Cate, Professor in Ecology at the University of Auckland’s School of Biological Sciences, is an enthusiastic ‘tree ecophysiologist’. Her current research focuses on plant responses to climatic conditions – in particular, the impact of drought on New Zealand’s native forests. Before moving to Auckland in 2010, Cate was based in Sydney, Australia, where she completed her undergraduate degree and PhD, and undertook postdoctoral research. Since then, she has received a host of awards – a Marsden Fast-Start grant in 2012 and a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship in 2015. Cate is also Past President of the New Zealand Ecological Society (2017 to 2019).