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Sainsbury Laboratory

The aim of research at SLCU is to elucidate the regulatory systems underlying plant growth and development. SLCU houses 12 research groups each consisting of around 10 researchers. Details of research posts available at SLCU can be found on our Jobs page. PhD students should contact relevant group leaders to find out about any study opportunities at the Sainsbury Laboratory.

 

SLCU Leadership Team

 

Henrik-Jonsson-square.jpg

Professor Henrik Jönsson

Director and Research Group Leader

henrik.jonsson@slcu.cam.ac.uk

Jönsson Research Group

The Jönsson Group develops computational morphodynamics models at the cellular level describing multicellular tissues such as the shoot apical meristem.

Alexander Jones

Dr Alexander Jones

Research Group Leader

alexander.jones@slcu.cam.ac.uk

Jones Research Group

The Jones Group investigates how plant hormones serve as signal integrators and master regulators of physiology and development.

Professor Ottoline Leyser

Research Group Leader

ol235@cam.ac.uk

Leyser Research Group

The Leyser Group studies the dynamic properties of plant hormone networks and their role in plant developmental plasticity, using the regulation of shoot branching as a model.

*Professor Leyser is on secondment to UKRI until June 2025 and is not currently accepting any new students or research staff team members. 

Professor James Locke

Associate Director and Research Group Leader

Professor of Quantitative Plant Development

james.locke@slcu.cam.ac.uk

Locke Research Group

The Locke Group investigate gene expression dynamics in microbial and plant systems.

Professor Elliot Meyerowitz

Inaugural Director, Distinguished Associate

elliot.meyerowitz@slcu.cam.ac.uk

Meyerowitz Research Group

The Meyerwitz Group combines real-time live imaging, mathematical models and experiments to study the development of flowers, shoots, and shoot meristems.

Dr Edwige Moyroud

Research Group Leader

edwige.moyroud@slcu.cam.ac.uk

Moyroud Research Group 

The Moyroud Group studies the mechanisms that account for pattern formation in petals at the molecular, cellular, biophysical and ecological levels.

Dr François Nédélec

Research Group Leader

francois.nedelec@slcu.cam.ac.uk

Nedelec Group

The Nédélec Group studies cell morphogenesis and developmental biology using synthetic and systems biology approaches, and computer modelling.

Dr Sarah Robinson

Research Group Leader

sarah.robinson@slcu.cam.ac.uk

Robinson Research Group

The Robinson Group uses a combination of novel biophysical tools, genetic manipulation and mathematical modelling to investigate how plant development (cell division and cell expansion) is controlled.

Katharina Schiessl

Career Development Fellow

Email: katharina.schiessl@slcu.cam.ac.uk

Schiessl Research Group

The Schiessl Group uses coloniser-induced plant organs such as symbiotic root nodules and parasitic root galls to advance and refine our understanding of the common principles that underpin plant organ diversification.

Dr Sebastian Schornack

Research Group Leader

sebastian.schornack@slcu.cam.ac.uk 

Schornack Research Group

The Schornack Group aims to characterise the extent to which beneficial and detrimental microorganisms employ similar plant developmental processes for colonisation

Dr Renske Vroomans

Carer Development Fellow

rmav2@cam.ac.uk

Vroomans Research Group

The Vroomans Group studies long-term processes in plant development using evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) models.

Dr Chris Whitewoods

Career Development Fellow

chris.whitewoods@slcu.cam.ac.uk

Whitewoods Research Group

The Whitewoods Group studies how plants pattern themselves in three dimensions, using leaf air spaces and carnivorous plant traps as models