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Contact Details

Phone
+64 3 364 0649
Email
anitra.carr@otago.ac.nz
Position
Research Professor
Department
Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science (Christchurch)
Qualifications
BSc(Hons)(Cant) PhD(Otago)
Research summary
Vitamin C bioavailability and health effects; recommended dietary intakes; fatigue and quality of life; cancer; severe infection; clinical studies

Research

Professor Anitra Carr's area of research expertise is the role of vitamin C in human health and disease. 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.

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.

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. 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.

Publications

Carr, A. C., Vlasiuk, E., Zawari, M., & Lunt, H. (2024). Understanding the additional impact of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus on vitamin C requirements in people living with obesity. Nutrition Research. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2024.08.001 Journal - Research Article

Wilson, R. B., Liang, Y., Kaushal, D., & Carr, A. (2024). Molecular pharmacology of vitamin C and relevance to health and obesity: A narrative review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(14). doi: 10.3390/ijms25147523 Journal - Research Article

Carr, A. C., Myint, P. K., Vijewardane, S. C., Johnstone, A. M., Crook, J., & Lykkesfeldt, J. (2024). An increasing proportion of the population is not covered by the current RDA for vitamin C: Interrogation of EPIC-Norfolk and NHANES 2017/2018 cohorts. Critical Reviews in Food Science & Nutrition. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2024.2356760 Journal - Research Article

Vlasiuk, E., Zawari, M., Whitehead, R., Williman, J., & Carr, A. C. (2024). A high vitamin C micronutrient supplement is unable to attenuate inflammation in people with metabolic syndrome but may improve metabolic health indices: A randomised controlled trial. Antioxidants, 13(4), 404. doi: 10.3390/antiox13040404 Journal - Research Article

Vlasiuk, E., Zawari, M., Storer, M., Maze, M. J., Williman, J., Chambers, S. T., & Carr, A. C. (2024). SunGold kiwifruit consumption restores adequate to optimal vitamin C status in people with a history of severe respiratory infections. Antioxidants, 13, 272. doi: 10.3390/antiox13030272 Journal - Research Article

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