Associate Professor Max Berry, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Our people, University of Otago, Wellington, University of Otago, New Zealand

BSc MBBS MRCPCH FRACP PhD

Associate Professor in the Department of Paediatrics

Max-Berry

Associate Professor Max Berry obtained her BSc in Developmental Neurobiology from the University of London prior to completion of undergraduate medical training at Guys and St Thomas’s Hospitals, London. She obtained MRCPCH in the UK just before emigrating to NZ, where she completed her training in neonatal and perinatal medicine in Hamilton and Wellington. In 2008 Dr Berry was awarded an HRC Fellowship for PhD studies; during the course of her PhD she examined the long-term effects of preterm birth, early nutrition and antenatal corticosteroid exposure on cardiometabolic outcomes in sheep.

Associate Professor Berry joined the department in 2012 as a Neonatologist and Senior Lecturer in Paediatrics. She has an active role in 5th and 6th year teaching.

Contact details

Email max.berry@otago.ac.nz

Research interests

Associate Professor Berry's research interests include pre-clinical and clinical studies examining novel approaches to mitigate the impact of an altered perinatal environment on cardiometabolic and neurodevelopmental outcomes. She also leads pre-clinical translational biomedical research across a number of other pathophysiological states, integrating basic sciences with advances in clinical care.

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Publications

Sixtus, R. P., Berry, M. J., Gray, C. L., & Dyson, R. M. (2023). A novel whole-body thermal stress test for monitoring cardiovascular responses in Guinea pigs. Journal of Thermal Biology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103500

Kremer, L. J., Medlicott, N., Sime, M. J., Broadbent, R., Edmonds, L., Berry, M. J., Austin, N. C., … Reith, D. M. (2023). Low dose or very low dose phenylephrine and cyclopentolate microdrops for retinopathy of prematurity eye examinations (The Little Eye Drop Study): A randomised controlled non-inferiority trial. Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal & Neonatal Edition. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2022-324929

Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee, including Edmonds, L., Berry, M., Cormack, D., and also Te Rōpū Kohi Pitopito Mōhiotanga mō te Take Mate | New Zealand Mortality Review Data Group, including Dawson, P., Burgess, W., Roy, M., Paterson, H., Crengle, S., McDonald, G., Hii, J., Szymanska, K., Wolfe, N., Lawrence Lodge, R., Rayner, C., & Chalmers, S. (2022). Fifteenth annual report of the Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee | Te pūrongo ā-tau tekau mā rima o te Komiti Arotake Mate Pēpi, Mate Whaea hoki: Reporting mortality and morbidity 2020 | Te tuku pūrongo mō te mate me te whakamate 2020. Commissioned by Health Quality & Safety Commission. Wellington, New Zealand: Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee. 209p. Retrieved from https://www.hqsc.govt.nz/our-programmes/mrc/pmmrc/

Smith, E. V. L. R., Dyson, R. M., Weth, F. R., Berry, M. J., & Gray, C. (2022). Maternal fructose intake, programmed mitochondrial function and predisposition to adult disease. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23, 12215. doi: 10.3390/ijms232012215

Vissers, M., Smith-Díaz, C., Coker, S., Dyson, R., Hore, T., & Berry, M. (2022, August-September). Low maternal vitamin C during pregnancy in guinea pigs results in persistent epigenetic dysregulation in the hippocampus of offspring together with an ADHD-related phenotype. Poster session presented at the Queenstown Molecular Biology (QMB) Meetings, Queenstown, New Zealand.

Journal - Research Article

Saito-Benz, M., Bennington, K., Gray, C. L., Murphy, W. G., Flanagan, P., Steiner, F., … Berry, M. J. (2022). Effects of freshly irradiated vs irradiated and stored red blood cell transfusion on cerebral oxygenation in preterm infants: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Pediatrics. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.0152

Journal - Research Article

Sandle, M. E., Saito Benz, M., & Berry, M. (2022). Neurodevelopmental follow-up of preterm infants: Current practice for infants at a tertiary neonatal centre. New Zealand Medical Journal, 135(1549), 50-62. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Journal - Research Article

