Assistant Research Fellow
BSc, PGCertMedTech, BBiomedSc(Hons), PhD(Otago)
Email jess.permain@otago.ac.nz
Dr Jess Permain is an Assistant Research Fellow in the Department of Surgery and Critical Care at the University of Otago, Christchurch, where she contributes to research into early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) and other colorectal disease projects.
She completed her PhD in the department, investigating the role of the microbiome in colorectal cancer development, with a focus on translational cancer research. Prior to this, Jess obtained a Bachelor of Science in Physiology and Pharmacology, a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Technology, and a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences with First Class Honours.
Drawing on both her research expertise and extensive experience working in healthcare, Jess is passionate about bridging the gap between laboratory science and clinical practice to improve patient outcomes. She also has a strong interest in scientific communication, translating complex research into meaningful and accessible information for research, clinical, and patient communities.
Research interests
- Colorectal cancer
- Microbiome
- Immuno-oncology-microbiome axis
- Translational research
- Scientific communication
Publications
Sulit, A., Kinder, C. R., Permain, J., Miller, A., & Purcell, R. (2026, February). The tumour-resident microbiome and methylation in colorectal tumours. Verbal presentation at the Genetics Otago (GO) Annual Symposium, Dunedin, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Permain, J., Sulit, A., Eglinton, T., & Purcell, R. (2026). Bacterial lipopolysaccharide alters DNA methylation in colorectal cancer cells. Clinical Epigenetics, 18, 11. doi: 10.1186/s13148-025-02012-w Journal - Research Article
Permain, J., Hock, B., Eglinton, T., & Purcell, R. (2024). Functional links between the microbiome and the molecular pathways of colorectal carcinogenesis. Cancer & Metastasis Reviews, 43, 1463-1474. doi: 10.1007/s10555-024-10215-5 Journal - Research Article
Permain, J. (2023, February). Bacterial lipopolysaccharide aids in immune evasion in colorectal cancer. Verbal presentation at the Maurice Wilkins Centre (MWC) for Molecular Biodiversity Symposium, Dunedin, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Permain, J. (2023, September). Bacterial lipopolysaccharide modulates methylation patterns in colorectal cancer cells. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Society for Oncology (NZSO) Conference, Napier, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs