Dr. David Hawley leads the scientific research initiative at Fluence by OSRAM, a world-leader in horticultural lighting solutions. David first developed a passion for understanding global population dynamics while pursuing his Bachelor’s degree in plant biotechnology at the University of Guelph. Anticipating the looming challenge of global food security in a future with increasing global population and decreasing arable land, he focused his studies at the University of Guelph into controlled environment agriculture, earning his Master’s and PhD in environmental sciences. Through graduate school, David investigated the relationships between spectral quality and three pillars of plant development: photosynthesis, morphology, and secondary metabolism. Through this holistic understanding of how light quality impacts these key aspects of plant development, can design optimized light recipes for targeting specific crops and developmental objectives. Additionally, David’s PhD studies included the direct exploration of cannabis photochemistry and metabolism, earning one of the first doctorates in North America focusing on cannabis production. David’s experience in controlled environment systems, horticultural lighting, and cannabis metabolome have culminated into the mission of driving industry-leading lighting research that helps create a future of high-quality, sustainable crop production.