Shaw, J. C., Dyson, R. M., Palliser, H. K., Crombie, G. K., Berry, M. J., & Hirst, J. J. (2022). Adaptations in the hippocampus during the fetal to neonatal transition in guinea pigs. Reproductive Medicine, 3, 85-100. doi: 10.3390/reprodmed3020008

Journal - Research Article

Shaw, J. C., Dyson, R. M., Palliser, H. K., Sixtus, R. P., Barnes, H., Pavy, C. L., … Berry, M. J., & Hirst, J. J. (2022). Examining neurosteroid-analogue therapy in the preterm neonate for promoting hippocampal neurodevelopment. Frontiers in Physiology, 13, 871265. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.871265

Journal - Research Article

Smith, E. V. L. R., Dyson, R. M., Vanderboor, C. M. G., Sarr, O., Anderson, J., Berry, M. J., … Gray, C. (2022). Maternal fructose intake causes developmental reprogramming of hepatic mitochondrial catalytic activity and lipid metabolism in weanling and young adult offspring. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23, 999. doi: 10.3390/ijms23020999

Journal - Research Article

Thomas, D. G., Galvosas, P., Tzeng, Y.-C., Harrison, F. G., Berry, M. J., Teal, P. D., … Obruchkov, S. (2022). Oxygen saturation-dependent effects on blood transverse relaxation at low fields. Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology & Medicine, 35, 805-815. doi: 10.1007/s10334-021-00993-2

Journal - Research Article

Thomas, D. G., Tzeng, Y.-C., Galvosas, P., Harrison, F. G., Berry, M. J., Teal, P. D., Galvin, S. D., & Obruchkov, S. I. (2022). Single-sided magnet system for quantitative MR relaxometry and preclinical in-vivo monitoring. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1109/TBME.2022.3200626

Journal - Research Article

Darby, J. R. T., Berry, M. J., Quinn, M., Holman, S. L., Bradshaw, E. L., Jesse, S. M., … Morrison, J. M. (2021). Haemodynamics and cerebral oxygenation of neonatal piglets in the immediate ex utero period supported by either mechanical ventilation or an ex utero oxygenator. Journal of Physiology, 599(10), 2751-2761. doi: 10.1113/jp280803

Journal - Research Article

McBride, G. M., Meakin, A. S., Soo, J. Y., Darby, J. R. T., Varcoe, T. J., Bradshaw, E. L., … Berry, M. J., … Morrison, J. L. (2021). Intrauterine growth restriction alters the activity of drug metabolising enzymes in the maternal-placental-fetal unit. Life Sciences, 285, 120016. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.120016

Journal - Research Article

Prasad, J. D., van de Looij, Y., Gunn, K. C., Ranchhod, S. M., White, P. B., Berry, M. J., … Dean, J. M. (2021). Coordinated microstructural disruptions of the developing neocortex and subcortical white matter after prolonged mild-to-moderate early postnatal systemic inflammation. Brain, Behavior & Immunity, 94, 338-356. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.12.006

Journal - Research Article

Schrauben, E. M., Darby, J. R. T., Berry, M. J., Saini, B. S., Quinn, M., Holman, S. L., … Morrison, J. L. (2021). Open or closed: Changes in ductus arteriosus flow patterns at birth using 4D flow MRI in newborn piglets. Physiological Reports, 9, e14999. doi: 10.14814/phy2.14999

Journal - Research Article

Sixtus, R. P., Gray, C., Berry, M. J., & Dyson, R. M. (2021). Nitrous oxide improves cardiovascular, respiratory, and thermal stability during prolonged isoflurane anesthesia in juvenile guinea pigs. Pharmacology Research & Perspectives, 9, e00713. doi: 10.1002/prp2.713

Journal - Research Article

Sixtus, R. P., Pacharinsak, C., Gray, C. L., Berry, M. J., & Dyson, R. M. (2021). Differential effects of four intramuscular sedatives on cardiorespiratory stability in juvenile guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus). PLoS ONE, 16(11), e0259559. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259559

Journal - Research Article

McBride, G. M., Wiese, M. D., Soo, J. Y., Darby, J. R. T., Berry, M. J., Varcoe, T. J., & Morrison, J. L. (2020). The impact of intrauterine growth restriction on cytochrome P450 enzyme expression and activity. Placenta, 99, 50-62. doi: 10.1016/j.placenta.2020.07.012

