Meet Wine Australia’s RD&E team
Wine Australia's research, development and extension team work in collaboration with research providers to ensure the delivery short- and long-term value for the Australian grape and wine community.
We have a number of priority program areas and our team works with research providers to deliver outcomes for the sector. If you have a question, contact our team at research@wineaustralia.com.
Liz Waters – General Manager, Research Development and Extension
Liz has responsibility for all of Wine Australia’s RD&E programs. Liz was previously Senior RD&E Program Manager at the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation (GWRDC), one of Wine Australia's two predecessor organisations. Prior to joining GWRDC in 2011, Liz held senior research positions at The Australian Wine Research Institute and the Cooperative Research Centre for Viticulture and is internationally recognised as a leader in grape and wine research. Liz has a PhD in Wine Science from the University of Adelaide and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Keith Hayes – Senior R&D Program Manager
Keith is responsible for R&D projects in vineyard management, grapevine and rootstock performance and grapegrowing for excellence. Keith was a Wine Australia R&D Program Manager from 2006–10 and returned to Wine Australia (then GWRDC) in 2013 after almost three years with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, as a divisional Deputy Director. He holds an Honours degree in Chemistry (Flinders University) and is an experienced researcher, analytical laboratory manager and Research Manager, having worked for more than 20 years in various water industry roles. He also has 10 years of viticultural experience as a (former) Clare Valley property owner and grapegrower.
Paul Smith – Senior R&D Program Manager
Paul is responsible for R&D projects in wine provenance and measures of quality, winery efficiency and yeast and bacterial performance. Paul joined the Wine Australia team in October 2017. After gaining a PhD degree in Chemistry at Flinders University, 15 years in wine science research at The Australian Wine Research Institute developed his strengths in research management, scientific editing and post-graduate student supervision leading to more than 100 journal articles, many sector publications, scientific reports and multiple domestic and international collaborations and conference presentations. Paul is a joint editor for the wine chemistry topical collection in the journal Molecules.
Jo Hargreaves – Senior R&D Program Manager
Jo is responsible for R&D projects on customer insights and for Wine Australia’s people development and capacity building activities and our extension and adoption programs. Jo joined the Wine Australia team in September 2017, following an extensive career in the education sector. Her background is in social science research and she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and English literature and a Masters in Public Policy. Jo’s most recent role was with the National Centre for Vocational Education Research where, over a period of 18 years, she conducted and published numerous research reports and articles with a particular focus on apprenticeships, labour and social mobility and industry engagement in skill development. Jo has substantial interest and expertise in evaluating the impact of research, and working with the wine sector to adopt R&D outcomes.
Sharon Harvey – R&D Program Manager
Sharon is responsible for R&D projects in biosecurity, pest and disease management, and in climate adaptability. Sharon joined the team in September 2015. She holds a PhD in Plant Molecular Genetics from the University of Adelaide and worked for 12 years on laboratory-based research projects funded by the Cotton Research and Development Corporation. Her research findings were published in scientific journals and presented widely at scientific conferences as well as to collaborators and industry stakeholders. Sharon has also taught undergraduate Bachelor of Science students and supervised PhD and Honours students.
Belinda Bramley – Extension and Adoption Officer
Belinda works with a broad group of stakeholders to turn research results into tangible products that encourage the uptake of new information, practices and tools by the grape and wine sector. This includes everything from factsheets through to mobile apps. Belinda holds a BSc in Viticulture from the University of Adelaide and a certificate in Applied Sensory and Consumer Science from UC Davis. Belinda worked for CSIRO for 16 years in a variety of technical roles associated with research into soils and land use. She followed this with more than 9 years at The Australian Wine Research Institute where she led sensory analysis and consumer-based wine sensory panels. Belinda subsequently worked for Pernod Ricard in their R&D team leading sensory projects, was the Industry Development Officer at the McLaren Vale Grape Wine and Tourism Association, and a consultant providing project management and support services to regional sector associations, before joining the Wine Australia R&D team in September 2016.
Lisa Salisbury – Records and Office Administrator
Lisa has responsibility across all of Wine Australia’s records management and archives – and is also the friendly voice helping you through our applications and reporting requirements. Lisa joined Wine Australia (then GWRDC) nearly 4 years ago to facilitate the transfer of the GWRDC legacy documents to National Archives of Australia. Lisa took up part time duties as administration assistant to the R&D team in the middle of 2014, while concurrently performing records management duties for Wine Australia. Her background is in Archaeology and she holds a Graduate Diploma in Cultural Heritage Management and a Masters in Forensic Archaeology and Disaster Victim Recovery. Prior to joining Wine Australia, Lisa worked on archaeological sites in Western Australia, Victoria and South Australia as well as in the UK, Macedonia, Czech Republic and Hungary for more than 14 years.