Dr Nela Nikolic

Teaching
BIOL3059 Bioscience Education – Module lead (coordinator)
BIOL2038 Environmental Microbiology – Module contributor
BIOL2044 Medical Microbiology – Module contributor
BIOL1030 How to Think Like a Scientist – Tutorials
Personal academic tutor

Project supervisor
BIOL3059 Bioscience Education – Third-year student projects
BIOL6013 MSci Advanced Research Project
BIOL6068 MRes Advanced Biological Sciences Research Project

Academic career
Since 2024: Lecturer and Group Leader – University of Southampton, UK
2021–2024: Postdoc / Research Fellow – Living Systems Institute (LSI), University of Exeter, UK
2016–2021: Postdoc / Senior Postdoc – Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), Austria
2013–2016: Postdoc – Max Perutz Labs, University of Vienna, Austria
2012: Visiting Scientist – Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany 
2008–2013: PhD Candidate – ETH Zurich, and Eawag, Switzerland; PhD advisor: Prof Martin Ackermann

Selected prizes and awards
2026: Springboard Award, Academy of Medical Sciences, UK
2025: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) – Advance HE, UK
2023: "Above and Beyond" Award from the Head of Department for contributions to the development of the early career researchers’ community and for promoting inclusivity at the University of Exeter, UK
2023: The Wellcome ISSF-funded Public Engagement Award (link)
2021: Nominated Membership in the Young Academy of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
2019–2021: FWF (Austrian Science Fund – central research funding organization mandated by the Austrian Government), Elise Richter Fellowship
2018: Microbiology Prize from the Austrian Society for Hygiene, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine (ÖGHMP) for the high-impact publications. This national prize is awarded once every two years to one or two microbiologists based in Austria.
2016–2019: ISTFELLOW, International Postdoctoral Fellowship – The European Union’s Marie Curie COFUND
2014–2016: FWF (Austrian Science Fund) – Lise Meitner Fellowship
2013–2014: SNF (Swiss National Science Foundation – central research funding organization mandated by the Swiss Government) Fellowship for prospective researchers
2013: FFG (Austrian Research Promotion Agency) Career Relocation Grant
2012: FEMS (Federation of European Microbiological Societies) Research Grant 
2008: Science and Technology Project of the World Bank – Unity Through Knowledge Fund, "Gaining experience" Grant