Doctor Nichols was a member of the Atlantis expedition, who joined the team in its fifth year of operation. According to Rodney McKay, he is fairly arrogant. In 2008, he led a team to M44-5YN, to research the effects of global warming on that planet. On one particular day, the glacier on the planet breached, causing massive flooding on the valley. He and his team were situated very close to the glacier when it collapsed, meaning he was likely killed, but that is not for certain. (SGA: "The Shrine")