Associate Professor Heather Brooks

Contact Details
- Phone
- 64 3 479 7427
- heather.brooks@otago.ac.nz
University Links
- Position
- Associate Professor and Director, Medical Laboratory Science Programme
- Department
- Department of Pathology (Dunedin)
- Qualifications
- BSc(Hons) PhD(Lond)
Research
Heather is the Course Director for the Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science
Publications
Gulliver, L., Brooks, H., Kinniburgh, L., Aburn, R., Stodart, J., & Rudland, J. (2020). Health professional education and practice in preventing and controlling infections in New Zealand: A review to inform strategies for enhancing practitioner competencies and patient safety. Integrated Healthcare Journal, 2(1), e000034. doi: 10.1136/ihj-2019-000034
van Hilst, Q. V. C., Vasdev, R. A. S., Preston, D., Findlay, J. A., Scottwell, S. Ø., Giles, G. I., Brooks, H. J. L., & Crowley, J. D. (2019). Synthesis, characterisation and antimicrobial studies of some 2,6-bis(1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)pyridine ruthenium(II) “click” complexes. Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry, 8, 496-505. doi: 10.1002/ajoc.201900088
Thomas, R. R., Gaastra, M. L. H., & Brooks, H. J. L. (2018). Shiga (Vero) -toxigenic escherichia coli: Epidemiology, virulence and disease. New Zealand Journal of Medical Laboratory Science, 72(1), 3-10. [Review].
Thomas, R. R., Brooks, H. J. L., & O'Brien, R. (2017). Prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli marker genes in diarrhoeic stools in a New Zealand catchment area [Short report]. Journal of Clinical Pathology, 70(1), 81-84. doi: 10.1136/jclinpath-2016-203882
Vasdev, R. A. S., Preston, D., Scottwell, S. Ø., Brooks, H. J. L., Crowley, J. D., & Schramm, M. P. (2016). Oxidatively locked [Co2L3]6+ cylinders derived from bis(bidentate) 2-Pyridyl-1,2,3-triazole "Click" ligands: Synthesis, stability, and antimicrobial studies. Molecules, 21(11), 1548. doi: 10.3390/molecules21111548
Brooks, H. J. L., McConnell, M. A., & Broadbent, R. S. (2013). Microbes and the inflammatory response in necrotising enterocolitis. In O. Erez (Ed.), Preterm birth. (pp. 137-174). London, UK: InTech. doi: 10.5772/55039
Chapter in Book - Research
Reid, G., Brooks, H., Bialkowska-Hobrzansk, H., & Valvano, M. (1995). Bacteriuria in spinal cord injured patients. In S. G. Mulholland (Ed.), Antibiotic therapy in urology. (pp. 187-199). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott-Raven.
Chapter in Book - Research
Gulliver, L., Brooks, H., Kinniburgh, L., Aburn, R., Stodart, J., & Rudland, J. (2020). Health professional education and practice in preventing and controlling infections in New Zealand: A review to inform strategies for enhancing practitioner competencies and patient safety. Integrated Healthcare Journal, 2(1), e000034. doi: 10.1136/ihj-2019-000034
Journal - Research Article
van Hilst, Q. V. C., Vasdev, R. A. S., Preston, D., Findlay, J. A., Scottwell, S. Ø., Giles, G. I., Brooks, H. J. L., & Crowley, J. D. (2019). Synthesis, characterisation and antimicrobial studies of some 2,6-bis(1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)pyridine ruthenium(II) “click” complexes. Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry, 8, 496-505. doi: 10.1002/ajoc.201900088
Journal - Research Article
Kumar, S. V., Scottwell, S. Ø., Waugh, E., McAdam, C. J., Hanton, L. R., Brooks, H. J. L., & Crowley, J. D. (2016). Antimicrobial properties of tris(homoleptic) ruthenium(II) 2-pyridyl-1,2,3-triazole "click" complexes against pathogenic bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Inorganic Chemistry, 55(19), 9767-9777. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.6b01574
Journal - Research Article
Vasdev, R. A. S., Preston, D., Scottwell, S. Ø., Brooks, H. J. L., Crowley, J. D., & Schramm, M. P. (2016). Oxidatively locked [Co2L3]6+ cylinders derived from bis(bidentate) 2-Pyridyl-1,2,3-triazole "Click" ligands: Synthesis, stability, and antimicrobial studies. Molecules, 21(11), 1548. doi: 10.3390/molecules21111548
Journal - Research Article
Aziz, M. A., Cabral, J. D., Brooks, H. J. L., McConnell, M. A., Fitzpatrick, C., Hanton, L. R., & Moratti, S. C. (2015). In vitro biocompatibility and cellular interactions of a chitosan/dextran-based hydrogel for postsurgical adhesion prevention. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B, 103(2), 332-341. doi: 10.1002/jbm.b.33206
Journal - Research Article
Chan, M., Brooks, H. J. L., Moratti, S. C., Hanton, L. R., & Cabral, J. D. (2015). Reducing the oxidation level of dextran aldehyde in a chitosan/dextran-based surgical hydrogel increases biocompatibility and decreases antimicrobial efficacy. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 16(6), 13798-13814. doi: 10.3390/ijms160613798
Journal - Research Article
Kumar, S. V., Lo, W. K. C., Brooks, H. J. L., & Crowley, J. D. (2015). Synthesis, structure, stability and antimicrobial activity of a ruthenium(II) helicate derived from a bis-bidentate "click" pyridyl-1,2,3-triazole ligand. Inorganica Chimica Acta, 425, 1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ica.2014.10.011
Journal - Research Article
Harrington, M. G., Lopes, R. M., Hughes, K. A., Weaver, J. E., Parslow, G., Roos, R. F., & Brooks, H. J. L. (2014). Antibiotic resistance in thermotolerant Campylobacter isolated in 2000/01 and 2010 from patients with diarrhoea in Dunedin, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Medical Laboratory Science, 68, 15-18.
