Current Postgraduates
Our current postgraduate students in the School of Biological Sciences
Afnan Al Abadey
Supervisor: Anne La Flamme
Thesis title: Investigating the effects of kappa opiod receptor agonists on microglia in an animal model of MS
Pegah Amiri
Supervisor: Andrew Munkacsi
Thesis title: Translating the bioactivity of an ethanol adduct of Vescalagin in from yeast to human cells
Sarah Andreassend
Supervisor: Monica Gerth
Thesis title: Investigating metabolite profiles involved in Kauri dieback
Imogen Ashley
Supervisor: Simon Davy
Thesis title: Study of inositol in Aiptasia
Ramadian Bachtiar
Supervisor: James Bell
Thesis title: Functional redundancy in Indo-Pacific sponge assemblages
Colan Balkwill
Supervisor: Julie Deslippe
Thesis title: Population genetics of a foundational forest tree species: towards landscape level restoration of gene flow in Dacrycarpus dacrydioides (Kahikatea) in New Zealand
Frowin Becker
Supervisor: Heiko Wittmer
Thesis title: Using automated recorders to monitor wetland birds in Botswana's Okavango Delta
Chelsey Beese
Supervisor: Alice Rogers
Thesis title: Coral Reef Predators and their relation with structural complexity
Lusiane Lea Belaus
Supervisor: Elaine Dennison
Thesis title: The Impact of Support Programmes on Alcohol Affected Families Wellbeing
Rabia Bibi
Supervisor: Brownyn Kivell
Thesis title: Role of Kappa opioids in multiple sclerosis
Georgina Bird
Supervisor: Peter Larsen
Thesis title: B Cells in Coronary Artery Disease
Tom Bird
Supervisor: Davide Comoletti
Thesis title: Identification and characterisation of Novel SARS-COV-2 Receptors
Manuel Blank
Supervisor: Jeremy Owen
Thesis title: Metagenome Mining for Novel RiPP Antibiotics from Unculturable Marine Micro-organisms
Ian Blixt
Supervisor: Jonathan Gardner
Thesis title: Modelling the impacts of rhodopsin driven energy flux in Antarctic Science microbial communities
Storm Blockley-Powell
Supervisor: Andrew Munkacsi
Thesis title: Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of action of Kanuka extract via chemical genetic analyses
Imke Böök
Supervisor: Nicole Phillips
Thesis title: Effect of cliona sp. (a bioerosive sponge) on Ostrea chilensis
Hannah Boswell
Supervisor: Lisa Connor
Thesis title: Interactions between innate-like lymphocites and dendritic cells
Kendra Boyes
Supervisor: Bronwyn Kivell
Thesis title: Myelin repair pathways in Multiple Sclerosis
Manon Broadribb
Supervisor: James Bell
Thesis title: Role of sponges in supporting higher trophic levels on Temperate Mesophotic reef Ecosytems (TMEs)
Kaitlin Buick
Supervisor: Ian Hermans
Thesis title: Investigating the Immune Networks Involved in mRNA Vaccination
Imogen Bunting
Supervisor: Christopher Cornwall
Thesis title: Climate resilience in New Zealand's giant kelp
Kaileen Button
Supervisor: Lisa Connor
Thesis title: Investigating humoral antibody responses following mucosal vaccinations
Tory Carrington
Supervisor: Alice Rogers
Thesis title: Evaluating the top-down effect of sharks on New Zealand hoki
Georgia Carson
Supervisor: Melanie McConnell
Thesis title: Mitochondrial DNA transfer to cells with mitrochondrial genome damage following bone marrow transplantation
Riccardo Ciarle
Supervisor: Kevin Burns
Thesis title: Differentiating the roles of geographical and ecological variables in shaping plant reproduction-related traits on southern Pacific islands
Jordan Compton
Supervisor: Wayne Patrick
Thesis title: How do microbes swap their allosteric enzymes?
Oscar Crehan
Supervisor: Simon Davy
Thesis title: The role of nitrogen transport in the cnirdarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis and bleaching
Rianna Collins
Supervisor: Simon Davy
Thesis title: The secretory physiology of the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis
Kahurangi Cronin
Supervisor: Kevin Burns
Thesis title: Eusociality in a Platycerium bifurcatum: Eusocial Epiphytes
Rachel Crouthers
Supervisor: Peter Ritchie
Thesis title: Understanding and addressing the challenges to elephant conservation in populous Southeast Asia: Can small fragmented populations of Asian elephants survive in anthropogenic landscapes?
