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Aaron Stevens

BSc, PGDipSci(Cant) PhD(Otago)

Email aaron.stevens@otago.ac.nz

Research interests

Aaron leads the Genomic and Epigenomic Research Lab at UOW . His laboratory investigates how environmental factors including diet and immune derived oxidants (produced during inflammation and infection) can impact on human disease progression.

Visit the Genomic and Epigenomic Research Lab

Methylated cytosine is an important epigenetic regulator of gene activity and plays a dynamic process in cell growth, differentiation, migration, and overall tissue architecture. Changing the methylation patterns during DNA replication may alter gene activity and redirect cell fate, which could be an important process in understanding how genes respond to their environmental conditions and is a central question for managing health and disease. Reactive oxygen species can act as key drivers in epigenetic change. This could affect how specific proteins bind and recognise DNA and may contribute to the link between inflammation and cancer.

He also investigates how diet can alter the composition of the human gut microbiome, and the implications of this for perinatal depression.

Publications

Stevens, A. J., Heiwari, T. M., Rich, F. J., Bradley, H. A., Gur, T. L., Galley, J. D., Kennedy, M. A., … Mulder, R. T., & Rucklidge, J. J. (2024). Randomised control trial indicates micronutrient supplementation may support a more robust maternal microbiome for women with antenatal depression during pregnancy. Clinical Nutrition. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2024.09.004 Journal - Research Article

Seddon, A. R., Damiano, O., Hampton, M. B., & Stevens, A. J. (2024). Widespread genomic de novo DNA methylation occurs following CD8+ T cell activation and proliferation. Epigenetics, 19(1), 2367385. doi: 10.1080/15592294.2024.2367385 Journal - Research Article

Picard, L. C., Rich, F. J., Kenwright, D. N., & Stevens, A. J. (2024). Epigenetic changes associated with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) treatment in bladder cancer. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta: Reviews on Cancer. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189123 Journal - Research Article

Seddon, A., Das, A., Hampton, M., & Stevens, A. (2024). Understanding how immune oxidants can drive epigenetic change. European Journal of Human Genetics, 32(Suppl. 1), (pp. 720). doi: 10.1038/s41431-023-01482-x Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Yan, M. P., Wee, C. E., Yen, K. P., Stevens, A., & Wai, L. K. (2023). G-quadruplex ligands as therapeutic agents against cancer, neurological disorders and viral infections. Future Medicinal Chemistry, 15(21), 1987-2009. doi: 10.4155/fmc-2023-0202 Journal - Research Other

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