Associate Professor Anitra Carr's area of research expertise is the role of vitamin C in human health and disease. Associate Professor Carr has a background in biomedical research and carries out translational 'bench-to-bedside' studies. She is currently running both observational and interventional studies investigating the requirements for vitamin C in different disorders and the potential health effects of both oral and intravenous vitamin C. She is particularly interested in the role of vitamin C in the prevention and treatment of acute and chronic conditions such as severe infection, cancer and metabolic disorders.
Associate Professor Carr obtained a PhD from the Department of Pathology, University of Otago, Christchurch, followed by an American Heart Association Post-doctoral Fellowship which was carried out at the Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, USA. Whilst there she produced a number of high impact publications on the role of vitamin C in human health and disease; one of these supported the most recent increase of the US recommended dietary intakes for vitamin C by the US Food and Nutrition Board of the Institutes of Medicine.
Associate Professor Carr returned to the University of Otago, Christchurch, and was awarded a Sir Charles Hercus Health Research Fellowship from the Health Research Council of New Zealand to undertake research into the role of vitamin C in severe infection, specifically pneumonia and sepsis. She has also investigated the effects of intravenous vitamin C on cancer and chemotherapy-related symptoms and quality of life. Associate Professor Carr hopes to not only elucidate the underlying mechanisms of action of vitamin C, but to also improve the outcomes of patients with these conditions.
Vitamin C bioavailability and health effects; recommended dietary intakes; fatigue and quality of life; cancer; severe infection; clinical studies.
Carr, A. C., Vlasiuk, E., Zawari, M., Scott-Thomas, A., Storer, M., Maze, M., & Chambers, S. T. (2023). Low vitamin C concentrations in patients with community-acquired pneumonia resolved with pragmatic administration of intravenous and oral vitamin C.
Antioxidants,
12, 1610.
doi: 10.3390/antiox12081610
Journal - Research Article
Chambers, S. T., Scott-Thomas, A., Storer, M., Slow, S., Williman, J., Epton, M., Murdoch, D. R., Metcalf, S., Carr, A., Isenman, H., & Maze, M. (2023). Adjunctive intravenous then oral vitamin C for moderate and severe community-acquired pneumonia in hospitalized adults: Feasibility of randomized controlled trial.
Scientific Reports,
13, 11879.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-37934-z
Journal - Research Article
Carr, A. C., Bradley, H. A., Vlasiuk, E., Pierard, H., Beddow, J., & Rucklidge, J. J. (2023). Inflammation and vitamin C in women with prenatal depression and anxiety: Effect of multinutrient supplementation.
Antioxidants,
12, 941.
doi: 10.3390/antiox12040941
Journal - Research Article
Carr, A. C., & Lykkesfeldt, J. (2023). Factors affecting the vitamin C dose-concentration relationship: Implications for global vitamin C dietary recommendations.
Nutrients,
15(7), 1657.
doi: 10.3390/nu15071657
Journal - Research Article
Lunt, H., Carr, A. C., Heenan, H. F., Vlasiuk, E., Zawari, M., Prickett, T., & Frampton, C. (2023). People with diabetes and hypovitaminosis C fail to conserve urinary vitamin C.
Journal of Clinical & Translational Endocrinology,
31, 100316.
doi: 10.1016/j.jcte.2023.100316
Journal - Research Article
Carr, A. C. (2020). Vitamin C in pneumonia and sepsis. In Q. Chen & M. C. M. Vissers (Eds.),
Vitamin C: New biochemical and functional insights. (pp. 115-135). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Chapter in Book - Research
Carr, A., & Cheng, C. P. (2019). Veins of the upper body. In C. P. Cheng (Ed.),
Handbook of vascular motion. (pp. 225-246). London, UK: Academic Press.
doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-815713-8.00011-5
Chapter in Book - Research
Vissers, M. C. M., Carr, A. C., Pullar, J. M., & Bozonet, S. M. (2013). The bioavailability of vitamin C from kiwifruit. In M. Boland & P. J. Moughan (Eds.),
Nutritional benefits of kiwifruit. (pp. 125-147). Waltham, MA: Academic Press.
doi: 10.1016/b978-0-12-394294-4.00007-9
Chapter in Book - Research
Carr, A. C., & Lykkesfeldt, J. (2023). Does aging affect vitamin C status relative to intake? Findings from NHANES 2017-2018.
