Dr Donna Cawthorn

Dr Donna Cawthorn is Science Leader of the Food Innovation team at the Queensland Department of Primary Industries (DPI), where she leads major seafood innovation initiatives, including the award-winning CrabTrace traceability platform (https://crabtrace.com/). With over 18 years’ experience in seafood research across South Africa, the UK and Australia, Donna specialises in molecular diagnostics, food safety, post-harvest systems and supply chain traceability. Before joining DPI, she built a global reputation for her research on food authenticity and provenance, particularly focusing on seafood. Since relocating to Australia, she has forged strong collaborations with major seafood peak bodies and led nationally significant projects on traceability, food waste reduction and consumer-driven product development. Passionate about applied science with real-world impact, Donna works to create transparent, sustainable and value-driven food systems that benefit industry, regulators and consumers alike.