Professor Lars Østergaard, Sherardian Professor of Botany at the University of Oxford, leads research on how hormones regulate plant development and diversity, particularly in reproductive tissues. His work spans model plants and crops, focusing on the Brassicaceae family and, more recently, pea plants (Pisum) to explore evolutionary mechanisms of fruit formation. Lars' lab uses genetic and genomic tools to study fruit growth, with notable discoveries in seed dispersal control applied to improve crop performance, especially in oilseed rape. His research aims to contribute to sustainable agriculture and plant-based protein production.