Professor Julia Horsfield, new Dean of the School of Biomedical Sciences, is helping the public understand how biomedical and molecular sciences make a difference to New Zealand.
Newly appointed Dean of the Otago School of Biomedical Sciences Professor Julia Horsfield is keen to make sure more students are motivated and inspired by the diverse range of learning and research opportunities in the school.
Julia takes over as Dean from Professor Lisa Matisoo-Smith, who has returned to her research in biological anthropology.
She sees her new role as building trust and capability within the school.
“It’s important to me to help the public understand how biomedical and molecular sciences make a difference to New Zealand’s economy, the health and wellbeing of people, and the environment that supports them.
“I’m in awe of the breadth and depth of research and teaching we have here in our five BMS departments; it’s no surprise we are ranking so highly internationally. The research calibre is truly world class.”
“There are so many doors a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences, or Bachelor of Science degree can open for exciting careers in science. It’s not just in the health professions; I want to help students and those thinking of studying at Otago to see there is a sparkling bright future in whatever direction they choose.
“I’m in awe of the breadth and depth of research and teaching we have here in our five BMS departments; it’s no surprise we are ranking so highly internationally. The research calibre is truly world class.”
Previously, Julia was Head of Otago’s Department of Pathology, and prior to that, she was Associate Dean Postgraduate Education for the Dunedin School of Medicine 2015-2017, and Director for the Genetics Otago research centre from 2017-2021.
She continues to teach Pathology papers and in the Genetics programme.
Julia studied at Victoria University of Wellington, majoring in Botany, followed by Honours in Biochemistry.
She worked as a research fellow at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in the UK, before joining Professor Warren Tate at Otago. Her PhD looked at new ways to stop the HIV virus from replicating.
In 1996, she moved to the University of Adelaide to work in the Department of Genetics. There, she first became acquainted with control of the cell cycle in development.
Returning to New Zealand as a research fellow at the University of Auckland, she started working with zebrafish for the first time.
After shifting to Otago in 2007, Julia continued her main interests in developmental biology and leukaemia research, extending use of the zebrafish model to better understand how cells develop and what goes wrong to cause human developmental disorders.
Otago at the time had no zebrafish facility, so she created a multi-user facility, which opened in 2009. This accommodated her Marsden-funded project and expanded zebrafish research at Otago.
“I’m proud to say that today, around nine principal investigators and 30 staff and students undertake cancer, gene expression, neuroscience, stem cell biology and epigenetics research, supported by multiple external grants – three Marsdens, one Marsden fast-start, two Health Research Council projects and a possible commercial project at present.”
Her research at Otago over the last 18 years has focused on how the packaging of DNA in the nucleus helps stem cells decide their fate. She was the first to connect mutations in a DNA packaging protein called “cohesin” to human leukaemia.
Julia used a Fulbright scholarship in 2019 to extend her research using single-cell sequencing to research how cell fate decisions are controlled in the zebrafish animal model at University of California, Davis.
Outside of work, Julia is keen on the outdoors, first becoming addicted to triathlons in Adelaide, and later, to cycling of all kinds. She admits to having up to six different bikes at one point (now down to just three). She also likes gardening, listening to music, and reading when there’s time.
- Kōrero by Claire Grant, Communications Advisor, School of Biomedical Sciences
School of Biomedical Science
Otago's School of Biomedical Sciences is delivering science that is transforming our world. Its work is vital to healthcare professions, our productive sector, and to our unique flora and fauna. Together its staff and students are shaping our futures for Aotearoa, the Pacific, and beyond.
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