Martin Dalefield
Supervisor: Bronwyn Kivell
Thesis title: Kappa Opioid Receptor Agonists as Treatments for Repairing Myelin in Multiple Sclerosis
Sydney Dean
Supervisor: Ken Ryan
Thesis title: Stress response of proteorhodopsin-bearing bacteria in Antarctic sea ice
Katrijn De Bock
Supervisor: Kevin Burns
Thesis title: Not available
Mari Deinhart
Supervisor: Joe Zuccarello
Thesis title: Quantifying Blue Carbon Sequestration: Kelp Contribution to Carbon Sequestration in Marine Sediments
Cintya Del Rio Hernandez
Supervisor: Andrew Munkacsi
Thesis title: Genetic interaction networks for atorvastatin studied in yeast and humans
James Den Uyl
Supervisor: Julie Deslippe
Thesis title: Exploring soil carbon sensitivity: The influences of elevation and herbivory in mountain environment
Jana Dobelmann
Supervisor: Phil Lester
Thesis title: The effect of invasive Argentine ants on the virus community in pollinating insects
Aaria Dobson-Waitere
Supervisor: Danielle Shanahan
Thesis title: Te Kura i Huna: Kaupapa Māori approaches to reindigenising taonga species translocations
Daniel Donoghue
Supervisor: Rachael Shaw
Thesis title: How does innovation and information spread through kaka and kea populations?
Alison Duncan
Supervisor: Nicole Phillips
Thesis title: Intergenerational effects of multiple environmental stressors on offspring of the estuarine whelk Cominella glandiformis
Hamish Dunham
Supervisor: Janet Pitman
Thesis title: Multiplex Apta sensor for the quantitative detection of free amino acids
Elsie Dunkley
Supervisor: Wayne Patrick
Thesis title: Enzyme evolution in the context of cellular Metabolism
Michael Fairhurst
Supervisor: Monica Gerth
Thesis title: Drugs and drug targets of Phytophthora agathidicida
Elizabeth Farnham
Supervisor: James Bell
Thesis title: The potential impacts of climate change on calcifying sponges in a temperate region
Imogen Foote
Supervisor: Peter Richie
Thesis title: Use of DNA markers for genetic assignment testing and population analysis in New Zealand seabirds
Devlin Forythe
Supervisor: Melanie McConnell
Thesis title: A genetically engineered immune competent transplantation model of glioblasoma
Jennifer Francis
Supervisor: David Ackerley
Thesis title: How do new antibiotic resistance genes evolve?
Andrea Gamba
Supervisor: Simon Davy
Thesis title: Lipid signalling in the criderion - dinoflagellate symbiosis
Josiah Gammeter
Supervisor: Peter Pfeffer
Thesis title: Modelling epiblast-trophoblast signaling using stem cells
Mitch Ganley
Supervisor: Gavin Painter
Thesis title: Liposomal co delivery of neo-antigen vaccines and NKT cell agonist
Andrea Glockner
Supervisor: Nicole Phillips
Thesis title: Effects of multiple stressors on different life stages of kina
Savannah Goode
Supervisor: Ashley Rowden
Thesis title: Resilience of benthic seamount communities to fishing disturbance
Natalie Graham
Supervisor: Nicola Day
Thesis title: The role of host genetics in shaping the tree root microbone
Elysha-Rose Grant
Supervisor: Anne La Flamme
Thesis title: Investigating the mechanism of action of novel immunomodulators on immune cell function in vitro
Madeline Griffiths
Supervisor: Anne La Flamme
Thesis title: Investigating the role of heparan sulfate mimetics on homeostatic versus inflammatory trafficking through the choroid plexus
Hasanah Hamizan
Supervisor: Anne La Flamme
Thesis title: Exploring the immunomodulatory effects kappa opioid receptor on mast cells
Natalie Hammond
Supervisor: Andrew Munkacsi
Thesis title: Identification and characterisation of protein-protein interactions mediating cholesterol transport in Niemann-Pick type C disease.
