Phillip Wilcox, Our people, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Otago, New Zealand

(B.For.Sci.(Hons), PhD., Dip. Ara Reo Māori) Phillip Wilcox (2022)

Kaiawhina Māori, Dept. Mathematics and Statistics
Kaikōkiri Māori, Genetics Teaching Programme
Affiliate, Bioethics Centre
Kaiawhina Māori, Genetics Teaching Programme (shared)

Office: Science III, room 221
Tel +64 3 479 7771
Email phillip.wilcox@otago.ac.nz

About

Ko tēnei tohoku pepeha tā te taha tohoku whaea:

Ko Moumoukai, Whakapunake nga maunga
Ko Te Wairoa hōpupu hōngenge mātangirau, Kopuawhara, nga Nuhaka nga awa
Ko Kahungunu, Tākitimu, Te Rākātō nga marae
Ko Tākitimu, Kurahaupo nga waka
Ko Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Rakaipaaka, nga iwi
Ko Ngāi Te Rakatō, Ngāi Te Apatu, Te Whare Rau o Te Tahinga nga hapū

Ko au he Ahorangi Tuarua i Te Whare Wānanga o Otākou. Ko tohoku mahi nei: hei whakaake te ora o nga Māori katoa mai nga mahi ira putaiaio.

I am a quantitative geneticist and bioethicist based at the University of Otāgo in Aotearoa/New Zealand. I have worked at the interface of Māori bioethics and gene technologies, where I have developed tikanga (Māori ethics)-based frameworks and guidelines for researchers. I also undertake research on the genetics of inherited conditions in our people. Previously I have worked in the areas of genetics of tree species and statistical genetics method development. I also teach Māori-related content in graduate and undergraduate science courses, and run education programmes for Māori tauira (students) and pākeke (adults) on genomics and genetics that are taught in Māori learning environments. In the Department of Mathematics and Statistics I established and lead the post graduate Applied Sciences (Quantitative Genetics) programme.

For further information about my research and teaching, see:

Teaching responsibilities

I convene(d)/co-convene(d) the following papers: QGEN 401, AGRI 323, STAT 110.

I also teach in the following papers:

STAT 110 Statistical Methods
STAT 311 Design of Research Studies
Genetics papers GENE 222, GENE 223, GENE 325, GENE 360
Agriculture papers AGRI 101, AGRI 221, AGRI 323
BITC 201 Bioethics and the Life Sciences
BIOC 360 Research Perspectives in Biochemistry
Digital Humanities papers DHUM 303, DHUM 403

In my role as Kaikōkiri Māori, responsibilities include overseeing all Māori content taught in the Genetics Teaching Programme to ensure it is relevant and aligns with tikanga Māori, as well as ensuring graduate attributes are achieved regarding requisite cultural knowledge and capabilities.

Off-campus, I also teach genetics and genomics related content in Māori learning environments, primarily the Summer Internship of indigenous peoples in Genomics Aotearoa (SING Aotearoa), as well as a genetics/genomics module in the University of Otago Science Wānanga.

Research interests

I have a broad range of research interests.

Past research activities include

Impacts of genetic improvement on forest management practices
Forest tree genomics and development of genomic tools for tree breeding particularly radiata pine (Pinus radiata D.Don)
Linkage mapping of forest trees and other plant species.
Genetic basis for disease resistance in forest tree species

Ongoing interests include

Development and application of statistical methods for analyses of genomic information
Development and application of tikanga and Mātauranga Māori in genomic and genetic sciences
Culturally informed study design and data sovereignty, particularly ‘omic data

Current research activities include

Culturally informed methods for precision medicine
Genomic resource development for enhancing Māori and Pacific health
Applications of genetic information in health

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Publications

Lee, K., Vakili, S., Burden, H. J., Adams, S., Smith, G. C., Kulatea, B., Wright-McNaughton, M., Sword, D., … King, F., Wilcox, P., Merriman, T. R., Krebs, J. D., Hall, R. M., Murphy, R., Merry, T. L., & Shepherd, P. R. (2022). The minor allele of the CREBRF rs373863828 p.R457Q coding variant is associated with reduced levels of myostatin in males: Implications for body composition. Molecular Metabolism. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2022.101464

Filoche, S., Stubbe, M. H., Grainger, R., Robson, B., Paringatai, K., Wilcox, P., Jefferies, R., & Dowell, A. (2021). How is family health history discussed in routine primary healthcare? A qualitative study of archived family doctor consultations. BMJ Open, 11(10), e049058. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-049058

Ambler, J., Diallo, A. A., Dearden, P. K., Wilcox, P., Hudson, M., & Tiffin, N. (2021). Including digital sequence data in the Nagoya Protocol can promote data sharing. Trends in Biotechnology, 39(2), 116-125. doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.06.009

