Current members
Associate Professor Aniruddha Chatterjee
Principal Investigator, Sir Charles Hercus Fellow
Rutherford Discovery Fellow 2018-2024
Aniruddha is originally from Berhampore, West Bengal (India), where he completed his schooling. He moved to the southern part of India and completed a BSc (Osmania University, Hyderabad) and MSc degree (VIT University, Vellore) in Biotechnology with first class and distinction. Following this, Aniruddha came to the University of Otago in New Zealand in 2009, where he commenced his PhD. In his doctoral work, he mapped whole-genome scale DNA methylation patterns and variation in normal human neutrophil cells. Aniruddha played a leading role in performing the first reduced representation methylation sequencing in human neutrophils, melanoma, and the model organism zebrafish. He also heavily published in methodology development for DNA methylation and microRNA analysis. In 2017 he was awarded the prestigious Rutherford Discovery Fellowship from the Royal Society of New Zealand to establish this Epigenetics, Disease, and Phenotype Laboratory (EDP). Outside of work he enjoys dancing, acting, sports, travelling, and music.
Aniruddha welcomes enquiries about opportunities to study or work in the Chatterjee Laboratory.
Email aniruddha.chatterjee@otago.ac.nz
Profile Associate Professor Aniruddha Chatterjee
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Dr Euan Rodger
Co-Principal Investigator, Senior Research Fellow
After completing his PhD in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Otago, Euan moved across campus to Pathology where he is now co-principal investigator in the Chatterjee laboratory. He is currently leading projects using genomic/epigenomic methods in several different contexts, including: identification of novel candidate biomarkers and drug targets for colorectal, prostate and lung cancer; profiling of circulating tumour DNA to monitor disease burden in cancer patients; DNA methylation analysis of microdissected tumour regions and isolated cell subsets and mapping the methylome of patients with cancers to develop blood-based diagnostic tools. Outside the lab Euan enjoys spending time with his family, painting, gardening, and listening to music.
Email euan.rodger@otago.ac.nz
Profile Dr Euan Rodger
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Dr Peter Stockwell
Scientific Officer
Peter's PhD from the Biochemistry Department was one of the earliest to concentrate on computational rather than laboratory bench work. Throughout his career he has collaborated with lab workers to resolve problems requiring computational solutions, often by programming for the computing resources of the time. Work has extended from the earliest times of DNA sequencing through to the present Next Generation Sequencing technologies. An extensive collaboration with Aniruddha led to development of DMAP (Differential Methylation Analysis Package), a set of tools which have been widely applied to other projects.
Email: peter.stockwell@otago.ac.nz
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Dr Sai Shyam Vasantharajan
Assistant Research Fellow
Sai is originally from Bangalore, India. He completed his Master’s in Biochemistry from India, and he came to New Zealand to pursue his dream of doing a PhD in cancer research. During his PhD, he worked on isolating circulating tumour cells from the blood of colorectal cancer patients. He completed his PhD in June 2024 and rejoined the laboratory as an Assistant Research Fellow. His research will focus on identifying biomarkers in circulating tumour DNA of lung cancer patients. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, cooking, playing soccer and cricket, and any other outdoor sports. He also loves to watch standup comedy.
Email saishyam.vasantharajan@otago.ac.nz
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Priyadarshana Ajithkumar
PhD Student
Priya completed her Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in biological science and applied statistics from the University of Auckland. After completing her Bachelor's degree, she was awarded a Summer Research Scholarship to work in the kauri dieback research project at Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research. She completed a Master of Science (research) in molecular genetics with First Class Honours from the Auckland University of Technology. Her passion for cancer research, particularly in molecular genetics and bioinformatics based research inspired her to do a PhD. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in colorectal cancer epigenetics research and is working in the Chatterjee lab. In her spare time, Priya likes to play badminton and do outdoor activities.
Email ajipr506@student.otago.ac.nz
Morgan Jones
PhD Student
Morgan (Ngāi Tahu) completed his Bachelor's degree in Microbiology and Genetics from The University of Otago in 2015 and his Master's degree from The University of Otago in 2018. His drive and desire to study epigenetics led him to start a PhD in the Chatterjee lab, looking at epigenetic predictor markers of cancer metastasis through liquid biopsies. Outside of research Morgan enjoys swimming, reading and playing board games with friends.
Email jonmo618@student.otago.ac.nz
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Nicholas Keestra
PhD Student
Nick completed his BSc(Hons) in 2021 with the Chatterjee lab. He is now pursuing a PhD, developing a CRISPR methylation-editing screen to help identify epigenetic drivers of tumour metastasis. Outside of research Nick enjoys eating Sai's cooking and attempting to keep fit.
Email keeni175@student.otago.ac.nz
Maryam Yassi
PhD Student
Co-supervision with Associate Professor Matthew Parry.
Maryam received her Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering - Software from Sajjad University, Mashhad, Iran, in 2008, and her Master's degree in Computer Engineering - Artificial Intelligence from Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch Tehran, Tehran, Iran, in 2013. After her graduation, she was employed as a bioinformatician to investigate the cell-free DNA methylation status of plasma and tissue samples in order to develop a DNA methylation test for early detection of colorectal cancer by liquid biopsy in the cancer genetic research laboratory, Reza Radiotherapy and Oncology Center, Iran. Her current research interests include computational cancer genomics, bioinformatics, machine learning, deep learning, and artificial intelligence. The goal of her PhD research is to find innovative statistical and computational solutions to problems in cancer diagnosis using cell-free DNA methylation sequencing data, which is emerging as a novel noninvasive cancer detection method.
Email yasma515@student.otago.ac.nz
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Mark Ezegbogu
PhD Student
Mark completed his BSc (Hons) and MSc in Medical Laboratory Science (Clinical Chemistry) at the University of Benin, Nigeria. He was awarded the Commonwealth Scholarship in 2018 to pursue an MSc in Forensic Science at the University of Kent, UK. His interest in epigenetics led him to start a PhD in the Chatterjee lab where he aims to identify cell-free DNA (cfDNA) signatures to improve lung cancer screening. Outside of research, you will almost always find Mark playing chess or the acoustic guitar.
Email ezema785@student.otago.ac.nz
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Bayley Knofflock
PhD Student
Bayley grew up in Taranaki and moved to Otago in 2019 to study a BAppSci, majoring in molecular biotechnology. She developed a keen interest in DNA methylation through the Genetics program, and is now pursuing a PhD in the Chatterjee Lab. Her research is focussed on developing DNA methylation-based biomarkers from tumour DNA in blood for the detection of colorectal cancer. Outside of research, Bayley enjoys playing social sports and hanging out with friends.
Email knoba197@student.otago.ac.nz
Atreyi Dutta
PhD Student
Atreyi completed her Integrated Master’s in Biotechnology in 2021 from St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata. She did her Master’s dissertation from the Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. After this she joined as an intern and subsequently as a Research Assistant in Tata Translational Cancer Research Centre (TTCRC) in Kolkata. During her time in TTCRC, she worked in the Minimal Residual Disease group wherein her project was focused on determining the residual leukemic cells in different stages of treatment in patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Her fascination towards epigenetics had taken a root during her college courses and her work with cancer patients piqued her interest in the field of oncology. In the Chatterjee lab, Atreyi wants to identify epigenetic biomarkers from cfDNA of prostate cancer patients to allow for a less invasive method for prostate cancer diagnosis. In her spare time, Atreyi loves reading books, listening to music, watching movies and hanging out with friends.
Email dutat439@student.otago.ac.nz
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Sayan Sharma
PhD Student
Co-supervision with Emeritus Professor Warren Tate.
Sayan, originally from Kolkata, India, completed his schooling there before pursuing a BSc in Zoology Hons at Gurudas College, University of Calcutta, where he achieved the highest marks in his college in 2021. He further excelled, earning a Gold Medal in Biotechnology during his Masters at Amity University Kolkata in 2023. Transitioning to the University of Otago in New Zealand in 2024, he embarked on his PhD journey. His research focuses on identifying diagnostic epigenetic markers for Myalgic Encephalitis Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Long Covid through the study of DNA methylation in cell-free DNA. Alongside his academic pursuits, Sayan is a fashion influencer on various social media platforms. His interests outside academia include fashion, ramp walks, music, dancing, and indulging in series and anime on Netflix.
Email shasa470@student.otago.ac.nz
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Angela Yee
PhD Student
Angela grew up in Auckland, New Zealand and is in the middle of her medical degree at Otago. She is taking time out of her course to do a PhD in the Chatterjee Lab, being always interested in the research side of medicine. Her project involves identifying epigenetic signatures for prostate cancer and correlating them with clinical determinants. Outside of research, Angela enjoys reading books, video games, and rock climbing.
Email yeean840@student.otago.ac.nz
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Negar Sadeghi
PhD Student
Negar is a molecular genetics student, passionate about exploring the intersections of epigenetics, cancer biology, and genetic engineering. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Genetics from the University of Isfahan, Iran, where she worked on developing a rapid diagnostic kit using direct RT-LAMP technology for COVID-19 during her Master’s thesis. Over the past two years, she has worked as a molecular technologist in two medical laboratories, where she applied molecular techniques to diagnose pathogens, mutations, and HLA types in patients' samples. Currently, Negar is pursuing a PhD focused on developing an optimized CRISPR/dCas9 epigenetic editing tool to target DNA methylation in cancerous cells, a project that aligns well with her long-standing interests. Outside of research, she enjoys staying active through badminton and cycling, spending time with friends, and unwinding with anime and movies.
Email sadne706@student.otago.ac.nz
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Safia Farry
PhD Student
After growing up overseas in Singapore, Safia (Te Aupōuri) decided to move to Dunedin where she completed her BAppSci majoring in Molecular Biotechnology at the University of Otago. It is during this time she developed a keen interest in cancer biology and epigenetics. In the Chatterjee lab, she will be working on analysing the methylome and transcriptome of drug resistant lung cancer cells in effort to identify an epigenetic signature underpinning resistance to molecularly targeted therapies. Outside of studying, Safia enjoys live music and watching medical drama tv shows.
Email farsa498@student.otago.ac.nz
Mia Hillock
MSc Student
Originally from Christchurch, Mia (Ngāi Tahu) grew up in Adelaide, Australia and decided to move to Dunedin where she completed her BSc majoring in Genetics at the University of Otago. Here she developed a particular interest in human genetics and the growing field of clinical research focusing on mutation and epigenetic modifications that cause disease. In the Chatterjee lab she will be working on the development of a method to identify cell-free DNA biomarkers that will aim to improve current lung cancer screening particularly for early detection. Outside of studying and working she enjoys tennis, knitting and spending time with friends.
Email hilmi292@student.otago.ac.nz
Janhavi Gujadhur
MSc Student
Janhavi is originally from Mauritius and came to NZ in 2018 to do a BSc in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Waikato in Hamilton. After graduating in 2021, she worked at the Waikato Hospital as a medical laboratory technician for a year. She then decided to pursue a Master's degree in the Chatterjee lab to have hands-on research experience with the CRISPR/Cas9 methylation editing system. She is currently working with Nicholas Keestra on a research project to investigate whether replacing an unmethylated promoter sequence with a methylated promoter sequence represses transcription and vice-versa. Outside of research, she likes to spend time with her friends and family.
Email gujja114@student.otago.ac.nz
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Claire Simighean
Honours Student
Claire grew up in Auckland, always knowing she wanted to pursue a career in science. In 2022, she moved to Otago for her BAppSci in Molecular Biotechnology. She has always been drawn to cancer research due to its huge impact on world health, and her degree also piqued an interest in the epigenetic side of cancer. Outside of University, Claire loves to read, play her guitar, run, and cook for her friends.
Email simcl627@student.otago.ac.nz
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Ralph Stewart
Honours Student
Born in Chichester, England, before moving to New Zealand with his family in 2010, Ralph has spent the majority of his education studying in Dunedin. Whilst completing his BSc majoring in Neuroscience and Genetics, he gained an interest in the field of epigenetics, being particularly interested in its potential medicinal applications. Within the Chatterjee lab, he will be using biostatistical tools to analyse immunotherapy response in lung cancer patients. Using these tools he aims to uncover potential epigenetic processes behind the levels of response to immunotherapy in these patients. Outside of study he has a keen interest in writing and performing music, boxing, and fitness.
Email stera064@student.otago.ac.nz
Honorary members
Emeritus Professor Warren Tate FRSNZ CNZM
Warren has been a researcher and academic at the University of Otago spanning 57 years. For 30 years he researched the fundamental mechanisms of how the ribosome mediates protein synthesis, and how this biology and the genetic code arose 3-4 billion years ago. His most recent research programme has been on debilitating post-viral fatigue syndromes, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis /Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Long COVID, focussing on preclinical studies with New Zealand patients to understand their pathophysiology and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Warren is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, and internationally, a Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany, and was an International Research Scholar of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute of the United States. He was awarded a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM), for services to Science in 2011.
Associate Professor Matthew Parry
Matthew is an Associate Professor in Statistics in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics at the University of Otago. His research expertise is in statistical and mathematical modelling. He is currently focused on applications of scoring rules in statistics, modelling epidemics in plants and human populations, analysis of solar storms and geomagnetic events, statistical analysis of gravitational waves, modelling of methylation and epigenetic modification, and the development of new algorithms for statistical inference. These activities are strongly influenced by his background in physics (PhD Brown University, USA) and in computational methods.
Dr Jim Smith
Alongside his clinical work as a surgical registrar, Jim (Te Ātiawa) is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Chatterjee lab and leads research on epigenetic profiling of clinical prostate cancer samples, to identify molecular biomarkers to improve prostate cancer screening, diagnosis, and disease monitoring in New Zealand populations. In 2024, Jim was awarded the 2024 Roche Translational Cancer Research Fellowship at the New Zealand Society of Oncology annual conference.
Dr Eddie Barnett
Eddie (Ngāti Toa Rangatira) is a Medical Research Scholar (MB ChB 2024, Otago) with interests in liquid biopsy, single cell epigenetics, and improving Māori representation in research studies.
Dr Guiqin Hou
Guiqin was a Visiting Faculty member from School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, China, in 2023.
Lab alumni
- Teresa Julia Stilianu, Master's student 2023-2024
- Dr Emma Wilkinson, Postdoctoral Research Fellow 2022-2023
- Maggie Zhang, BMedSc(Hons) 2022
- Aby George, BSc(Hons) 2022
- Alex Turner, BBiomedSc(Hons) 2022
- Dr Eddie Barnett, Medical Research Scholar 2021-2022
- Natasha Windmeyer, PGDipHealSc (Genetics) 2021-2022
- Reema Waly, BBiomedSc(Hons) and Research Assistant 2020-2021
- Frankie Day, BSc(Hons) 2020
- Hannah O'Neill, BBiomedSc(Hons) and MBiomedSc 2020-2023
- Dr Rakesh Banerjee, PhD 2019-2024
- Dr Mehbuba Hossain, PhD (co-supervision with Eccles lab) 2019-2023
- Arthur Urbano, BBiomedSc(Hons) 2019
- Dr Jim Smith, BMedSc(Hons) student 2018
- Anna Leichter, Assistant Research Fellow 2017-2018
- Dr Antonio Ahn, PhD (co-supervision with Eccles lab) 2017-2020
- James Wright, Internship, Cardiff University UK (co-supervision with Eccles lab) 2017