Q&A with Nicole Thomson, 2025 20Twenties Young Alumni Award recipient

What started as a filler subject has become a fascination for Nicole Thomson.

Nicole has just taken up a postdoctoral research position in Germany and through her research she aims to further the understanding of plant development, to help respond to food security and climate change challenges.

Nicole, who has a BSc (Hons) in Genetics from Otago, has been widely recognised for her research excellence through awards and scholarships. Highlights include presenting her research at international conferences and collaborating with geneticists at the Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf during a research visit to Germany.  

Nicole is also focused on science outreach. In 2024, she was the co-president of the Melbourne University Genetics Postgraduate Society. In this role she mentored new graduate students and organised events promoting genetics research.

Q: How did you react when you heard you had received the award?

I was absolutely stoked to have my achievements recognised by an institution that I hold so dear to me, and I immediately told my friends and family. My partner took me out for a nice dinner to celebrate!

Q: What path have you followed since graduation?

After graduating from Otago, I commenced my PhD at the University of Melbourne in Australia. During my PhD I studied the mechanisms behind plant embryo and root development through the lens of the LEUNIG regulatory complex function.

I recently completed my PhD, and have just started a CEPLAS postdoctoral research position at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research in Germany. This project will aim to improve plant-autonomous root growth strategies to increase nutrient acquisition in plants to ultimately optimise plant growth in various environmental conditions.

Q: What inspires and motivates you to work in the areas you are involved with?

The core aspect of scientific research that drives me is a desire to know how things work.

Researching plant development not only improves our understanding of the fine mechanisms which control plant growth and response to environment, but we can then apply this knowledge to improving these plant traits as a solution to pressing food security and climate change concerns.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

My plan for the next few years during my new position is to broaden my research experience and contribution, to learn German, and to travel. After that, I hope to continue a fulfilling career in plant research, contributing something lasting to how we grow food on a changing planet.

Q: Tell us about the highlights of your time at Otago, and how it has influenced you in your career and following your interests?

My time at Otago will always be treasured. I met my partner and several lifelong friends there, I have many flatting stories to share and laugh about, and it was during my time there that I was inspired by plant genetics.

I started out majoring in Chemistry and minoring in Psychology and I just took plant biology as a filler subject in my first year. I often wonder what my life would have been like had I not come to Otago, taken this paper, and had my teachers not been as inspiring. I am so grateful that I did and had these experiences because it has significantly influenced my life since.