Afroz Naznin is a PhD candidate at Western Sydney University, Hawkesbury Campus, under the supervision of Prof. Zhonghua Chen. Afroz embarked on her PhD journey with a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, followed by an MS in Horticulture from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU), Bangladesh. She further expanded her expertise by earning a second Master’s degree in Plant Sciences, specialising in Plant Breeding and Genetic Resources from the renowned Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands. Since 2012, Afroz has been serving as an agricultural scientist at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), where she has contributed to numerous research initiatives aimed at advancing sustainable agricultural practices. Her work continues to bridge fundamental plant science with practical applications to enhance crop resilience in the face of climate change. Currently, Afroz is pursuing her PhD under the ‘Wheat Heat Tolerance Project’. Her research focuses on heat tolerance in wheat and its impact on grain carbohydrate composition (starch and sugar content). Specifically, she investigates the relationship between leaf structural traits and carbohydrate profiles of wheat grains under heat stress, as these structural traits play a crucial role in determining plant resilience and productivity under elevated temperatures. Her supervisory team includes Prof. Zhonghua Chen, Assoc. Prof. Jay Bose and Prof. Oula Ghannoum from Western Sydney University. Afroz is a recipient of a Future Food System CRC top-up scholarship.
“I am excited to uncover the intricate links between leaf structure, carbohydrate composition, and heat tolerance—insights that could pave the way for breeding more resilient wheat varieties and securing sustainable crop production in a warming world.”
