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Louisa ForbesSenior Research Fellow

BSc(Hons)(Cant), PhD(UCL)

Email louisa.ashby@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 244 1052

Research interests

Dr Louisa Ashby's research is focused on the biochemistry of the neutrophil, and in particular the enzymology of myeloperoxidase. This enzyme kills microbes by generating chlorine bleach, but during inflammation it can also damage healthy tissue.

She is also interested in the oxidation chemistry of myeloperoxidase in its microbicidal activity, and how to effectively inhibit the enzyme from causing oxidative stress in disease.

Publications

Borichevsky, G. M., Swaminathan, A., Smith, B. R., Edwards, T. S., Ashby, L. V., Frampton, C. M. A., Day, A. S., Gearry, R. B., & Kettle, A. J. (2025). Myeloperoxidase enzyme activity in feces reflects endoscopic severity in inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 31(8), 2254-2268. doi: 10.1093/ibd/izaf109 Journal - Research Article

Dickerhof, N., Ashby, L. V., Ford, D., Dilly, J. J., Anderson, R. F., Payne, R. J., & Kettle, A. J. (2025). Dioxygenation of tryptophan residues by superoxide and myeloperoxidase. Journal of Biological Chemistry. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2025.108402 Journal - Research Article

Dickerhof, N., Ashby, L. V., Magon, N. J., Dilly, J. J., Ford, D., Payne, R. J., … Kettle, A. J. (2024, November). Myeloperoxidase has a previously unrecognized dioxygenase activity. Verbal presentation at the 32nd Meeting of The Society for Redox Research Australasia (SFRRA) and 11th Joint Meeting with The Society for Free Radical Research Japan (SFRRJ), Canberra, Australia. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Ashby, L., Flannery, M., McKenzie, J., Magon, N., & Kettle, A. (2024, November). Fluorescent probes as markers of oxidative chemistry inside neutrophil phagosomes. Verbal presentation at the 32nd Meeting of The Society for Redox Research Australasia (SFRRA) and 11th Joint Meeting with The Society for Free Radical Research Japan (SFRRJ), Canberra, Australia. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Borichevsky, G. M., Magon, N. J., Tillett, Z., Allison, T. M., Ashby, L. V., Dobson, R. C. J., & Kettle, A. J. (2024, November). Calprotectin exhibits unique reactivity with chloramines. Verbal presentation at the 32nd Meeting of The Society for Redox Research Australasia (SFRRA) and 11th Joint Meeting with The Society for Free Radical Research Japan (SFRRJ), Canberra, Australia. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

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