Dr Stephen Goldson

Stephen has been involved in pest management and biosecurity research for thirty years, during which time he has made a contribution to the suppression of New Zealand's exotic grassland pests using parasitoid wasp biological control agents.  He has also made early attempts at developing technology to improve sea container biosecurity. 

More recently, he has worked as AgResearch's Chief Science Strategist and most recently as its Chief Scientist.  For ten years prior to this, he was the Science Leader of the Biocontrol and Biosecurity Group focusing on pest management. 

He was President of the New Zealand Plant Protection Society Inc. between 2001 and 2003 and has contributed to a large number of New Zealand MAF's technical advisory groups established to deal with pest and disease incursions.  He has also been a member of several national science policy advisory groups and in 1996-97 worked as science adviser to the then Minister of Research, Science and Technology, the Rt. Hon. Simon Upton. 

In 1999 Stephen was appointed by Cabinet to the New Zealand Independent Biotechnology Advisory Council.  In 2005 he was appointed to the Biosecurity Ministerial Advisory Committee and in 2006 joined the National Science Panel.  Stephen is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural Science, a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society of London and a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand.  In 2007 he won the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science's Jubilee Medal for his contribution to primary industries research. 

Stephen is currently working part time as the Science Strategist in the Office of the Science Adviser to the Prime Minister, Professor Sir Peter Gluckman