Dr Rachel Purcell

Contact Details
University Links
- Position
- Senior Research Fellow
- Department
- Department of Surgery and Critical Care (Christchurch)
- Qualifications
- BSc(Hons)(Cork) MSc(Hons)(PIC) PhD(Otago)
- Research summary
- Bowel cancer
Research
Rachel is a Research Fellow with the Department of Surgery. She has a background in molecular biology and cancer genetics.
Her research is centred on the molecular mechanisms of pathogenic bacteria in colorectal carcinogenesis.
Rachel's current research projects include investigating the effect of the gut microbiome on radiotherapy response in rectal cancer, microbiome-based markers of diverticular disease and molecular classification of colorectal cancer.
Publications
Sulit, A. K., Daigneault, M., Allen-Vercoe, E., Silander, O. K., Hock, B., McKenzie, J., Pearson, J., Frizelle, F. A., Schmeier, S., & Purcell, R. (2023). Bacterial lipopolysaccharide modulates immune response in the colorectal tumor microenvironment. npj Biofilms & Microbiomes, 9, 59. doi: 10.1038/s41522-023-00429-w
Kolisnik, T., Sulit, A. K., Schmeier, S., Frizelle, F., Purcell, R., Smith, A., & Silander, O. (2023). Identifying important microbial and genomic biomarkers for differentiating right- versus left-sided colorectal cancer using random forest models. BMC Cancer, 23, 647. doi: 10.1186/s12885-023-10848-9
Rodger, E. J., Gimenez, G., Ajithkumar, P., Stockwell, P. A., Almomani, S., Bowden, S. A., Leichter, A. L., Ahn, A., Pattison, S., McCall, J. L., … Frizelle, F. A., Eccles, M. R., Purcell, R. V., & Chatterjee, A. (2023). An epigenetic signature of advanced colorectal cancer metastasis. iScience, 26(6), 106986. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106986
Sulit, A. K., Wilson, K., Pearson, J., Silander, O. K., Sampurno, S., Michael, M., … Frizelle, F., & Purcell, R. V. (2023). Human gene and microbial analyses in rectal cancer complete responses to radiotherapy. BJS Open, 7(3), zrad035. doi: 10.1093/bjsopen/zrad035
Lee, M. S., Purcell, R., McCombie, A., Frizelle, F., & Eglinton, T. (2023). Retrospective cohort study of the impact of faecoliths on the natural history of acute appendicitis. World Journal of Emergency Surgery, 18, 18. doi: 10.1186/s13017-023-00486-8
Purcell, R. V. (2020). Bacteroides fragilis. In M. H. Floch (Ed.), Colorectal neoplasia and the colorectal microbiome: Dysplasia, probiotics, and fusobacteria. (pp. 57-77). London, UK: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-819672-4.00004-0
Chapter in Book - Research
Kolisnik, T., Sulit, A. K., Schmeier, S., Frizelle, F., Purcell, R., Smith, A., & Silander, O. (2023). Identifying important microbial and genomic biomarkers for differentiating right- versus left-sided colorectal cancer using random forest models. BMC Cancer, 23, 647. doi: 10.1186/s12885-023-10848-9
Journal - Research Article
Lee, M. S., Purcell, R., McCombie, A., Frizelle, F., & Eglinton, T. (2023). Retrospective cohort study of the impact of faecoliths on the natural history of acute appendicitis. World Journal of Emergency Surgery, 18, 18. doi: 10.1186/s13017-023-00486-8
Journal - Research Article
Lee, M. S., Thomas, A., Pearson, J. F., Purcell, R., Frizelle, F., & Glyn, T. (2023). Risk of colorectal cancer in patients with appendicitis over the age of 40 years. Colorectal Disease, 25, 624-630. doi: 10.1111/codi.16429
Journal - Research Article
Rodger, E. J., Gimenez, G., Ajithkumar, P., Stockwell, P. A., Almomani, S., Bowden, S. A., Leichter, A. L., Ahn, A., Pattison, S., McCall, J. L., … Frizelle, F. A., Eccles, M. R., Purcell, R. V., & Chatterjee, A. (2023). An epigenetic signature of advanced colorectal cancer metastasis. iScience, 26(6), 106986. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106986
Journal - Research Article
Sulit, A. K., Daigneault, M., Allen-Vercoe, E., Silander, O. K., Hock, B., McKenzie, J., Pearson, J., Frizelle, F. A., Schmeier, S., & Purcell, R. (2023). Bacterial lipopolysaccharide modulates immune response in the colorectal tumor microenvironment. npj Biofilms & Microbiomes, 9, 59. doi: 10.1038/s41522-023-00429-w
Journal - Research Article
Sulit, A. K., Wilson, K., Pearson, J., Silander, O. K., Sampurno, S., Michael, M., … Frizelle, F., & Purcell, R. V. (2023). Human gene and microbial analyses in rectal cancer complete responses to radiotherapy. BJS Open, 7(3), zrad035. doi: 10.1093/bjsopen/zrad035
