Darby is a PhD Candidate in Plant Pathology at Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia. He is the recipient of the Horticulture Innovation Australia Research Grant (Project 103610) and the Australian Government Research Training Program – International (AGRTP-International) scholarship. His research focuses on the diagnosis and management of dieback in persimmon trees, with the goal of improving disease management strategies for this crop. With experience in plant pathology research and extension since 2014, Darby has worked on various crop-pathogen interactions and has contributed to the field through multiple publications in international peer-reviewed journals. His expertise includes host-pathogen interactions, disease diagnosis, biological control and crop disease management.