Journal - Research Article

Sandle, M., Sheppard, A., Allermo Fletcher, A., Berry, M., & De Vries, N. (2020). Early identification of infants at risk of cerebral palsy: Developing the use of general movement assessment in routine clinical practice in a tertiary neonatal unit in New Zealand. New Zealand Medical Journal, 133(1514), 63-70. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal

Journal - Research Article

Smith, E. V. L. R., Dyson, R. M., Berry, M. J., & Gray, C. (2020). Fructose consumption during pregnancy influences milk lipid composition and offspring lipid profiles in guinea pigs. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 11, 550. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00550

Journal - Research Article

Soo, J. Y., Wiese, M. D., Dyson, R. M., Gray, C. L., Clarkson, A. N., Morrison, J. L., & Berry, M. J. (2020). Methamphetamine administration increases hepatic CYP1A2 but not CYP3A activity in female guinea pigs. PLoS ONE, 15(5), e0233010. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233010

Journal - Research Article

Berry, M. J., Darby, J. R. T., O'Byrne, D. M., Dyson, R. M., Sixtus, R., Holman, S. L., … Morrison, J. L. (2019). Arginine vasopressin improves cerebral perfusion following controlled haemorrhage in adult ewes. Journal of Physiology, 597(16), 4165-4173. doi: 10.1113/jp277629

Journal - Research Article

Berry, M. J., Port, L. J., Gately, C., & Stringer, M. D. (2019). Outcomes of infants born at 23 and 24 weeks' gestation with gut perforation. Journal of Pediatric Surgery, 54, 2092-2098. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2019.03.017

Journal - Research Article

Dyson, R. M., Palliser, H. K., Wilding, N., Kelly, M. A., Chwatko, G., Glowacki, R., Berry, M. J., … Wright, I. M. R. (2019). Microvascular circulatory dysregulation driven in part by cystathionine-gamma-lyase: A new paradigm for cardiovascular compromise in the preterm newborn. Microcirculation, 26, e12507. doi: 10.1111/micc.12507

Journal - Research Article

Foley, D., Best, E., Reid, N., & Berry, M. J. (2019). Respiratory health inequality starts early: The impact of social determinants on the aetiology and severity of bronchiolitis in infancy. Journal of Paediatrics & Child Health, 55, 528-532. doi: 10.1111/jpc.14234

Journal - Research Article

Saito-Benz, M., Cody, S., Dineen, F., Mladenovic, J., & Berry, M. J. (2019). Impact of education on hypothermia delivery during neonatal transport. Neonatology, 116(1), 20-26. doi: 10.1159/000495688

Journal - Research Article

Saito-Benz, M., Sandle, M. E., Jackson, P. B., & Berry, M. J. (2019). Blood transfusion for anaemia of prematurity: Current practice in Australia and New Zealand. Journal of Paediatrics & Child Health, 55, 433-440. doi: 10.1111/jpc.14222

Journal - Research Article

Shaw, J. C., Dyson, R. M., Palliser, H. K., Gray, C., Berry, M. J., & Hirst, J. J. (2019). Neurosteroid replacement therapy using the allopregnanolone-analogue ganaxolone following preterm birth in male guinea pigs. Pediatric Research, 85, 86-96. doi: 10.1038/s41390-018-0185-7

Journal - Research Article

Varcoe, T. J., Darby, J. R. T., Gatford, K. L., Holman, S. L., Cheung, P., Berry, M. J., … Morrison, J. L. (2019). Considerations in selecting postoperative analgesia for pregnant sheep following fetal instrumentation surgery [Invited]. Animal Frontiers, 9(3), 60-67. doi: 10.1093/af/vfz019

Journal - Research Article

Berry, M. J., Foster, T., Rowe, K., Robertson, O., Robson, B., & Pierse, N. (2018). Gestational age, health, and educational outcomes in adolescents. Pediatrics, 142(5), e20181016. doi: 10.1542/peds.2018-1016

