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Contact Details

Phone
+64 3 479 7081
Email
richard.cannon@otago.ac.nz
Position
Professor of Molecular Microbiology
Department
Department of Oral Sciences
Qualifications
MA PhD(Cantab)
Research summary
Oral biology, oral microbiology and antifungal drug resistance
Teaching
Professor Cannon teaches oral microbiology to dental students, oral health students, and dental technology students

Research

Professor Cannon is a molecular microbiologist with research interests in oral microbial infections, oral biology, and tissue regeneration. He has studied the role of saliva in oral colonisation by bacteria and yeast. He has investigated the virulence genes of the oral fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Professor Cannon has applied molecular biology and metabolomic approaches to investigate dimorphism in C. albicans and the molecular basis of cancer.

A major focus of his research is the drug resistance of human fungal pathogens. He has found that clinically significant fungal drug resistance is due to energy-dependent drug efflux from the cell. His research group has developed a unique system for expressing and studying these efflux pumps, and other membrane proteins, in baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. He is currently using S. cerevisiae strains expressing efflux pumps from a variety of fungi to study pump function and structure and to search for pump inhibitors. Professor Cannon also contributes to research on tissue regeneration of relevance to bone defects and periodontal disease.

Publications

Zhao, X., Zhang, W., Jiang, F., Chen, X., Wang, M., Chen, B., Cannon, R. D., … Zhou, X. (2024). Excessive palmitic acid disturbs macrophage α-ketoglutarate/succinate metabolism and causes adipose tissue insulin resistance associated with gestational diabetes mellitus. Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 222, 424-436. doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2024.06.029 Journal - Research Article

Krishnan, C. S., Li, K. C., Tompkins, G. R., Lyons, K. M., & Cannon, R. D. (2024). Effects of simulated long-term exposure to bottled, neutral pH electrolyzed oxidizing water on the properties of denture base resins. Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.prosdent.2024.03.034 Journal - Research Article

Chen, X., He, Q., Zhai, Q., Tang, H., Li, D., Zhu, X., … Cannon, R. D., Mei, L., … Chen, T. (2023). Adaptive nanoparticle-mediated modulation of mitochondrial homeostasis and inflammation to enhance infected bone defect healing. ACS Nano, 17(22), 22960-22978. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.3c08165 Journal - Research Article

Li, M., Li, D., Jiang, Y., He, P., Li, Y., Wu, Y., … Cannon, R. D., Mei, L., … Yuan, H. (2023). The genetic background determines material-induced bone formation through the macrophage-osteoclast axis. Biomaterials, 302, 122356. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122356 Journal - Research Article

Friedlander, L. T., Wallace, W. D. A., Broadbent, J. M., Hanlin, S. M., Lyons, K. M., Cannon, R. D., & Cooper, P. R. (2023). Preparedness and competency of New Zealand graduates for general dental practice: Perceptions from the workforce. Australian Dental Journal. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/adj.12981 Journal - Research Article

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