What is the Society of Reproductive Biology Mid Career Award?

It's one of the SRB's most significant honours, recognising high-level excellence and career-long contribution to the field of reproductive biology. It has previously been won by some of the discipline's most respected leaders, and it's named after the Robinson Research Institute at Adelaide University.

What is Dr Nicole McPherson's research background?

Nicole holds a PhD in Reproductive Medicine and Andrology from the University of Adelaide, completed in 2015. She's a Senior Lecturer at Adelaide University, where she heads the Sperm and Embryo Biology Research Group within the Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing and the Robinson Research Institute. She's also co-founder and Head of Clinical Operations at Affinyx, a company commercialising novel sperm selection technology.

Dr Nicole McPherson wins prestigious award

Q: What does Dr Nicole McPherson do at Genea?

Nicole is Director of Research at Genea, where she leads the Research and Diagnostic Laboratories, overseeing the science and quality systems that sit behind patient care

Q: What has Dr Nicole McPherson's career involved outside of research?

Alongside her research, Nicole has spent years training the researchers who will carry the field forward, working as a Senior Lecturer and Group Leader at Adelaide University. She's also taken novel sperm selection technology from the research setting into commercial, clinical use through her role at Affinyx.

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Key takeaways

Dr Nicole McPherson, Director of Research at Genea, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Robinson Research Institute Mid Career Award by the Society for Reproductive Biology (SRB)
The award recognises career-long excellence and contribution to reproductive biology research
Nicole leads the Sperm and Embryo Biology Research Group within the Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing and the Robinson Research Institute at the University of Adelaide
She will present at the SRB's annual scientific meeting in Sydney, 1 to 4 November 2026

We're proud to share that Dr Nicole McPherson, Director of Research at Genea, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 Robinson Research Institute Award by the Society for Reproductive Biology (SRB).

This award recognises high-level excellence and career-long contributions to the field and has previously been won by some of the discipline's most respected leaders.

"This recognition means a lot, and it's a reminder of how fortunate I am to work alongside the people I do," Nicole says. "Reproductive biology only moves forward when lab research turns into real-world patient outcomes, and that's the work I care most about."

A career built across research, diagnostics and clinical translation

Nicole holds a PhD in Reproductive Medicine and Andrology from the University of Adelaide, completed in 2015. Since then, she's built a career that covers the full spectrum of reproductive science: leading new research, building the diagnostic tools that test for it, and translating both into treatments used in the clinic.

At Genea, Nicole leads the Research and Diagnostic Laboratories, overseeing the science and quality systems that sit behind patient care. At Adelaide University, she is a Senior Lecturer and heads the Sperm and Embryo Biology Research Group, based within the Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing and the Robinson Research Institute. She is also co-founder and Head of Clinical Operations at Affinyx, a company commercialising novel sperm selection technology.

Her research expertise sits at the intersection of andrology, embryology, and diagnostic quality systems, three areas that don't always overlap in a single career, but together shape how fertility science moves from an idea in a lab to something that changes outcomes for patients.

"My focus has always been on turning rigorous science into something that actually changes outcomes for patients," Nicole says. "Whether that's in a research program, a diagnostic laboratory or a start-up, the goal is the same."

Building the systems behind the science

Part of what sets Nicole's career apart is the work that happens well before a patient ever sees a result. Establishing a NATA-accredited diagnostic laboratory, the kind Nicole has built and led, requires rigorous quality systems, exacting standards, and a high level of scientific discipline.

That grounding in diagnostic quality has shaped how Nicole approaches research more broadly. Her work doesn't stop at generating new findings. It extends to building the infrastructure, training, and standards needed to translate those findings into something clinicians and patients can actually rely on.

"Good research is the starting point, but translating that into something reliable and repeatable for patients is where we want to end up," Nicole says. "That's why I've spent as much time building laboratories and training researchers as I have running studies."

Nicole's role as co-founder and Head of Clinical Operations at Affinyx reflects another dimension of her work: taking novel sperm selection technology from the research setting into commercial, clinical use. It's a reminder that reproductive biology research doesn't only live in academic journals. For it to matter to patients, it has to find its way into the treatments and technologies clinics use every day.

Recognising excellence in reproductive biology

The Robinson Research Institute Award is one of the SRB's most significant honours, reserved for researchers whose body of work has shaped the field over time. Named for the Robinson Research Institute at Adelaide University, where Nicole's own research group is based, the award has extra resonance given where her career started.

"Recognition like this belongs to the teams I've worked with just as much as it does to me," Nicole says. "Building NATA accredited laboratories and research programs from the ground up takes a lot of people, and I've been lucky to work alongside some brilliant ones."

Nicole's contribution to the field also extends to mentorship. Alongside her own research, Nicole has spent years training the researchers who will carry the field forward. As a Senior Lecturer and Group Leader at Adelaide University, she trains and mentors the next generation of reproductive scientists.

"Some of the most rewarding parts of my career have been watching researchers I've trained go on to do brilliant work of their own," Nicole says.

Learn more about Nicole’s research

Nicole will deliver a presentation at the SRB's annual scientific meeting in Sydney, held from 1 to 4 November 2026, where she'll share more about her research and the work underway across her teams.

At Genea, we've long believed that the best clinical outcomes come from a genuine commitment to research and innovation. Nicole's award is a reflection of that commitment and of the calibre of people driving it forward, from the lab to the clinic to the industry. Congratulations, Nicole.

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