Diane Gail Owen Saunders OBE is a British biologist and group leader at the John Innes Centre and an Honorary Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of East Anglia.

Her PhD research investigated infection-related morphogenesis caused by a rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae.

Saunders' observation triggered an international investigation, and identified that the UK strain belonged to the Digalu race.

[12][13] Saunders has worked with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research to create a platform that enables the diagnosis of plant diseases in realtime.

[23][8] In 2024, she was appointed Officer of the Order[24] of the British Empire (OBE) in the King's Birthday Honours for her contributions to plant science, agriculture, and the advancement of women in STEM.