Career spotlight | Sharyn Taylor, AUSPestCheck® PHA

This month we are shining the spotlight on Dr Sharyn Taylor, Manager of AUSPestCheck® at Plant Health Australia (PHA).

What does a typical workday look like for you?

A typical day usually involves preparing reports, proposals, and delivery of the day-to-day aspects of running AUSPestCheck®, the national data collation system for plant health surveillance. This can range from answering queries, working with our users and software developers to develop new aspects of the system, reporting on activities (a lot!), ensuring bugs and fixes are being prioritised and addressed, training users, and running or attending national workshops or meetings. Given much of our work is now done virtually, online meetings are usually a key part of my day, and a lot of time is spent in preparation for these meetings as well as in follow up. While very much desk based, there’s a lot of variety in the  work I do daily.

How long have you worked in this area?

I’ve worked in plant quarantine/biosecurity since 2004.

How did you find yourself in this career?

I started as a Nematologist with my Honours thesis on nematodes associated with potential biocontrol of European millipedes. I then moved into research on root lesion nematode in the grains industry, where I completed my PhD part-time while working full-time.  At that point, there wasn’t specific training in biosecurity as such (it was still called quarantine). As Manager of the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) Post Entry Plant Quarantine facility from 2004 – 2007 I built my knowledge and understanding of new pest and disease threats and moved into my first role at PHA in 2007.  I’ve been lucky to have incorporated biosecurity as a key part of all roles since then, with a strong focus on improving national biosecurity surveillance outcomes.

What roles have you held previously?

I’ve held roles at PHA (2007 -2012), the Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) from 2012 – 2014 and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) from(2014 – 2015 before returning to PHA where I’ve been since 2015.

What is your most memorable career achievement?

Probably still my PhD (it took eight long years because it was part-time).  Many of the memorable achievements along the way have related to securing significant projects/programs that have enabled great partnerships and provided tangible outcomes to improving biosecurity surveillance in Australia.

What advice would you give to others starting/changing their career?

Be open to different opportunities and always be curious!

Connect with Sharyn on LinkedIn