Journal - Research Article
Kieser, D. C., Harrington, M. G., Brooks, H., Mros, S., Kieser, S. C. J., Kieser, G. A., Theis, J.-C., & Kieser, J. A. (2014). Tracing the origin of bacterial contamination in close and medium range gunshot wounds in a sheep limb model. Balkan Military Medical Review, 17(4), 111-114. doi: 10.5455/bmmr.172847
Journal - Research Article
Noor, A., Huff, G. S., Kumar, S. V., Lewis, J. E. M., Paterson, B. M., Schieber, C., … Brooks, H. J. L., Gordon, K. C., Moratti, S. C., & Crowley, J. D. (2014). [Re(CO)3]+ complexes of exo-functionalized tridentate "click" macrocycles: Synthesis, stability, photophysical properties, bioconjugation, and antibacterial activity. Organometallics, 33(24), 7031-7043. doi: 10.1021/om500664v
Journal - Research Article
Hughes, K. A., Cornwall, J., Theis, J.-C., & Brooks, H. J. L. (2013). Bacterial contamination of unused, disposable non-sterile gloves on a hospital orthopaedic ward. Australasian Medical Journal, 6(6), 331-338. doi: 10.4066/AMJ.2013.1675
Journal - Research Article
Aziz, M. A., Cabral, J. D., Brooks, H. J. L., Moratti, S. C., & Hanton, L. R. (2012). Antimicrobial properties of a chitosan dextran-based hydrogel for surgical use. Antimicrobial Agents & Chemotherapy, 56(1), 280-287. doi: 10.1128/aac.05463-11
Journal - Research Article
Matejka, K. M., Bremer, P. J., Tompkins, G. R., & Brooks, H. J. L. (2012). Antibiotic susceptibility of Moraxella catarrhalis biofilms in a continuous flow model. Diagnostic Microbiology & Infectious Disease, 74, 394-398. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2012.08.021
Journal - Research Article
Lim, K. H., Brooks, H., McDougal, R., Burton, J., Devenish, C., & De Silva, T. (2010). Is there a correlation between bacterial vaginosis and preterm labour in women in the Otago region of New Zealand? Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 50(3), 226-229. doi: 10.1111/j.1479-828X.2010.01149.x
Journal - Research Article
Maas, E. W., & Brooks, H. J. L. (2010). Is photosynthesis a requirement for paralytic shellfish toxin production in the dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum algal-bacterial consortium. Journal of Applied Phycology, 22, 293-296. doi: 10.1007/s10811-009-9458-1
Journal - Research Article
Carter, P. E., McTavish, S. M., Brooks, H. J. L., Campbell, D., Collins-Emerson, J. M., Midwinter, A. C., & French, N. P. (2009). Novel clonal complexes with an unknown animal reservoir dominate Campylobacter jejuni isolates from river water in New Zealand. Applied & Environmental Microbiology, 75(19), 6038-6046. doi: 10.1128/aem.01039-09
Journal - Research Article
McQueen, R. H., Laing, R. M., Delahunty, C. M., Brooks, H. J. L., & Niven, B. E. (2008). Retention of axillary odour on apparel fabrics. Journal of the Textile Institute, 99(6), 515-523. doi: 10.1080/00405000701659774
Journal - Research Article
Maas, E. W., Latter, R. M., Thiele, J., Waite, A. M., & Brooks, H. J. L. (2007). Effect of multiple antibiotic treatments on a paralytic shellfish toxin-producing culture of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum. Aquatic Microbial Ecology, 48, 255-260.
