What is your current role, and how long have you been in this position?

I am a Senior Lecturer (Above the Bar) in the Department of Pharmacology & Clinical Pharmacology at Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland, and I lead the Precision Drug Disposition & Response laboratory. I joined the department in 2023.

What are the main projects you are working on right now?

I’m currently working with my collaborators on three research programmes. One investigates the mechanisms underlying clozapine-induced myocarditis and cardiomyopathy. Another focuses on ways to personalise 5-fluorouracil and capecitabine treatment, including the use of genotyping and phenotyping tests, and the investigation of molecular pathways that might contribute to the development of serious adverse reactions to these medicines. The third investigates biomarkers of IMPDH activity and response to mycophenolate in lupus nephritis.

How did you get started in your field?

Accidently! My focus in undergrad was heavily weighted towards genetics, cancer science, and immunology, but an excellent supervisor offered me an interesting CYP phenotyping project for my master’s research, and I got drawn into the field.

What aspects of your work do you enjoy the most?

I love the collaborative problem-solving involved in translational research. Most of our projects begin with a question raised by a clinical colleague or an experimental observation that doesn’t have an obvious explanation. I enjoy working with people who bring different expertise to the problem and finding practical ways to investigate it in the laboratory.

Do you have a favourite travel destination or a place you’d like to visit next?

I’ve been lucky enough to do a fair amount of travelling in North America, Asia, and Europe, so I’d love to tick the rest of the continents off my bucket list. I’d guess South America or Africa is more likely to be next than Antarctica, but if that Lotto win comes in, I’ll be off there.