Joanna is a scientist in the Sensory and Consumer Science team at HortResearch.  She specialises in research assessing public perceptions of emerging or controversial technologies associated with food, particularly in the area of genetic modification, irradiation and biotechnology in general. Joanna has reported her findings to a number of regulatory bodies such as ERMA, government ministries, a wide range of retailers, manufacturers and exporters, various scientific organisations, and non-governmental organisations, and contributed to the background report prepared for the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification.  She is continuing to develop her field of expertise, which centres on attitude formation, and how this impacts on consumer behaviour. The majority of the information she collects helps guide research directions in the plant gene technologies area.

Joanna has conducted focus groups on public understanding of biotechnology with mothers of young children, businesspeople, environmentalists, Buddhists and scientists.  Mothers of young children will continue to be the focus of her research in the coming years, as she monitors the social, cultural, and spiritual issues this group has with sustainable biotechnology.

Socially & Culturally Sustainable Biotechnology research projects:

Public Understandings of Biotechnology

Contact Details

Location:
The Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand Ltd (HortResearch)

Phone: (09) 815 4200

E-mail: jgamble@hortresearch.co.nz