Thomas Dobrenel (middle) received the UPSC Agrisera prize 2024. It was presented to him by the chair of the UPSC Board Catherine Bellini (left) and by Conny Hiljanen (right) from Agrisera (photo: Anne Honsel).At today’s UPSC Christmas lunch, the UPSC Board awarded Thomas Dobrenel with this year’s UPSC Agrisera Prize. The award acknowledged his contribution to facilitating scientific discourse at UPSC and his dedication to making UPSC a good and collaborative place to work.
Thomas Dobrenel came to UPSC in 2013 as a postdoc in Johannes Hanson’s group, where he studied carbon starvation in Arabidopsis cell cultures. In 2019, he transitioned to Ove Nilsson’s group and the UPSC Spruce Transformation Facility. There, he started to work on a project to optimise methods for genetically engineering Norway spruce and propagating it via somatic embryogenesis.
The nominations for Thomas Dobrenel highlight his contributions to organising journal clubs, seminars, and PhD and Postdoc retreats, all of which stimulate scientific discussions and knowledge exchange at UPSC. He also organises social activities that strengthen the UPSC community, and nominations pointed out his approachability and willingness to assist others.
“We believe that a good and supportive work environment is essential for good research, and dedicated people like Thomas are important. With the UPSC Agrisera Prize, we show our appreciation for such commitment,” says Catherine Bellini, chairperson of the UPSC Board. She and Conny Hiljanen from Agrisera presented the prize today to Thomas Dobrenel.
About the UPSC Agrisera Prize
Each year, UPSC awards the UPSC Agrisera Prize, sponsored by Agrisera, to recognise outstanding scientific achievements and significant contributions to improving the work environment at UPSC. Everyone working at UPSC can nominate and be nominated. The recipient is chosen by the members of the UPSC Board and announced during the traditional UPSC Christmas lunch in December. The prize includes a diploma and a travel voucher.