Journal - Research Article
Thompson, N., Gatenby, G., Waddell, O., Purcell, R., Keenan, J., Pearson, J. F., Frizelle, F., & Glyn, T. (2023). Early onset colorectal cancer in Canterbury, New Zealand. ANZ Journal of Surgery, 93, 2148-2154. doi: 10.1111/ans.18357
Journal - Research Article
Aitchison, A., Pearson, J. F., Purcell, R. V., Frizelle, F. A., & Keenan, J. I. (2022). Detection of Fusobacterium nucleatum DNA in primary care patient stool samples does not predict progression of colorectal neoplasia. PLoS ONE, 17(6), e0269541. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269541
Journal - Research Article
Curio, S., Edwards, S. C., Suzuki, T., McGovern, J., Triulzi, C., Yoshida, N., … Purcell, R. V., … Guerra, N. (2022). NKG2D signaling regulates IL-17A-producing γδT cells in mice to promote cancer progression. Discovery Immunology, 1, kyac002. doi: 10.1093/discim/kyac002
Journal - Research Article
O'Grady, M. J., Turner, G. A., Sulit, A., Frizelle, F. A., & Purcell, R. (2022). Distinct changes in the colonic microbiome associated with acute diverticulitis. Colorectal Disease, 24, 1591-1601. doi: 10.1111/codi.16271
Journal - Research Article
Purcell, R. V., Permain, J., & Keenan, J. I. (2022). Enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis activates IL-8 expression through Stat3 in colorectal cancer cells. Gut Pathogens, 14, 16. doi: 10.1186/s13099-022-00489-x
Journal - Research Article
Turner, G., O'Grady, M., Hudson, D., Morgan, X., Frizelle, F., & Purcell, R. (2022). Rectal swabs are a reliable method of assessing the colonic microbiome. International Journal of Medical Microbiology, 312(2), 151549. doi: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2022.151549
Journal - Research Article
Lau, Y. C., Schmeier, S., Frizelle, F., & Purcell, R. (2021). Consensus molecular subtypes of primary colon tumors and their hepatic metastases. Future Science OA, 7(7), FSO722. doi: 10.2144/fsoa-2021-0021
Journal - Research Article
Turner, G. A., O'Grady, M. J., Senadeera, S. C., Wakeman, C. J., McCombie, A., Purcell, R. V., & Frizelle, F. A. (2021). The prevalence of right-sided colonic diverticulosis in a New Zealand population. ANZ Journal of Surgery, 91, 2110-2114. doi: 10.1111/ans.16995
Journal - Research Article
O'Grady, M., Clarke, L., Turner, G., Doogue, M., Purcell, R., Pearson, J., & Frizelle, F. (2020). Statin use and risk of acute diverticulitis: A population-based case-control study. Medicine, 99(20), e20264. doi: 10.1097/md.0000000000020264
Journal - Research Article
O'Grady, M., Turner, G., Currie, W., Yi, M., Frizelle, F., & Purcell, R. (2020). Acute diverticulitis: An ongoing economic burden on the health system. ANZ Journal of Surgery, 90, 2046-2049. doi: 10.1111/ans.16234
Journal - Research Article
Taylor, W. S., Pearson, J., Miller, A., Schmeier, S., Frizelle, F. A., & Purcell, R. V. (2020). MinION sequencing of colorectal cancer tumour microbiomes: A comparison with amplicon-based and RNA-sequencing. PLoS ONE, 15(5), e0233170. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233170
Journal - Research Article
Purcell, R. V., Schmeier, S., Lau, Y. C., Pearson, J. F., & Frizelle, F. A. (2019). Molecular subtyping improves prognostication of Stage 2 colorectal cancer. BMC Cancer, 19(1), 1155. doi: 10.1186/s12885-019-6327-4
Journal - Research Article
Stevens, A. J., Purcell, R. V., Darling, K. A., Eggleston, M. J. F., Kennedy, M. A., & Rucklidge, J. J. (2019). Human gut microbiome changes during a 10 week randomised control trial for micronutrient supplementation in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Scientific Reports, 9, 10128. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-46146-3
Journal - Research Article
Purcell, R. V., Kaakoush, N. O., Mitchell, H. M., Pearson, J. F., & Keenan, J. I. (2018). Gastrointestinal pathobionts in pediatric Crohn's disease patients. International Journal of Microbiology, 2018, 9203908. doi: 10.1155/2018/9203908
Journal - Research Article
Purcell, R. V., Pearson, J., Aitchison, A., Dixon, L., Frizelle, F. A., & Keenan, J. I. (2017). Colonization with enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis is associated with early-stage colorectal neoplasia. PLoS ONE, 12(2), e0171602. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171602
Journal - Research Article
Purcell, R. V., Visnovska, M., Biggs, P. J., Schmeier, S., & Frizelle, F. A. (2017). Distinct gut microbiome patterns associate with consensus molecular subtypes of colorectal cancer. Scientific Reports, 7, 11590. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-11237-6
Journal - Research Article
Keenan, J. I., Aitchison, A., Purcell, R. V., Greenlees, R., Pearson, J. F., & Frizelle, F. A. (2016). Screening for enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis in stool samples. Anaerobe, 40, 50-53. doi: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2016.05.004
Journal - Research Article
Purcell, R. V., Pearson, J., Frizelle, F. A., & Keenan, J. I. (2016). Comparison of standard, quantitative and digital PCR in the detection of enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis. Scientific Reports, 6, 34554. doi: 10.1038/srep34554
Journal - Research Article
Chatterjee, A., Leichter, A. L., Fan, V., Tsai, P., Purcell, R. V., Sullivan, M. J., & Eccles, M. R. (2015). A cross comparison of technologies for the detection of microRNAs in clinical FFPE samples of hepatoblastoma patients. Scientific Reports, 5, 10438. doi: 10.1038/srep10438
Journal - Research Article
Leichter, A. L., Purcell, R. V., Sullivan, M. J., Eccles, M. R., & Chatterjee, A. (2015). Multi-platform microRNA profiling of hepatoblastoma patients using formalin fixed paraffin embedded archival samples. GigaScience, 4, 54. doi: 10.1186/s13742-015-0099-9
Journal - Research Article
Purcell, R., Childs, M., Maibach, R., Miles, C., Turner, C., Zimmermann, A., … Sullivan, M. (2012). Potential biomarkers for hepatoblastoma: Results from the SIOPEL-3 study. European Journal of Cancer, 48(12), 1853-1859. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2011.10.019
Journal - Research Article
Purcell, R., Childs, M., Maibach, R., Miles, C., Turner, C., Zimmermann, A., & Sullivan, M. (2011). HGF/c-Met related activation of β-catenin in hepatoblastoma. Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research, 30, 96. doi: 10.1186/1756-9966-30-96
Journal - Research Article
Glyn, T., & Purcell, R. (2022). Circulating bacterial DNA: A new paradigm for cancer diagnostics [Mini review]. Frontiers in Medicine, 9, 831096. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.831096
Journal - Research Other
Noble, A. J., Purcell, R. V., Adams, A. T., Lam, Y. K., Ring, P. M., Anderson, J. R., & Osborne, A. J. (2022). A final frontier in environment-genome interactions? Integrated, multi-omic approaches to predictions of non-communicable disease risk. Frontiers in Genetics, 13, 831866. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2022.831866
Journal - Research Other
Shelling, A. N., Bicknell, L. S., Bohlander, S. S., Cox, M. P., Filoche, S. K., Fraser, H. G., … Te Aika, B., Purcell, R. V., & Tiller, J. M. (2022). Genomic discrimination in New Zealand health and life insurance: AGenDA: Against Genomic Discrimination in Aotearoa. New Zealand Medical Journal, 135(1551), 7-12. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal
Journal - Research Other
Turner, G. A., O'Grady, M. J., Purcell, R. V., & Frizelle, F. A. (2022). Acute diverticulitis in young patients: A review of the changing epidemiology and etiology. Digestive Diseases & Sciences, 67, 1156-1162. doi: 10.1007/s10620-021-06956-w
Journal - Research Other
Turner, G. A., O'Grady, M. J., Purcell, R. V., & Frizelle, F. A. (2021). The epidemiology and etiology of right-sided colonic diverticulosis: A review. Annals of Coloproctology, 37(4), 196-203. doi: 10.3393/ac.2021.00192.0027
Journal - Research Other
Purcell, R. V., Hock, B. D., Gardner, J., Goddard, L., MacPherson, S. A., & McKenzie, J. L. (2019). Analysis of human papillomavirus infection and leukaemic infiltrate in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. British Journal of Haematology, 186(4), e67-e71. doi: 10.1111/bjh.15907
Journal - Research Other
Visnovska, T., Biggs, P. J., Schmeier, S., Frizelle, F. A., & Purcell, R. V. (2019). Metagenomics and transcriptomics data from human colorectal cancer [Data descriptor]. Scientific Data, 6(1), 116. doi: 10.1038/s41597-019-0117-3
Journal - Research Other