Dr. Rana Munns

Biography

Professor Rana Munns received his PhD from the University of Sydney in 1972. He has worked at the CSIRO Plant Physiology Unit, Macquarie University, and the University of Western Australia, as well as conducting research at CSIRO in Canberra. In 2007, he was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. As an Emeritus Professor, he is associated with the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Biology and the School of Plant Biology at the University of Western Australia, and also serves as an Honorary Fellow at CSIRO Agriculture in Canberra. His research focuses on the mechanisms of plant adaptation to drought and salinity stress, having characterized critical processes involved in salinity tolerance and distinguished salinity stress from drought stress. Professor Munns developed a highly sensitive technique for identifying salt-tolerant plants and discovered significant genes responsible for sodium exclusion. His research has led to genetic and physiological advancements in salt tolerance for durum wheat, resulting in breeding lines that yield 25% more than parent plants in saline soils.

Research Interests

Experience