Boost for rare disorders research in New Zealand
Genetics Otago Co-Director Associate Professor Louise Bicknell has facilitated an Otago link to the European Rare Diseases Research Alliance (ERDERA), where she will act as the New Zealand Representative to the Governing Board.
Read more about ERDERA and what this alliance means for Rare Disease research in NZ in the Otago University Newsroom.
GO Members Otago Research Awards Success
Congratulations to Genetics Otago members who where recognised for their outstanding scholarly achievement with Otago Research Awards for 2024.
Research Group Award
Phage-host interactions (Phi) laboratory, led by GO member Professor Peter Fineran, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
The Phage-host interactions (Phi) research group has made world-leading discoveries that enhance the understanding of phages and their interactions with bacteria. Phages are viruses that infect and specifically kill bacteria. A major strength of the group that underlies its success is the interdisciplinary and complementary skills of the group and their collaborative approach. The Phi lab currently has 18 researchers, led by Professor Peter Fineran, and their expertise spans genetics, microbiology, biochemistry, structural biology, bioinformatics, high-throughput screens and surface chemistry.
Early Career Research Award
Dr Nathan Kenny, Department of Biochemistry
Nathan moved to Otago as a Rutherford Discovery Fellow about two and-a-half years ago and has quickly established a research niche at the intersection of comparative genomics and evolutionary biology, often working alongside hapori Māori. His current research focus is the molecular origins of resilience to the effects of climate change in the green-lipped mussel, Perna canaliculus.
Text from Otago Newsroom – read the full article here.
New species of pāua found!
Genetics Otago members and Otago Department of Zoology’s Associate Professor Nic Rawlence and Professor Hamish Spencer were involved in this project applying ancient DNA techniques to shells, highlighting the importance of biodiversity research in Aotearoa.
Read more on the Otago Newsroom.
Genetics Otago Funding Success!
Genetics Otago is pleased to announce that it has secured funding from the University of Otago, which will support our initiatives through 2028. Genetics Otago has been selected as one of 14 Research Themes to receive this funding. This achievement highlights the university’s commitment to advancing genetic research and the valuable work being done by our team. The support will enable us to continue fostering the important mahi carried out by our members, furthering our mission to drive innovation and excellence in genetics.
To learn more about the Research Themes and the University of Otago’s funding decisions, please visit the Otago Newsroom.
Surprise discovery with big scientific potential
An international team of researchers, led by Professor Peter Fineran and including Dr Nils Birkholz as lead author (both Genetics Otago members) have made a breakthrough in antibiotic alternative treatments for bacterial infections.
Check out the Otago University Newsroom article for more details, or read the full paper published in Nature!
Birkholz N, Kamata K, Feussner M, Wilkinson ME, Samaniego CC, Migur A, et al. Phage anti-CRISPR control by an RNA- and DNA-binding helix–turn–helix protein. Nature. 2024;1–8.
HRC Project Grant for GO Member
Congratulations to Genetics Otago member, Dr Megan Leask (Department of Physiology), who has recently been awarded a Health Research Council (HRC) Project Grant!
Translational ‘omics of the hidden genome for equitable precision medicine
Cardiometabolic diseases (e.g., type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease and gout) are increasing in prevalence worldwide at an alarming rate. A precision medicine approach to tackling metabolic disease, informed by an individual’s genetics, promises to save lives, improve quality of life and lower medical costs. However, for Māori and Pacific people there is a critical need to expand the development of genetic resources and analyses, and build genetics capabilities in Aotearoa if these groups are to receive equal medical care in the future. In this study, we aim to reduce the precision medicine gap for Māori and Pacific people by applying large data techniques to genetic data from Māori and Pacific individuals, and identify unique genetics that can be targeted in the treatment and prevention of metabolic diseases.
36 months, $1,199,988
Poutoko Taiea appointments recognise impactful contributions
Genetics Otago member and founding director Professor Peter Dearden has been named as one of six Distinguished Chair – Poutoko Taiea appointments.
Read more about Prof Dearden and the other recipients on the Otago Newsroom page.
Students shine in ‘rare’ essay competition
Fifth-year medical student Gavin Bishop , who has previously worked with Genetics Otago in a science communication capacity, has won the top prize in a 500-word essay competition run by Rare Disorders New Zealand (RDNZ).
Read details of the competition on the Otago Newsroom page and check out Gavin’s winning entry here!
It is great to see an interest and understanding of Rare Disorders in the next generation of healthcare professionals. Congratulations Gavin!
GO Members among HRC Recipients
The Health Research Council has awarded grants to two Genetics Otago Members in its recent funding round.
Dr George Wiggins (Pathology and Biomedical Science (UOC))
Emerging Researcher Grants – $399,992
Advancing breast and ovarian cancer prevention strategies
Women at high-risk of breast and ovarian cancer need new and effective prevention strategies. Traditional options for cancer prevention include risk-reducing surgery, however this strategy is unwanted by many women due to a variety of reasons, such as fertility and menopause concerns. Providing doctors with a non-invasive and easily accessible preventative therapy for women at high risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer would have numerous benefits for the health system (e.g. reduced inequity in health outcomes), and for the patients and their whānau. Through a recent novel discovery in my laboratory, and collaboration with the world leading CIMBA Consortium, I am uniquely positioned to investigate potential novel preventative therapies for women at high-risk of breast and ovarian cancer. This innovative and potentially transformative research programme will provide a step towards reducing cancer diagnoses through the development of personalised preventative treatment(s).
Associate Professor Sara Filoche (Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health (UOW))
Explorer Grant – $150,000
Building room for equity: Culture centred design of hospital waiting rooms
Hospitals in Aotearoa New Zealand have a legacy founded in colonialism and are designed to Eurocentric principles of health and well-being – as such they are inequitable by design and represent culturally unsafe spaces for many people who need to access them. Hospital waiting rooms represent one such space. Our project is premised on understanding how physical spaces in hospitals shape people’s experiences of care. Bringing culture centred design to hospital spaces holds potential as a new mechanism to supporting culturally safe healthcare practice. This project realises a new, unique collaboration between healthcare professionals, healthcare scientists, Māori health researchers and an indigenous design agency. It is the first of its kind in Aotearoa. The project will involve communities and health consumers through a kaupapa Māori design process to co-create a re-imagined virtual waiting room and inform healthcare environment design more broadly.
Cause of rare genetic condition discovered
Genetics Otago member Amy Jones (PhD student in the Robertson group) is the lead author of a recently published paper in The American Journal of Human Genetics. The research on Glutamine Synthetase Stabilization Disorder involved an international team of researchers and provides “an excellent example of finely tuned precision medicine”.
Read more via the Otago Newsroom.
Publication details:
Amy G Jones, Matilde Aquilino, Rory J Tinker, Laura Duncan, Zandra Jenkins, Gemma L Carvill, Stephanie J DeWard, Dorothy K Grange, MJ Hajianpour, Benjamin J Halliday, Muriel Holder-Espinasse, Judit Horvath, Silvia Maitz, Vincenzo Nigro, Manuela Morleo, Victoria Paul, Careni Spencer, Alina I Esterhuizen, Tilman Polster, Alice Spano, Inés Gómez-Lozano, Abhishek Kumar, Gemma Poke, John A Phillips III, Hunter R Underhill, Gregory Gimenez, Takashi Namba, and Stephen P Robertson.
American Journal of Human Genetics
