Dame Ottoline Leyser is Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Cambridge, holding one of the most prestigious academic positions in British plant science. Following her undergraduate studies in Genetics at Cambridge, she completed her PhD at the same institution before establishing her research career through postdoctoral work at Indiana University and subsequent faculty positions. She served as a lecturer at the University of York from 1994 to 2010, where she developed foundational research in plant developmental biology, before returning to Cambridge as Director of the Sainsbury Laboratory from 2013 to 2020. In recognition of her exceptional contributions across multiple domains, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2017 for services to plant science, science in society, and equality and diversity in science.
Professor Leyser's pioneering research has fundamentally transformed our understanding of developmental plasticity in plants, using shoot branching in Arabidopsis as a model system to investigate how plants respond dynamically to environmental conditions. She has masterfully integrated molecular genetics with computational modeling to elucidate the complex role of plant hormones in multi-scale self-organization within shoot systems, revealing how hormonal signaling networks enable remarkable phenotypic flexibility from a single genotype. Her innovative experimental approaches have established new paradigms in plant developmental biology, demonstrating sophisticated mechanisms that govern plant growth adaptation beyond traditional genetic determinism. These seminal contributions have earned her election to multiple prestigious national academies including the Royal Society, the US National Academy of Sciences, the Leopoldina, and EMBO, solidifying her international reputation as a leader in plant science.
Beyond her laboratory achievements, Dame Leyser has profoundly shaped research culture and science policy through her leadership as CEO of UK Research and Innovation from 2020 to 2025, overseeing an organization with an annual budget exceeding £8 billion that brings together the UK's research councils and innovation agencies. She has dedicated decades to making science more accessible and inclusive, engaging extensively with the public through lectures and initiatives with organizations ranging from the Campaign for Science and Engineering to the Science Museum. Her commitment to improving research culture began with chairing the Nuffield Council on Bioethics project examining systemic issues in science, and she has consistently championed greater diversity and equity within scientific communities throughout her career. Currently, she continues to influence both scientific discovery and the broader research ecosystem while maintaining her position as Regius Professor of Botany, demonstrating an enduring commitment to advancing plant science and its societal context.
