Jordan Doran and Professor Louise Bicknell at the December 2025 graduation. Jordan has been working on a summer project in the Rare Disorder Genetics Lab in the Department of Biochemistry.
A stint in Otago’s Rare Disorder Genetics Lab has solidified one graduate’s resolve to pursue research to help children diagnosed with rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorders.
Bachelor of Sciences with Honours graduate Jordan Doran was awarded the 2025 Otago Institute prize, recognising his work with Biochemistry Professor Louise Bicknell in the Rare Disorder Genetics Lab last year.
The Otago Institute prize is awarded annually by the University of Otago Council to an Otago student who has demonstrated outstanding ability in the Bachelor of Sciences with Honours.
Jordan’s research focused on neurodevelopmental disorders and gene expression.
After graduating, Jordan moved to Melbourne to start a PhD at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute within the Melbourne Children’s Hospital, having been awarded a Research Training Programme scholarship.
His PhD is relatively closely related to his honours project. He will be screening different drug options with the hope that this will lead to clinical trials to provide early intervention treatments for children diagnosed with a rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorder.
“I want to come out of it and end up in research, but I think I'd ideally find something closer to the clinical, patient-facing side of things than research in a university lab. I decided against medicine when coming to uni, but still want to be involved - just without directly having people's lives in my hands.”
Jordan, who also won the 2025 400-level Edson Prize in Biochemistry, says the awards were a lovely surprise to end the year, paying tribute to supervisor Louise and the Rare Disorder Genetics Lab for their support.
“I am very grateful for being awarded the prizes, and I am thankful to the sponsors of the financial component for their support and the department for the nomination.”
Jordan grew up in North Canterbury and has enjoyed science since high school.
“Initially, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do at uni, at one point thinking I might attempt the medicine route, but decided from first year that I'd like to keep my options open, doing mostly maths and life science-related papers, given I wasn't big on blood!
“Moving through my degree, I realised I was way more interested in the biochemistry and genetics side of things.
“I always knew I'd like to go on to a PhD at some point, and I was always more interested in the human health aspects of science, so, after undergrad, I decided to do a summer project to ease into an honours year and find a project that would combine health genetics and biochemistry, landing me in Louise's lab.”
Jordan loves the potential for molecular biology.
“The idea that the work I do could make an impact on individual people's lives is amazing - the one thing I've always wanted to get out of my work was helping people.”
- Kōrero by Claire Grant, Communications Advisor, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences
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