Professor Shashi Sharma is Chair in Biosecurity and Food Security at the Murdoch University, Western Australia. Prior to joining this University, he was at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Government of Western Australia where he was Director, Plant Biosecurity and member of the Senior Leadership Team. He is Leader of the ‘Safeguarding Trade’ program of Australia’s Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre (PBCRC). He has been Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Murdoch University in Western Australia since 2006. Dr Sharma has been internationally active in the area of plant health management for the last 35 years. He has served as Head and Professor of the Division of Nematology, the largest nematology centre in the world, located in New Delhi, India, Scientist at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Visiting Professor at the Delta Centre of the University of Missouri in the United States of America, and International Fellow at the Rothamsted International, in the United Kingdom.
Dr Sharma sits on several Australian national and international committees. He has served as Chairman of three industry committees in Western Australia – the Grains Industry Biosecurity Committee, the Horticulture Industry Biosecurity Committee, and the Bee Industry Consultative Committee and member of the Australian Plant Health Committee.
Dr Sharma began his career in agriculture protection (nematology) research in 1977. He is author/co-author of more than 200 publications, including two books. He has received a number of national and international awards in recognition of his contributions to agriculture protection. Dr Sharma is Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India.
Dr Sharma has extensive first-hand experience of working in several countries in Asia and Africa and in the USA, UK and Australia. His program in Australia on plant biosecurity has attracted international acclaim. He has served as Principal Consultant, Team Leader and Director of international programs of AGWEST International, at the Western Australian Department of Agriculture and Food for providing advice to countries and regions in the area of biosecurity risk management and food security.
Dr Sharma is a strong advocate of biosecurity as an integral part of global food security, and has been internationally speaking on biosecurity and food security issues for many years.