Dr Neil C. Turner is an Adjunct Professor in the Institute of Agriculture at the University of Western Australia where he is assisting in the supervision of graduate students. He also is a Visiting Professor at Lanzhou University in Lanzhou and the North-West Agricultural and Forestry University in Yangling, China, where he works with graduate students and staff working in agriculture and environment with data analysis, interpretation and publication.

Dr Turner is a scientist of international standing in the field of plant water relations. This has been recognised over the last two decades for his research and his outstanding synthesis of our understanding of the agronomic and physiological responses of crop plants to water deficits and the application of this information to the practical adaptation of crops to water-limited and drought prone environments.
His published research, which is a significant contribution to our under­standing of how plants respond to water stress, includes a series of original findings which he has developed and validated as a component of the whole plant response. In addition, Dr Turner, by means of a series of definitive reviews of the field, has consistently directed attention to the important research priorities and to the use of this information in improving the resistance of plants to water deficits and ultimately there adaptation to drought prone environments.
During his research career, Dr Turner has evolved as an excellent collabor­ator and manager of research teams and these skills have been recognised
in his promotion and appointment to a senior leadership role in CSIRO
in a field which is of seminal importance to Australia and to the international research community.