The Head of the Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Biochemistry, Prof. Sanushka Naidoo presented her Inaugural Lecture “Tree resilience to pests and pathogens in the face of climate change” as a full Professor in the University of Pretoria’s Senate Hall on 17 October. Sanushka leads the Eucalyptus Pine Pathogen Interaction (EPPI) research group in FABI that is dedicated to plant defence in forest tree species. Sanushka has supervised eight PhD, 22 MSc and 20 Honours students and published more than 50 research papers, one book chapter and holds one SA patent for DNA markers for insect pest resistance in Eucalyptus. She is also a Next Einstein Forum award winner and served two terms as the President of the South African Genetics Society in 2017-2022. Sanushka is also an Associate Editor of Scientific Reports and Frontiers in Plant Science. The lecture was attended by many of Sanushka’s colleagues and students as well as her husband and three children and other of her family members.