Red X iconGreen tick iconYellow tick icon
Microsoft outage The University of Otago is impacted by the issues affecting Microsoft services globally. We are operating as usual, but be aware we are not receiving emails. Please call 0800 80 80 98 if you need to contact the University urgently. Find out more
Skip to main content Skip to side navigation

Christine Winterbourn

MSc (Auckland), PhD (Massey), FRSNZ, CNZM

Email christine.winterbourn@otago.ac.nz
Mob +64 21 0264 1266

Research interests

Professor Christine Winterbourn is a biochemist with a keen interest in the biological chemistry of free radicals and other reactive oxidants. Her research interests cover the biological chemistry of how they are produced in cells and controlled by antioxidants, their reaction with specific biomolecules, how they can be regulatory or cytotoxic, and how they contribute to disease pathology.

Over many years, Professor Winterbourn has investigated oxidant and antioxidant systems in erythrocytes, production of reactive oxidants by neutrophils and their involvement in microbial killing and inflammation, toxicity mechanisms of superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radicals and hypochlorous acid. Her current research focuses on the redox chemistry of biological thiols, in particular the mammalian peroxiredoxins, and on mechanisms of thiol-based redox signalling. She is also intrigued by the interaction between hydrogen peroxide and carbon dioxide, how this facilitates the oxidation of selected thiol proteins and how this may influence cell signalling pathways.

Brief biography

Professor Winterbourn has an MSc (Hons) in chemistry from Auckland University and a PhD in biochemistry from Massey University. After postdoctoral work at the University of British Columbia, Canada, Professor Winterbourn joined the University of Otago, Christchurch to work with Robin Carrell on oxidative reactions of haemoglobin. This led to her interest in free radicals, the formation of the Christchurch Free Radical Research Group, and leadership of a longstanding programme of research on reactive oxidants in health and disease. She has now stepped back from her leadership role but retains active involvement in several research projects.

Professor Winterbourn has published more than 350 scientific papers and received a number of awards. In 2011 she was the first woman to receive the Royal Society of New Zealand Rutherford Medal, and she has received the Society for Free Radical Research (International) Trevor Slater Award, and the Society for Redox Biology and Medicine (Americas) Lifetime Achievement Award. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand and a Companion on the NZ Order of Merit. Other awards include the University of Otago Distinguished Research Medal, University of Auckland Distinguished Alumni Award, Massey University 75th Anniversary Medal, the NZ Society of Scientists' Marsden Medal, and Distinguished Editorial Board Member for Free Radical Biology and Medicine. She has also served on the Health Research Council of New Zealand and the Marsden Fund Council.

In the media

Affiliations

Publications

Peskin, A. V., Meotti, F. C., Magon, N. J., de Souza, L. F., Salvador, A., & Winterbourn, C. C. (2025). Mechanism of glutathionylation of the active site thiols of peroxiredoxin 2. Journal of Biological Chemistry. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2025.108503 Journal - Research Article

Smith-Díaz, C. C., Kumar, A., Das, A., Pace, P., Chitcholtan, K., Magon, N. J., Hossain, S. M., Eccles, M. R., Winterbourn, C. C., & Paumann-Page, M. (2025). Peroxidasin is associated with a mesenchymal-like transcriptional phenotype and promotes invasion in metastatic melanoma. Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 229, 427-440. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2025.01.007 Journal - Research Article

Pace, P. E., Fu, L., Hampton, M. B., & Winterbourn, C. C. (2024). Effect of peroxiredoxin 1 or peroxiredoxin 2 knockout on the thiol proteome of Jurkat cells. Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 225, 595-604. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2024.10.293 Journal - Research Article

Paumann-Page, M., Obinger, C., Winterbourn, C. C., & Furtmüller, P. G. (2024). Peroxidasin inhibition by phloroglucinol and other peroxidase inhibitors. Antioxidants, 13, 23. doi: 10.3390/antiox13010023 Journal - Research Article

Ashby, L., Chan, L., Winterbourn, C., Woon, S.-T., Keating, P., Heller, R., … Chua, I., & Hsiao, K.-C. (2024). Phenotypic spectrum in a family with a novel RAC2 p.I21S dominant-activating mutation [Case report]. Clinical & Translational Immunology, 13, e1493. doi: 10.1002/cti2.1493 Journal - Research Other

Back to top