretary
Dr Julia Cooke
(United Kingdom)
Julia Cooke is Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Associate Dean (STEM) at The Open University, United Kingdom. A plant ecologist, her research investigates the functional ecology of silicon and its role in plant adaptation and ecosystem processes. By integrating evidence from agronomy, ecology, physiology and palaeontology, Julia uses quantitative meta-analysis to uncover broad patterns that advance our understanding of plant silicon biology across diverse environments.
Treasurer
Professor Brenda S. Tubana (USA)
Brenda S. Tubana is Professor of Soil Fertility at the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, USA. Her research focuses on soil fertility, nutrient management and sustainable crop production, with an emphasis on developing evidence-based fertiliser recommendations for major field crops. Her work includes silicon fertilisation, soil conservation, microbial-mediated silicon availability, remote sensing for nutrient management, and the development of reliable plant, soil and fertiliser testing methods for silicon.
Industry Representative
Dr Peter Prentice (Australia)
Peter Prentice is Managing Director of Agripower Australia Ltd. and has spent decades advancing the agricultural application of amorphous silica derived from Melosira granulata diatoms. His work has supported field evaluation of silicon technologies across more than 20 countries and 46 crop species, demonstrating their potential to improve crop productivity and resilience under diverse soil conditions. Peter has also contributed to international research on sustainable agriculture, pest management and greenhouse gas mitigation through innovative silicon-based technologies.
Board Member
Professor Fabrício Ávila Rodrigues (Brazil)
Fabrício Ávila Rodrigues is Professor of Plant Pathology at the Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil. An internationally recognised authority on plant disease resistance, his research investigates how silicon and mineral nutrition enhance plant defence against foliar and soilborne pathogens. His work combines molecular, physiological and biochemical approaches to understand host-pathogen interactions, induced resistance and the mechanisms through which silicon improves crop health and productivity.
Board Member
Dr Félix de Tombeur (France)
Félix de Tombeur studies silicon dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems, integrating plant ecophysiology, biogeochemistry and soil science. His research explores how silicon influences plant functioning, ecosystem processes and nutrient cycling, while examining the interactions between plants, soils and environmental drivers that regulate terrestrial silicon cycling.
Board Member
Dr Jakob Santner (Germany)
Jakob Santner is an agricultural scientist whose research focuses on sustainable and resource-efficient crop production systems. His work examines how silicon fertilisation enhances crop tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses, particularly drought, while also investigating nutrient recovery from waste streams, fertiliser efficiency and strategies to improve phosphorus acquisition and nutrient use efficiency in agricultural systems.
Board Member
Dr Namiki Mitani-Ueno (Japan)
Namiki Mitani-Ueno is a plant nutrition researcher at the Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Japan. Her research investigates the molecular and physiological mechanisms regulating silicon uptake, transport and accumulation in crops, particularly rice. By combining molecular biology with plant physiology, she has made significant contributions to understanding how plants acquire and utilise silicon.
Board Member
Professor Rivka Elbaum (Israel)
Rivka Elbaum is Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. Her interdisciplinary research bridges plant biology and materials science, investigating silica deposition, cell wall architecture and the biomechanics of plant tissues. By revealing how plants build complex biological materials, her work advances both our understanding of silicon biology and the development of bio-inspired materials.
Student Representative
Miss Ramalka Kasige (Sri Lanka)
Ramalka Kasige is a PhD candidate at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Australia. Her research investigates how silicon and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi interact to strengthen plant defences against the fall armyworm in maize, contributing to the development of sustainable pest management strategies. With a background in insect ecology and behaviour, Ramalka is passionate about understanding complex plant–insect–microbe interactions and communicating science to wider audiences through public speaking and outreach.
ISSAG Board Members
Meet the current ISSAG Board