Dr Luke Williams

Luke Williams is a proud Gumbaynggirr man of northern NSW. Luke's research primarily focuses on the traditional uses of native Australian plants with an emphasis on understanding how these plants can contribute to our modern food systems. This includes the promotion of traditional foods in Indigenous communities to improve food security and cultural wellbeing, through to supporting Indigenous businesses to lead the bush food industry, so that the nutritional and environmental benefits attributed to native plants can be enjoyed by all.

Luke's PhD examined the dietary safety assessment of Australian native foods. He continues this line of research today using a mixed-methods approach that includes working with Traditional Custodians to understand histories of use and cultural context, while supporting consumer safety through the generation of quantitative evidence, such as toxicological endpoints and chemical analyses. Luke is currently expanding this work to develop new laboratory approaches for characterising biological activity and potential toxicity, including emerging non-animal and high-content screening tools to better understand safety and mechanism of action.

Luke sees the growing native foods industry as a culturally appropriate economic opportunity for Indigenous Peoples. However, he also recognises that if these foods and plant-based products are to be made widely available, development must occur under Indigenous leadership and be supported by robust scientific evidence to ensure they are safe for general consumption.