Dr. Madonna C. Casimero (Donna) is a Senior Scientist (Agronomist) at IRRI. She leads the Climate Adaptive Agronomy sub-unit under the Sustainable Impact in Rice-based Systems (SIRS) Department at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). She is also co-leading Area of Work 8 - Program agility and delivery - of the Sustainable Farming Program (SFP) of the OneCGIAR.

Donna has been with IRRI for 17 years, leading projects on capacity development and serving as an agronomist and seed systems specialist in R&D projects in the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Myanmar. She was assigned as the Representative of IRRI to Myanmar from 2012 to 2015 and the Lead Senior Scientist-Agronomist in implementing the projects of IRRI in the country. Prior to her assignment in Myanmar, she led an Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) funded project to improve productivity and profitability of smallholder rice-based households in Eastern Indonesia from 2008 to 2011.

Her research experience in farming systems, weed science, and agronomy spans almost 40 years. She was involved in high-impact research and community development projects, which used participatory approaches to adaptive research when working with farmers.