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Stephanie BozonetSenior Research Fellow

BSc(Hons), PhD(Newcastle)

Email stephanie.bozonet@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 372 6781

Research interests

Dr Stephanie Bozonet graduated from Newcastle University in the UK with an honours degree in medical microbiology, followed by a PhD in redox cell biology and signalling. After postdoctoral work in Newcastle she moved to New Zealand, joining the Mātai Hāora – Centre for Redox Biology and Medicine in 2008.

In addition to academia, Dr Bozonet has also worked in the brewing and pharmaceutical industries, gaining expertise in microbiology, cell and molecular biology, microscopy, flow cytometry, protein expression and analysis, enzyme kinetics, neutrophil function and HPLC.

Her research interests lie in the field of redox biology and the effects of oxidants on cell systems. She has been involved in several studies into the bioavailability of ascorbate (vitamin C), an essential enzyme co-factor as well as an important biological antioxidant, and its role in the immune system. Her current focus is the role of oxidants in innate immunity, and their contribution to inflammation and disease. Immune cells such as neutrophils produce oxidants to fight infection but they can also damage host cells and tissues. Dr Bozonet's is currently characterising the effects of oxidants on the regulation of cell death pathways.

Dr Bozonet has co-supervised three PhD students, she is the biological compliance officer for the centre and is a university health & safety worker representative.

Publications

Pullar, J. M., Bozonet, S. M., Segger, D., von Seebach, A., Vlasiuk, E., Morrin, H. R., Pearson, J. F., Simcock, J., & Vissers, M. C. M. (2025). Improved human skin vitamin C levels and skin function following dietary intake of kiwifruit: A high vitamin C food. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2025.10.587 Journal - Research Article

Peskin, A. V., Magon, N. J., & Bozonet, S. M. (2025). High-dose vitamin C blocks HOCl production by myeloperoxidase: A potential therapeutic strategy. Biochemical & Biophysical Research Communications, 776, 152213. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2025.152213 Journal - Research Article

Hitchman, L. M., Magon, N. J., Miller, A. L., Sheen, C. R., Dunn, E., Bozonet, S. M., Pearson, J. F., … Faatoese, A., Merriman, T. R., Kettle, A. J., & Kennedy, M. A. (2025). CYP2D6*71 is a poor metaboliser allele common in Polynesian and Māori people and absent from Europeans. Proceedings of the Genetics Otago (GO) Annual Symposium. Retrieved from https://blogs.otago.ac.nz/go Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract

Heath, S. G., Gray, S. G., Hamzah, E. M., O'Connor, K. M., Bozonet, S. M., Botha, A. D., de Cordovez, P., Sethi, A., … Goebl, C. (2024, November). Amyloid formation and depolymerization of tumour suppressor p16INK4a are regulated by a thiol-dependent redox mechanism. 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

Gray, S. G., Heath, S. G., Hamzah, E. M., Botha, A. D., O'Connor, K. M., Bozonet, S. M., … Göbl, C. (2024, September). Cancer-associated mutations of tumour suppressor p16INK4a increase the propensity for amyloid fibril formation. Verbal presentation at the Queenstown Research Week (QRW) Biomolecular Interactions Meeting, Queenstown, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

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