Rate My Professor Mike Haydon

Associate Professor Mike Haydon holds the position of Associate Professor in Genetics within the School of BioSciences, Faculty of Science, at the University of Melbourne, where he also serves as Director of Teaching and Learning and leads the Plant Cell Signalling Lab. He earned his BSc (Hons) and PhD from the University of Melbourne. Following his doctoral studies, Haydon conducted nearly ten years of postdoctoral research in Europe, including a Marie Curie Fellowship at the University of Heidelberg and positions at the University of Cambridge. In 2013, he established the Plant Cell Signalling Lab at the University of York as Lecturer in Plant Biology. He returned to the University of Melbourne in 2016 as a Lecturer, progressing to his current role as Associate Professor. His academic career focuses on molecular plant physiology, with expertise in genetics and plant biology.

Haydon's research centers on the influence of circadian rhythms in plants, exploring how biological time-keeping mechanisms enable plants to predict daily environmental changes and optimize metabolism and signalling. Key areas include metabolic regulation of circadian clocks, sucrose and ethylene signalling, and metal homeostasis such as zinc and iron transport in Arabidopsis. His highly cited publications demonstrate significant impact in the field. Notable works include 'Evolution of metal hyperaccumulation required cis-regulatory changes and triplication of HMA4' (Nature, 2008), 'P-type ATPase heavy metal transporters with roles in essential zinc homeostasis in Arabidopsis' (The Plant Cell, 2004), 'Photosynthetic entrainment of the Arabidopsis thaliana circadian clock' (Nature, 2013), 'Transporters of ligands for essential metal ions in plants' (New Phytologist, 2007), and 'Vacuolar Nicotianamine Has Critical and Distinct Roles under Iron Deficiency and for Zinc Sequestration in Arabidopsis' (The Plant Cell, 2012). Haydon engages in public outreach through contributions to Pursuit by the University of Melbourne and editorial roles, such as for npj Biological Timing and Sleep. His work advances understanding of plant responses to light, nutrients, and time cues, with implications for crop resilience and productivity.