Dr Andrew McConnachie began his career with the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines, followed by 10 years at the Agricultural Research Council - Plant Protection Research Institute. Here he specialized in weed biological control, where he worked on a range of terrestrial weeds including parthenium weed and wandering trad. In 2014 he took up a position with the NSW DPI. He is the research leader for weed biocontrol and works on a variety of environmentally and agriculturally important weeds. He has published on insect-plant interactions, insect thermal physiology, invasive plant management and resource economics.