Emily is Professor of Chemical Biology and Deputy Director at the Ferrier Research Institute at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand where she leads the Synthetic and Chemical Biology Team. She has undergraduate degree in organic chemistry (University of Canterbury, New Zealand), and a PhD in bio-organic chemistry (University of Cambridge, United Kingdom). Emily has received several awards including the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry Easterfield Medal, the Maurice Wilkins Prize for Excellence in Chemistry and a New Zealand National Tertiary Teaching Award. In 2019 she was elected as Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

Emily’s research spans the areas of chemistry and biology and involves a range of research techniques including biosynthesis, protein and microbial engineering, and structural biology.  Her current work focuses on using synthetic biology approaches to engineer microorganisms for the sustainable biomanufacture of valuable materials. She has recently founded a synthetic biology startup company Bontia Bio.

In 2023 Emily took up a half-time secondment to the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment as Departmental Science Advisor. In this role she has chaired the Technical Advisory Group for New Zealand Gene Technology regulation reform.