Dr Nikki Kelly (nee Hislop) is a Senior Research Officer in the Agri-tech Education and Extension team at CQUniversity. For her PhD, she investigated the functional evolutionary conservation of developmental genes involved in neural system patterning in a model coral system. During a postdoctoral fellowship at the Rotary Bone Marrow Research Laboratories in Melbourne, she investigated the role of the grainy-head gene family in neural tube closure and wound healing. After moving into secondary education in Rockhampton, Nikki taught science, biology, and agricultural science, striving to instill an appreciation of scientific literacy and inquiry in her students.

Nikki’s current research combines her interests in STEM education, agriculture and agri-tech to engage students, educators, and industry members to increase their skills and understanding of the diverse range of careers across the agricultural supply chain. Her experience across science, STEM and education brings a unique and valued perspective to the Agri-tech Education team that works to attract the next generation of highly skilled STEM-qualified agricultural workforce to the industry.