Dr Toby Newman is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM) at Curtin University. Toby applies molecular and genetic approaches to investigate crop disease. His current research focuses on understanding cross-kingdom RNA interference (ckRNAi), particularly how a fungal pathogen uses small RNAs to manipulate host gene expression and promote disease. By combining molecular biology, plant pathology, and functional genomics approaches, his work aims to uncover the mechanisms underlying host-pathogen interactions and support the development of more disease-resistant crop varieties.