Benjamin Harris
Supervisor: James Bell
Thesis title: Carbon cycling of shallow and deep water temperate marine sponge assemblages
Lee Hatter
Supervisor: Richard Beasley
Thesis title: Not available
Peng Hou
Supervisor: Jeremy Owen
Thesis title: Discovery of new biologically active peptide natural products from uncultivated marine sponge symbionts
Callum Howett
Supervisor: Peter Pfeffer
Thesis title: Regulation Elf5 in mice
Matthew Howse
Supervisor: Phil Lester
Thesis title: The feasibility of eradicating invasive wasps on an island ecosystem
Lucy Huang
Supervisor: Monica Gerth
Thesis title: Microbial chemotaxis in the phyllosphere
Amey Hughes
Supervisor: Janet Pitman
Thesis title: Not available
Polina Idelchik
Supervisor: Monica Gerth
Thesis title: Not available
Kate Isaac
Supervisor: Peter Pfeffer
Thesis title: Establishing a novel in-vitro culture system for cattle embryos
Ceridwyn Jones
Supervisor: Peter Larsen
Thesis title: Not available
Nora Kandler
Supervisor: James Bell
Thesis title: Climate change impacts on sponges
Joseph Kihika
Supervisor: Ken Ryan
Thesis title: Cryopreservation of Microalgae and cyanobacteria and effects on molecular lutegrity
Mackenzie Kiernan
Supervisor: Anne La Flamme
Thesis title: The role of regulatory T cells in cells CNS remyeination
Louis Kirton
Supervisor: Richard Beasley
Thesis title: Closed loop oxygen control
Erik Krieger
Supervisor: Christopher Cornwall
Thesis title: Physiology of coralline algae under climate change
Sarah Lamar
Supervisor: Diane Ormsby
Thesis title: Variation in sperm characteristics and their implication in male tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus)
Hannah Lee-Harwood
Supervisor: David Ackerley
Thesis title: Investigating the potential of niclosamide for treatment of gram negative bacterial infections
Indira Leon
Supervisor: Julie Deslippe
Thesis title: Plant Ecology and Physiology
Natascha Lewe
Supervisor: Julie Deslippe
Thesis title: Resource partitioning and community structure in the Rhizosphere
Robert Lewis
Supervisor: Simon Davy
Thesis title: Inter-partner signalling during the establishment of the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis
Ganges Lim
Supervisor: Kevin Burns
Thesis title: Signal honesty in bird-plant interactions
Alexandra Lister
Supervisor: Darren Day
Thesis title: Maternal immune activation and SERT expression as risk factors for neurodevelopmental disorders
Linlin Liu
Supervisor: Nicola Nelson
Thesis title: What are the phenotyic and behavioural responses of tuatara to climate warming
Regan MacKinlay
Supervisor: Rachael Shaw
Thesis title: The ecological function and conservation applications of cognition in North Island Robins
Liam McAuliffe
Supervisor: Nicola Nelson
Thesis title: Understanding the occurrence of New Zealand endemic birds in complex human-altered landscapes
Ella McCallum
Supervisor: Rachel Shaw
Thesis title: The influence of inhibitory control behaviour in fitness and wild
Rose McGruddy
Supervisor: Phil Lester
Thesis title: The use of RNAi as a control for Varroa mites on honeybees
Edward McGuinniety
Supervisor: David Ackerley
Thesis title: Engineering NRPS enzymes for biosynthesis of novel drug cindideles
Daniel McNaughtan
Supervisor: Jeff Shima
Thesis title: How selected larval processes shape temperate reef fish populations
Mikel Mendiola
Supervisor: Jonathan Gardner
Thesis title: Population genomics of green-lipped mussels in Bay of Plenty
Sarah Messenger
Supervisor: David Ackerley
Thesis title: High throughput engineering of NRPS enzymes to generate novel bioactive compounds
Valerio Micaroni
Supervisor: James Bell
Thesis title: Understanding anthropogenic impacts on temperate sub-tidal benthic communities
Fabio Mologni
Supervisor: Kevin Burns
Thesis title: Plant diversity on offshore islands in New Zealand
Theresa Moore
Supervisor: Julie Deslippe
Thesis title: Feeding habits and dietary preferences of Himalayan Tahr
Henry Morse
Supervisor: Stephen Hartley
Thesis title: Ensuring landscape-scale ecological restoration outcomes over time
Keri Multerer
Supervisor: Andrew Munkacsi
Thesis title: Machine Learning Approaches for Polygenic Risk Score Analysis and Filling in Components of Interaction Networks
Freya Newton
Supervisor: Julie Deslippe
Thesis title: Elevated CO2 and the soil microbiome
Eliatan Niktab
Supervisor: Andrew Munkacsi
Thesis title: Nonparametric Tests to Identify Gnomic Exacerbating Attributes in Mendelian Disorders
Vincent Nowak
Supervisor: Jeremy Owen
Thesis title: New methods for the discovery of natural products from understudied and uncultivated phyla
William Odey
Supervisor: Shalen Kumar
Thesis title: Novel strategies for selection of bioreceptors
Karen Oldfield
Supervisor: Irene Braithwaite
Thesis title: Clinical use of cannabinoids in New Zealand
Melanie Olds
Supervisor: Janet Pitman
Thesis title: Aneuploidy biomarkers in embryos
Tom Oosting
Supervisor: Peter Ritchie
Thesis title: Testing for fishing-induced evolution in New Zealand Snapper
Briana Otto
Supervisor: Joanna Mackichan
Thesis title: Bartonella quintana interactions with the host innate immune system
Roberto Parada
Supervisor: Jonathan Gardner
Thesis title: Population genetics of green-lipped mussels (Perna canaliculus) at Ninety Mile Beach
Tessa Peck
Supervisor: Anne La Flamme
Thesis title: Role of heparanase inhibition in Multiple Sclerosis pathology
Bria Pengelly
Supervisor: Bronwyn Kivell
Thesis title: Effects of microglia ib KOR mediated remyelination
Tessa Pilkington
Supervisor: Phil Lester
Thesis title: Varroa resistant honeybees
Annabel Plumeridge
Supervisor: Simon Davy
Thesis title: The functional role of sponges in mesophotic ecosystems
Calvin Quigley
Supervisor: Jonathan Gardner
Thesis title: Genetic connectivity of 3 Kaimoana species of the national scale
Tamayanthi Rajakumar
Supervisor: Andrew Munkacsi
Thesis title: Characterizing debiquitination as a modifier of Niemann-Pick C disease
Lorenzo Ravalo
Supervisor: Jonathan Gardner
Thesis title: Analysing introgression and hybridization of Mytilus galloprovincialis lineages through the use of molecular markers and shell morphology.
