A specialist in plant breeding and genetics, Dr Figlan focuses on using molecular techniques to enhance crop resilience against drought, diseases and other environment-related stresses, which are exacerbated by climate change. Her scholarly contributions reflect a career marked by depth and long-term impact in the field of crop science. With over 40 publications, more than 680 citations, and an h-index of 11, she was recently recognised as one of the top 10 performing researchers in Unisa’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.

She leads a dynamic research team comprising postgraduate students and a postdoctoral fellow, while actively engaging with transdisciplinary stakeholders and university collaborators who play a crucial role in shaping her research projects by providing valuable input on industry needs and breeding requirements. Their involvement, particularly in the conceptualisation phase, ensures that the research carried out by her team is relevant, practical, and ultimately responsive to the needs of society. This collaborative approach helps bridge the gap between academic research and real-world applications.

In 2021, Dr Figlan secured a prestigious three-year research grant of R1.8 million from the Water Research Commission of South Africa to lead a multidisciplinary project on “Water use efficiency and soil carbon sequestration of selected indigenous and modern crop cultivars for sustainable agriculture intensification and climate change mitigation”. This research highlighted the importance of fully understanding the links between biomass, carbon content, and carbon stocks as key factors in assessing plant health, investigating carbon cycling in the environment, and assessing the ability of crop genotypes to absorb carbon and ameliorate climate change. Further, these efforts contributed to the development of new wheat breeding lines with a balanced biomass allocation between roots and shoots, enhancing drought tolerance and carbon sequestration capabilities of these crops for climate change mitigation.

Building on this momentum, in 2023 Dr Figlan secured a further R2 million in Water Research Commission funding, with the resulting study titled “An integrated multi-omics approach to uncover drought tolerance biomarkers in two underutilized crops: sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) and cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)”. This ongoing work is providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the drought tolerance of both sweet potato and cassava, which are considered  to be climate-resilient crops.

In addition to her research achievements, Dr Figlan is also a dedicated educator and mentor. She integrates her scientific findings into her teaching, offering students a unique, research-informed learning experience, while her continued success underscores the Department’s commitment to scientific excellence and global engagement.

We look forward to seeing the continued impact of her ongoing research and are proud to have her as a leading figure in our academic community.

*By the Department of Agriculture and Animal Health website committe