Emde, A.-K., Phipps-Green, A., Cadzow, M., Gallagher, C. S., Major, T. J., Merriman, M. E., Topless, R. K., Takei, R., Dalbeth, N., … Stamp, L. K., … Wilcox, P. L., … Merriman, T. R., & Castel, S. E. (2021). Mid-pass whole genome sequencing enables biomedical genetic studies of diverse populations. BMC Genomics, 22, 666. doi: 10.1186/s12864-021-07949-9

Topless, R. K. G., Major, T. J., Florez, J. C., Hirschhorn, J. N., Cadzow, M., Dalbeth, N., Stamp, L. K., Wilcox, P. L., … Merriman, T. R. (2021). The comparative effect of exposure to various risk factors on the risk of hyperuricaemia: Diet has a weak causal effect. Arthritis Research & Therapy, 23(1), 75. doi: 10.1186/s13075-021-02444-8

Journal - Research Article

Journal - Research Other

Journal - Research Article

D'Angelo, C. S., Hermes, A., McMaster, C. R., Prichep, E., Richer, É., van der Westhuizen, F. H., … Wilcox, P., … Baynam, G. (2020). Barriers and considerations for diagnosing rare diseases in indigenous populations. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 8, 579924. doi: 10.3389/fped.2020.579924

Journal - Research Other

Caron, N. R., Chongo, M., Hudson, M., Arbour, L., Wasserman, W. W., Robertson, S., … Wilcox, P. (2020). Indigenous genomic databases: Pragmatic considerations and cultural contexts. Frontiers in Public Health, 8, 111. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.00111

Journal - Research Other

Hudson, M., Garrison, N. A., Sterling, R., Caron, N. R., Fox, K., Yracheta, J., … Wilcox, P., … Dearden, P. K., … Russo Carroll, S. (2020). Rights, interests and expectations: Indigenous perspectives on unrestricted access to genomic data. Nature Reviews Genetics, 21, 377-384. doi: 10.1038/s41576-020-0228-x

Journal - Research Other

Chagné, D., Ryan, J., Saeed, M., Van Stijn, T., Brauning, R., Clarke, S., … Wilcox, P., … Lewis, D. (2019). A high density linkage map and quantitative trait loci for tree growth for New Zealand mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium). New Zealand Journal of Crop & Horticultural Science, 47(4), 261-272. doi: 10.1080/01140671.2018.1540437

Journal - Research Article

Telfer, E., Graham, N., Macdonald, L., Li, Y., Klápště, J., Resende, Jr, M., … Wilcox, P. (2019). A high-density exome capture genotype-by-sequencing panel for forestry breeding in Pinus radiata. PLoS ONE, 14(9), e0222640. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0222640

Journal - Research Article

Li, Y., Klápště, J., Telfer, E., Wilcox, P., Graham, N., Macdonald, L., & Dungey, H. S. (2019). Genomic selection for non-key traits in radiata pine when the documented pedigree is corrected using DNA marker information. BMC Genomics, 20, 1026. doi: 10.1186/s12864-019-6420-8

Journal - Research Article

Hudson, M., Mead, A. T. P., Chagné, D., Roskruge, N., Morrison, S., Wilcox, P. L., & Allan, A. C. (2019). Indigenous perspectives and gene editing in Aotearoa New Zealand. Frontiers in Bioengineering & Biotechnology, 7, 70. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00070

Journal - Research Article

Hudson, M., Wilcox, P., Smith, B., Beaton, A., Milne, M., & Russell, K. (2018). (C)ELSI‐us: Reducing friction with indigenous communities in genomic research. American Anthropologist, 120(2), 330-332. doi: 10.1111/aman.13043

Journal - Research Other

Bilton, T. P., Schofield, M. R., Black, M. A., Chagné, D., Wilcox, P. L., & Dodds, K. G. (2018). Accounting for errors in low coverage high-throughput sequencing data when constructing genetic maps using biparental outcrossed populations. Genetics, 209(1), 65-76. doi: 10.1534/genetics.117.300627

Journal - Research Article

Telfer, E., Graham, N., Macdonald, L., Sturrock, S., Wilcox, P., & Stanbra, L. (2018). Approaches to variant discovery for conifer transcriptome sequencing. PLoS ONE, 13(11), e0205835. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205835

Journal - Research Article

Merriman, T. R., & Wilcox, P. L. (2018). Cardio-metabolic disease genetic risk factors among Māori and Pacific Island people in Aotearoa New Zealand: Current state of knowledge and future directions. Annals of Human Biology, 45(3), 202-214. doi: 10.1080/03014460.2018.1461929

Journal - Research Other

Krishnan, M., Major, T. J., Topless, R. K., Dewes, O., Yu, L., Thompson, J. M. D., … Stamp, L. K., … Wilcox, P., Grattan, D., … Merriman, T. R. (2018). Discordant association of the CREBRF rs373863828 A allele with increased BMI and protection from type 2 diabetes in Māori and Pacific (Polynesian) people living in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Diabetologia, 61(7), 1603-1613. doi: 10.1007/s00125-018-4623-1