Journal - Research Article
McQueen, R. H., Laing, R. M., Brooks, H. J. L., & Niven, B. E. (2007). Odor intensity in apparel fabrics and the link with bacterial populations. Textile Research Journal, 77(7), 449-456.
Journal - Research Article
Brooks, H. J. L., McConnell, M. A., Corbett, J., Buchan, G. S., Fitzpatrick, C. E., & Broadbent, R. S. (2006). Potential prophylactic value of bovine colostrum in necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates: An in vitro study on bacterial attachment, antibody levels and cytokine production. FEMS Immunology & Medical Microbiology, 48(3), 347-354.
Journal - Research Article
Eyles, R. F., Brooks, H. J. L., Townsend, C. R., Burtenshaw, G. A., Heng, N. C. K., Jack, R. W., & Weinstein, P. (2006). Comparison of Campylobacter jejuni PFGE and Penner subtypes in human infections and in water samples from the Taieri River catchment of New Zealand. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 101, 18-25.
Journal - Research Article
Burton, J. P., Chilcott, C. N., Al-Qumber, M., Brooks, H. J. L., Wilson, D., Tagg, J. R., & Devenish, C. (2005). A preliminary survey of Atopobium vaginae in women attending the Dunedin gynaecology out-patients clinic: Is the contribution of the hard-to-culture microbiota overlooked in gynaecological disorders? Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 45, 450-452.
Journal - Research Article
Tannock, G. W., Ghazally, S., Walter, J., Loach, D., Brooks, H., Cook, G., … Simmers, C., Bremer, P., … Hertel, C. (2005). Ecological behavior of Lactobacillus reuteri 100-23 is affected by mutation of the luxS gene. Applied & Environmental Microbiology, 71(12), 8419-8425.
Journal - Research Article
Ahmed, D., Brooks, H., McConnell, M., & Barbezat, G. (2004). Antibiotic resistance in Helicobacter pylori: Is it a problem in New Zealand? New Zealand Medical Journal, 117(1200). Retrieved from http://journal.nzma.org.nz/journal/117-1200/1022/content.pdf
Journal - Research Article
Brooks, H. J. L., Ahmed, D., McConnell, M. A., & Barbezat, G. O. (2004). Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection by polymerase chain reaction: Is it worth it? Diagnostic Microbiology & Infectious Disease, 50, 1-5. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2003.11.010
Journal - Research Article
Brooks, H. J. L., Mollison, B. D., Bettelheim, K. A., Matejka, K., Paterson, K. A., & Ward, V. K. (2001). Occurrence and virulence factors of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in retail meat in Dunedin, New Zealand. Letters in Applied Microbiology, 32(2), 118-122. doi: 10.1046/j.1472-765x.2001.00868.x
Journal - Research Article
McConnell, M. A., Buchan, G. S., Borissenko, M. V., & Brooks, H. J. (2001). A comparative study of IgG and IgG1 activity in an early milk concentrate from non-immunised cows and a milk from hyperimmunised animals. Food Research International, 34(2-3), 255-261.
Journal - Research Article
Maas, E. W., Thiele, J., Thompson, C., Latter, R. M., & Brooks, H. J. L. (2000). Modification of an algal culture medium for sustained growth of a saxitoxin-producing isolate of Alexandrium minutum. Journal of Applied Phycology, 12(1), 95-98. doi: 10.1023/A:1008137303135
Journal - Research Article
Brooks, H. J., Bettelheim, K. A., Todd, B., & Holdaway, M. D. H. A. (1997). Non-0157 Vero Cytoxin producing Escherichia Coli: Aetiological agents of diarrhoea in children in Dunedin, New Zealand. Comparative Immunology, Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, 20(2), 163-170.
Journal - Research Article
Thomas, R. R., Gaastra, M. L. H., & Brooks, H. J. L. (2018). Shiga (Vero) -toxigenic escherichia coli: Epidemiology, virulence and disease. New Zealand Journal of Medical Laboratory Science, 72(1), 3-10. [Review].
Journal - Research Other
Thomas, R. R., Brooks, H. J. L., & O'Brien, R. (2017). Prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli marker genes in diarrhoeic stools in a New Zealand catchment area [Short report]. Journal of Clinical Pathology, 70(1), 81-84. doi: 10.1136/jclinpath-2016-203882
Journal - Research Other
Brooks, H. J. L. (2013). Modern microbiology: A quiet revolution with many benefits. Australasian Medical Journal, 6(7), 378-381. doi: 10.4066/amj.2013.1830
Journal - Research Other