Gary Dykes is Professor in the School of Chemistry, Monash University (Australia) and School of Science, Monash University (Malaysia). Before joining Monash he was Director, Food Safety and Quality at CSIRO Animal, Food and Health Sciences (Australia). He has worked in a range of other research and academic institutions around the world including AgResearch (New Zealand) and the University of Saskatchewan (Canada). He holds a PhD in Food Microbiology from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. His research interests focus on the ecology of foodborne bacterial pathogens in the man-made and natural environment. He is particularly interested in the role played by attachment to surfaces and biofilm formation of these bacteria on their transmission through the food system. He has worked on a range of pathogenic bacteria including Salmonella, Campylobacter, pathogenic E. coli and Listeria in different food commodity systems with a focus on meat production. Gary has published this work in over 125 papers in peer reviewed journals. He has also presented his work at various conferences and meetings internationally, often as an invited or keynote speaker, and in 7 book chapters. He is involved in a number of international food safety initiatives such as the EU COST action Bacfoodnet. He has also been invited as an expert to FAO WHO expert consultancies. Gary has supervised numerous PhD students to completion and has a strong interest in postgraduate research training in food microbiology.