Professor Lars Østergaard

Research Interests

My pronouns are he/him.


We study the role of hormones in regulating plant development and diversity. Our studies concentrate on comparative reproductive tissue development in model plants and crop species where we aim to understand how variation in the interactions between hormonal and genetic activities has led to morphological diversity. Whilst our previous work focussed on the Brassicaceae family, we recently initiated a programme on developmental genetics in Pisum (pea) to expand to an evolutionary distant family and to learn about conserved and diverse mechanisms in fruit formation. By collaborating across a wide spectrum of disciplines, we are keen to explore how our fundamental discoveries in legumes can contribute to addressing the global requirement for increased plant-based protein production and sustainable agriculture.