A major focus of the group has been the genetic and biological dissection of yellow rust (also known as stripe rust) resistance in wheat. National and international programs have characterised the genetic biodiversity of yellow rust resistance in national wheat germplasm collections. Microscopic studies have examined the biology of the wheat-yellow rust interaction, with particularly focus on durable sources of resistance in wheat (Boyd, 2006).

New areas of research include the genetics and biology of non-host resistance, using the wheat-Magnaporthe grisea and Puccinia triticina systems, and Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR) in cereals, modelled on DIR1-mediated SAR found in Arabidopsis.