My research interests include:

• Genetic and molecular basis of plant development
• Hormone perception and signalling mechanisms in plants
• Evolution of hormone signalling systems
• Protein-ligand interactions

I graduated with an Honours degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Oxford in 2001, followed by a PhD from the University of Nottingham in 2004. From an early stage in my research career I have been interested in the molecular and genetic basis of development, especially in plants, which show impressive variability and capacity to adapt to different lifestyles.

After my PhD I returned to Oxford as a postdoctoral researcher, in the Department of Plant Sciences. There I used the power of Arabidopsis genetics to understand the role of nuclear transcription factors in the development of chloroplasts. In 2010 I moved to UWA and shifted my research towards the perception of plant hormones and growth regulators, especially karrikins. I was fortunate to have been supported by two ARC grants as a researcher, which was followed by an ARC Future Fellowship that allowed me to start up my own research group in 2016. Over my time at UWA, I have generated 30 peer-reviewed publications in high impact journals such as Plant Cell, PNAS and Development.

Details of my current research activities, my research group and our publications can be found on my home page: https://watersmt.org

2010-2016 Post-doctoral Research Fellow (PI: Prof Steven Smith)
University of Western Australia, ARC Centre of Excellence Plant Energy Biology

2004-2008 Post-doctoral Research Fellow (PI: Prof Jane A Langdale)
University of Oxford, Department of Plant Sciences

GENE2250 Principles of Inheritance

GENE3350 Evolution and Development

GENE3370 Genomics

GENE4002 Integrated Topis in Genetics I

GENE4003 Integrated Topis in Genetics II