Evan Raymond
Supervisor: Simon Davy
Thesis title: Photophysiological phenotyping as a means of genotypic identification in Symbiodiniaceae
Guillermo Rodriguez
Supervisor: Peter Richie
Thesis title: Genomics of flat oyster
Sarah Sczelecki
Supervisor: Janet Pitman
Thesis title: Identifying Novel Biomarkers of Early Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
Jeffrey Sheridan
Supervisor: Andrew Munkacsi
Thesis title: High throughput microscopy for drug development
Sam Siljee
Supervisor: Lifeng Peng
Thesis title: Protemic analysis of human aiway basal stem cells associated with p53 mutation
Thomas Skurr
Supervisor: David Ackerley
Thesis title: Discovery of novel prodrug activating and detoxifying genes from bacterial metagenome libraries
Zoe Smeele
Supervisor: Phil Lester
Thesis title: The use of dsRNA for virus control in honey bees
Sven Sondhauss
Supervisor: Anne La Flamme
Thesis title: Characterisation of novel compounds for treatment of MS
Matthew Storey
Supervisor: David Ackerley
Thesis title: Metagenomic based drug discovery from marine invertebrates
Francesca Strano
Supervisor: James Bell
Thesis title: Impacts of climate change on the reproductive ecology of sponges
Jacqui Stuart
Supervisor: Ken Ryan
Thesis title: Understanding the mechanisms of adaption and speciation in marine phytoplankton
Kelly Styles
Supervisor: Jeremy Owen
Thesis title: Optimizing (meta)genomic workflows for fungal BGC recovery
Monica Summers
Supervisor: Monica Gerth
Thesis title: Investigating native microbial communities for antagonistic activity towards Phytophthora agathidicida
Aleluia Taise
Supervisor: Christopher Cornwall
Thesis title: Macroalgal responses to climate change stressors: effects of ocean acidification and warming on Caulerpa species
Lee Ann Zandra Tejada
Supervisor: Wayne Patrick
Thesis title: Novel enzyme-based biosensors for yeast assimilable nitrogen
Bryony Thorne
Supervisor: Darren Day
Thesis title: Understanding the relationship between the serotonergic system and mitochrondrial function neuropsychiatric disorders
Marina Tonetti Botana
Supervisor: Simon Davy
Thesis title: Lipid signalling in the cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis
Giulia Trauzzi
Supervisor: Jonathan Gardner
Thesis title: Paua SNP development for monitoring recovery of paua populations affected by the Kaikoura earthquake
Anna Tribe
Supervisor: Melanie McConnell
Thesis title: Novel activity of BCL6 in glioblastoma
Tirth Vaishnav
Supervisor: Kevin Burns
Thesis title: Ecological impacts of human-wildlife interactions in Wellington, New Zealand
Tas Vamos
Supervisor: Rachael Shaw
Thesis title: The influence of spatial memory ability on foraging and caching behaviour in North Island robins
Matire Ward
Supervisor: Janet Pitman
Thesis title: Investigating the effect of a physiologically relevant IVM system on the function of bovine cumulus cell-oocyte complexes
Elizabeth Webb
Supervisor: Elaine Dennison
Thesis title: A mixed methods study to evaluate the determinants of oral health of the ni-van people of Vanuatu
Gabriela Wood
Supervisor: James Bell
Thesis title: Impacts of Anthropogenic Stressors on Temperate Marine Sponges
Margaret Wuerz
Supervisor: Simon Davy
Thesis title: Volatilomics in Aiptasia-dinoflagellate symbiosis
Jarem Wylie
Supervisor: Ian Hermans
Thesis title: T-cells Armoured for Nitroreductase induced killing
Su Min Yeoh
Supervisor: Julie Deslippe
Thesis title: Investigation of anti-Phytophthora activity of native plants for Kauri dieback management