Biography
Dr Nicky Creux completed her PhD at the University of Pretoria, South Africa under the supervision of Prof Zander Myburg where she investigated the regulatory mechanisms controlling primary and secondary cellulose synthase deposition in trees. After this she transitioned to crop biology joining the Harmer Lab at University of California, Davis as postdoctoral fellow and focused on understanding the interaction between external and internal cue on coordinating pollination in sunflower. In her current role as a Junior Professor at LIPME - INRAE, Toulouse, France, the team’s focus is on understanding the sunflower's floral response to abiotic stresses and their impact on the interactions between sunflowers and their pollinators. Deciphering the genetic basis of sunflower attractiveness to pollinators is essential to strengthening its role in maintaining pollinator diversity and the ecosystem services they provide. They implement various methods to explore this topic, including plant phenotyping, molecular selection, and artificial intelligence (AI)-based models. The goal is to address research questions at different scales, from the molecular to the eco-physiological level, to gain a comprehensive view of the system they are studying. With this research the team hopes to develop the tools and foundational knowledge required to advance pollinator-friendly, climate-smart crops for the future.