Nutrients,
15, 892.
doi: 10.3390/nu15040892
Journal - Research Article
Carr, A. C., & Lykkesfeldt, J. (2023). Factors affecting the vitamin C dose-concentration relationship: Implications for global vitamin C dietary recommendations.
Nutrients,
15(7), 1657.
doi: 10.3390/nu15071657
Journal - Research Article
Carr, A. C., Bradley, H. A., Vlasiuk, E., Pierard, H., Beddow, J., & Rucklidge, J. J. (2023). Inflammation and vitamin C in women with prenatal depression and anxiety: Effect of multinutrient supplementation.
Antioxidants,
12, 941.
doi: 10.3390/antiox12040941
Journal - Research Article
Carr, A. C., Vlasiuk, E., Zawari, M., Scott-Thomas, A., Storer, M., Maze, M., & Chambers, S. T. (2023). Low vitamin C concentrations in patients with community-acquired pneumonia resolved with pragmatic administration of intravenous and oral vitamin C.
Antioxidants,
12, 1610.
doi: 10.3390/antiox12081610
Journal - Research Article
Chambers, S. T., Scott-Thomas, A., Storer, M., Slow, S., Williman, J., Epton, M., Murdoch, D. R., Metcalf, S., Carr, A., Isenman, H., & Maze, M. (2023). Adjunctive intravenous then oral vitamin C for moderate and severe community-acquired pneumonia in hospitalized adults: Feasibility of randomized controlled trial.
Scientific Reports,
13, 11879.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-37934-z
Journal - Research Article
Lunt, H., Carr, A. C., Heenan, H. F., Vlasiuk, E., Zawari, M., Prickett, T., & Frampton, C. (2023). People with diabetes and hypovitaminosis C fail to conserve urinary vitamin C.
Journal of Clinical & Translational Endocrinology,
31, 100316.
doi: 10.1016/j.jcte.2023.100316
Journal - Research Article
Cant, N., Buchanan, M., Carr, A., & Boden, J. M. (2022). Cannabis use and patterns of psychotic symptomatology in a longitudinal birth cohort.
New Zealand Medical Journal,
135(1562), 25-33. Retrieved from
https://journal.nzma.org.nz/
Journal - Research Article
Carr, A. C., Block, G., & Lykkesfeldt, J. (2022). Estimation of vitamin C intake requirements based on body weight: Implications for obesity.
Nutrients,
14, 1460.
doi: 10.3390/nu14071460
Journal - Research Article
Carr, A. C., Spencer, E., Heenan, H., Lunt, H., Vollebregt, M., & Prickett, T. C. R. (2022). Vitamin C status in people with types 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus and varying degrees of renal dysfunction: Relationship to body weight.
Antioxidants,
11(2), 245.
doi: 10.3390/antiox11020245
Journal - Research Article
Carr, A. C., Vlasiuk, E., Zawari, M., Meijer, N., Lauren, C., MacPherson, S., Williman, J., & Chambers, S. T. (2022). Supplementation with oral vitamin C prior to and during myeloablative chemotherapy and autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A pilot study.
Antioxidants,
11(10), 1949.
doi: 10.3390/antiox11101949
Journal - Research Article
Fujii, T., Salanti, G., Belletti, A., Bellomo, R., Carr, A., Furukawa, T. A., … Young, P. J. (2022). Effect of adjunctive vitamin C, glucocorticoids, and vitamin B1 on longer-term mortality in adults with sepsis or septic shock: A systematic review and a component network meta-analysis.
Intensive Care Medicine,
48, 16-24.
doi: 10.1007/s00134-021-06558-0
Journal - Research Article
Rosengrave, P., Spencer, E., Williman, J., Mehrtens, J., Morgan, S., Doyle, T., Van Der Heyden, K., … Shaw, G., & Carr, A. C. (2022). Intravenous vitamin C administration to patients with septic shock: A pilot randomised controlled trial.
Critical Care,
26(1), 26.
doi: 10.1186/s13054-022-03900-w
Journal - Research Article
Spencer, E., Rosengrave, P., Williman, J., Shaw, G., & Carr, A. C. (2022). Circulating protein carbonyls are specifically elevated in critically ill patients with pneumonia relative to other sources of sepsis.
Free Radical Biology & Medicine,
179, 208-212.
doi: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2021.11.029
Journal - Research Article
Vlasiuk, E., Rosengrave, P., Roberts, E., Boden, J. M., Shaw, G., & Carr, A. C. (2022). Critically ill septic patients have elevated oxidative stress biomarkers: Lack of attenuation by parenteral vitamin C.
Nutrition Research,
108, 53-59.
doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2022.10.010
Journal - Research Article
Carr, A. C., & Lykkesfeldt, J. (2021). Discrepancies in global vitamin C recommendations: A review of RDA criteria and underlying health perspectives.
Critical Reviews in Food Science & Nutrition,
61(5), 742-755.
doi: 10.1080/10408398.2020.1744513
Journal - Research Article
Carr, A. C., Bozonet, S., Pullar, J., Spencer, E., Rosengrave, P., & Shaw, G. (2021). Neutrophils isolated from septic patients exhibit elevated uptake of vitamin C and normal intracellular concentrations despite a low vitamin C milieu.
Antioxidants,
10(10), 1607.
doi: 10.3390/antiox10101607
Journal - Research Article
Dachs, G. U., Gandhi, J., Wohlrab, C., Carr, A. C., Morrin, H. R., Pullar, J. M., Bayer, S. B., Eglinton, T. W., Robinson, B. A., & Vissers, M. C. M. (2021). Vitamin C administration by intravenous infusion increases tumor ascorbate content in patients with colon cancer: A clinical intervention study.
Frontiers in Oncology,
10, 600715.
doi: 10.3389/fonc.2020.600715
Journal - Research Article
Hemilä, H., Carr, A., & Chalker, E. (2021). Vitamin C may increase the recovery rate of outpatient cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection by 70%: Reanalysis of the COVID A to Z randomized clinical trial.
Frontiers in Immunology,
12, 674681.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.674681
Journal - Research Article
Pearson, A. G., Pullar, J. M., Cook, J., Spencer, E. S., Vissers, M. C. M., Carr, A. C., & Hampton, M. B. (2021). Peroxiredoxin 2 oxidation reveals hydrogen peroxide generation within erythrocytes during high-dose vitamin C administration.
Redox Biology,
43, 101980.
doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2021.101980
Journal - Research Article
Rowe, S., Collins, P. D., Stacey, S. E., & Carr, A. C. (2021). Micronutrients and respiratory infections: The biological rationale and current state of clinical evaluation.
British Journal of Hospital Medicine,
82(4).
doi: 10.12968/hmed.2020.0730
Journal - Research Article
Baxter-Parker, G., Gaddam, R. R., Moltchanova, E., Carr, A. C., Shaw, G., Chambers, S., & Gieseg, S. P. (2020). Oxidative stress and immune cell activation quantification in sepsis and non-sepsis critical care patients by neopterin/7,8-dihydroneopterin analysis.
Pteridines,
31(1), 68-82.
doi: 10.1515/pteridines-2020-0015
Journal - Research Article
Carr, A. C., Spencer, E., Das, A., Meijer, N., Lauren, C., MacPherson, S., & Chambers, S. T. (2020). Patients undergoing myeloablative chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation exhibit depleted vitamin C status in association with febrile neutropenia.
Nutrients,
12(6), 1879.
doi: 10.3390/nu12061879
Journal - Research Article