Journal - Research Article

Robertson, S. P., Harré Hindmarsh, J., Berry, S., Cameron, V. A., Cox, M. P., Dewes, O., … Matisoo-Smith, E., … Sika-Paotonu, D., … Merriman, T. R., … Wilcox, P. (2018). Genomic medicine must reduce, not compound, health inequities: The case for hauora-enhancing genomic resources for New Zealand. New Zealand Medical Journal, 131(1480), 81-89. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Journal - Research Other

Major, T. J., Krishnan, M., Topless, R. K., Dewes, O., Thompson, J., de Zoysa, J., Stamp, L. K., … Wilcox, P., Grattan, D., … Merriman, T. R. (2018). Re: "Widespread prevalence of a CREBRF variant among Māori and Pacific children is associated with weight and height in early childhood". International Journal of Obesity, 42, 1389-1391. doi: 10.1038/s41366-018-0025-1

Journal - Research Other

Beaton, A., Hudson, M., Milne, M., Port, R. V., Russell, K., Smith, B., … Wilcox, P., … Wihongi, H. (2017). Engaging Māori in biobanking and genomic research: A model for biobanks to guide culturally informed governance, operational, and community engagement activities. Genetics in Medicine, 19(3), 345-351. doi: 10.1038/gim.2016.111

Journal - Research Article

Li, Y., Wilcox, P., Telfer, E., Graham, N., & Stanbra, L. (2016). Association of single nucleotide polymorphisms with form traits in three New Zealand populations of radiata pine in the presence of genotype by environment interactions. Tree Genetics & Genomes, 12, 63. doi: 10.1007/s11295-016-1019-6

Journal - Research Article

Galla, S. J., Buckley, T. R., Elshire, R., Hale, M. L., Knapp, M., McCallum, J., … Wilcox, P., & Steeves, T. E. (2016). Building strong relationships between conservation genetics and primary industry leads to mutually beneficial genomic advances. Molecular Ecology, 25(21), 5267-5281. doi: 10.1111/mec.13837

Journal - Research Article

Hudson, M., Beaton, A., Milne, M., Port, W., Russell, K., Smith, B., … Wilcox, P. (2016). He Tangata Kei Tua: Guidelines for biobanking with Māori. Hamilton, New Zealand: Te Mata Hautū Taketake: Māori & Indigenous Governance Centre, 38p.

Authored Book - Research

Hudson, M., Southey, K., Uerata, L., Beaton, A., Milne, M., Russell, K., … Wilcox, P., … Port, W. (2016). Key informant views on biobanking and genomic research with Māori. New Zealand Medical Journal, 129(1447), 29-42. Retrieved from http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Journal - Research Article

Cadzow, M., Merriman, T. R., Boocock, J., Dalbeth, N., Stamp, L. K., Black, M. A., … Wilcox, P. L. (2016). Lack of direct evidence for natural selection at the candidate thrifty gene locus, PPARGC1A. BMC Medical Genetics, 17, 80. doi: 10.1186/s12881-016-0341-z

Journal - Research Article

Hudson, M., Beaton, A., Milne, M., Port, W., Russell, K., Smith, B., … Wilcox, P. (2016). Te Mata Ira: Guidelines for genomic research with Māori. Hamilton, New Zealand: Te Mata Hautū Taketake: Māori & Indigenous Governance Centre, 46p.

Authored Book - Research

Mitchell, I., Wilcox, P., & Horner, I. (2015, 11 February). Kauri dieback: What happens now? Science Media Centre Briefing. Retrieved from http://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2015/02/11/smc-briefing-kauri-dieback-what-happens-now/. [Online Forum].

Other Research Output

Wilcox, P., & Kumar, S. (2015). Speedy breeding with genomics: New approaches to fruit and forest tree breeding in New Zealand. The Journal, 19(4), 32-36.

Journal - Professional & Other Non-Research Articles

Wilcox, P. L., & Macdonald, L. J. (2015). New Zealand forestry enters the genomics era: Towards a genome sequence of radiata pine. New Zealand Journal of Forestry, 60(1), 17-22.

Journal - Research Article

Marshall, C. W., Chagné, D., Deusch, O., Gruenheit, N., McCallum, J., Bergin, D., … Wilcox, P. L. (2015). A DNA-based diagnostic for differentiating among New Zealand endemic Podocarpus. Tree Genetics & Genomes, 11, 69. doi: 10.1007/s11295-015-0888-4

Journal - Research Article

Cadzow, M., Boocock, J., Nguyen, H. T., Wilcox, P., Merriman, T. R., & Black, M. A. (2014). A bioinformatics workflow for detecting signatures of selection in genomic data. Frontiers in Genetics, 5, 293. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2014.00293

Journal - Research Article

More publications...

Associate Professor Phillip Wilcox

About

Teaching responsibilities

Research interests

Past research activities include

Ongoing interests include

Current research activities include

Publications