Journal - Research Article

Morrison, J. L., Botting, K. J., Darby, J. R. T., David, A. L., Dyson, R. M., Gatford, K. L., Gray, C., … Berry, M. J. (2018). Guinea pig models for translation of the developmental origins of health and disease hypothesis into the clinic. Journal of Physiology, 596(23), 5535-5569. doi: 10.1113/JP274948

Journal - Research Article

Shaw, J. C., Palliser, H. K., Dyson, R. M., Berry, M. J., & Hirst, J. J. (2018). Disruptions to the cerebellar GABAergic system in juvenile guinea pigs following preterm birth. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 65, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.10.002

Journal - Research Article

Soo, J. Y., Wiese, M. D., Berry, M. J., McMillen, I. C., & Morrison, J. L. (2018). Intrauterine growth restriction may reduce hepatic drug metabolism in the early neonatal period. Pharmacological Research, 134, 68-78. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2018.06.003

Journal - Research Article

Berry, M. J., Saito-Benz, M., Gray, C., Dyson, R. M., Dellabarca, P., Ebmeier, S., … Elder, D. E., & Richardson, V. F. (2017). Outcomes of 23- and 24-weeks gestation infants in Wellington, New Zealand: A single centre experience. Scientific Reports, 7, 12769. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-12911-5

Journal - Research Article

Collins, C. T., Makrides, M., McPhee, A. J., Sullivan, T. R., Davis, P. G., Thio, M., … Berry, M. J., … Gibson, R. A. (2017). Docosahexaenoic acid and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants. New England Journal of Medicine, 376(13), 1245-1255. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1611942

Journal - Research Article

Witter, T., Tzeng, Y.-C., O'Donnell, T., Kusel, J., Walker, B., Berry, M., & Taylor, C. E. (2017). Inter-individual relationships between sympathetic arterial baroreflex function and cerebral perfusion control in healthy males. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 11, 457. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00457

Journal - Research Article

Berry, M. J., Jaquiery, A. L., Oliver, M. H., Harding, J. E., & Bloomfield, F. H. (2016). Neonatal milk supplementation in lambs has persistent effects on growth and metabolic function that differ by sex and gestational age. British Journal of Nutrition, 116(11), 1912-1925. doi: 10.1017/S0007114516004013

Journal - Research Article

Corbisier de Meautsart, C., Dyson, R. M., Latter, J. L., Berry, M. J., Clifton, V. L., & Wright, I. M. R. (2016). Influence of sympathetic activity in the control of peripheral microvascular tone in preterm infants. Pediatric Research, 80(6), 793-799. doi: 10.1038/pr.2016.160

Journal - Research Article

Jaquiery, A. L., Park, S. S., Phua, H. H., Berry, M. J., Meijler, D., Harding, J. E., … Bloomfield, F. H. (2016). Brief neonatal nutritional supplementation has sex-specific effects on glucose tolerance and insulin regulating genes in juvenile lambs. Pediatric Research, 80(6), 861-869. doi: 10.1038/pr.2016.168

Journal - Research Article

Shaw, J. C., Palliser, H. K., Dyson, R. M., Hirst, J. J., & Berry, M. J. (2016). Long-term effects of preterm birth on behavior and neurosteroid sensitivity in the guinea pig. Pediatric Research, 80(2), 275-283. doi: 10.1038/pr.2016.63

Journal - Research Article

Berry, M., Gray, C., Wright, K., Dyson, R., & Wright, I. (2015). Premature guinea pigs: A new paradigm to investigate the late-effects of preterm birth. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health & Disease, 6(2), 143-148. doi: 10.1017/S2040174414000592

Journal - Research Article

Gray, C., Vickers, M. H., Dyson, R. M., Reynolds, C. M., & Berry, M. J. (2015). Magnesium sulfate has sex-specific, dose-dependent vasodilator effects on preterm placental vessels. Biology of Sex Differences, 6, 22. doi: 10.1186/s13293-015-0040-z

Journal - Research Article

Saito-Benz, M., Miller, H. E., & Berry, M. J. (2015). Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) in a preterm neonate. Journal of Paediatrics & Child Health, 51(12), 1228-1230. doi: 10.1111/jpc.12941

Journal - Research Article

Berry, M., Tzeng, Y., & