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Overview

Martin KennedyHead of Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science
Director, Carney Centre for Pharmacogenomics
Laboratory Director, Gene Structure and Function Laboratory

BSc(Hons)(Cant), PhD(Auck)

Email martin.kennedy@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 244 1092

Research interests

Professor Martin Kennedy's main research interests are psychiatric genetics, pharmacogenomics, and the genetics of complex disease.

His current research largely focuses on pharmacogenomics, which aims to understand how drugs and genes interact with the goal of improving drug treatments and reducing adverse drug reactions.  For example, analysis of genetic variation in genes such as those that encode drug metabolising liver enzymes like CYP2D6 and CYP2C19, is helping to determine genetic factors that impact on response to treatments for various diseases.

For a more comprehensive analysis of genetic factors impacting drug response or risks of adverse drug reactions, they are also applying Next Generation DNA sequencing methods including exome sequencing and other genomic approaches to explore drug response phenotypes.

In order to understand severe adverse drug reactions, his lab has developed a biobank for collecting biological samples of people who have suffered such reactions, called UDRUGS. This biobank is growing, and will enhance efforts to understand genetic factors that contribute to severe adverse drug reactions.

Other research interests include work with the Christchurch Health and Development Study looking at genetic contributions to a range of complex human traits, and a study focusing on the genetics of anorexia nervosa.

In addition, Martin's laboratory is examining the impact of G-quadruplex DNA structures and their relevance to genomic imprinting and other aspects of genome biology.

Education

Professor Kennedy obtained his BSc(Hons) at University of Canterbury, and his PhD in bacterial genetics at the University of Auckland, and carried out postdoctoral research in leukaemia genetics at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge (UK) before returning to University of Otago, Christchurch in 1991.

In the media

Professor Martin Kennedy was interviewed for Radio New Zealand's Our Changing World series in May 2013.

Useful information

Similar research opportunities

Publications

Stevens, A. J., Kennedy, M. A., Doudney, K., Kidd, M. J. A., & Rucklidge, J. J. (2025). Potential link between copy number variation and abnormal genome wide DNA methylation profile in an individual with severe ADHD and a strong response to micronutrient treatment. Psychiatry Research Case Reports. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.psycr.2025.100254 Journal - Research Article

Pitcher, T. L., Collins, M. F., Sheat, C., Simpson, M., Douwes, J., Noyce, A., Kennedy, M., Anderson, T. J., & Myall, D. J. (2024). The New Zealand Parkinson’s Environment and Genes Study (NZPEGS). In K.-L. Horne (Ed.), Proceedings of the 40th International Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research (AWCBR). (pp. 29). Retrieved from https://www.awcbr.org Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Berthold, N., Gaudieri, S., Hood, S., Tschochner, M., Miller, A. L., Jordan, J., … Kennedy, M. A. (2024). Nanopore sequencing as a novel method of characterising anorexia nervosa risk loci. BMC Genomics, 25, 1262. doi: 10.1186/s12864-024-11172-7 Journal - Research Article

Lawson, R., Watterson, R., Kennedy, M. A., Bulik, C. M., & Jordan, J. (2024). Time taken to reach treatment for eating disorders in New Zealand. Australasian Psychiatry. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/10398562241298082 Journal - Research Article

Walker, A., Karlsson, R., Szatkiewicz, J. P., Thornton, L. M., Yilmaz, Z., Leppä, V. M., … Jordan, J., Kennedy, M. A., … Wray, N. R. (2024). Genome-wide copy number variation association study in anorexia nervosa. Molecular Psychiatry. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1038/s41380-024-02811-2 Journal - Research Article

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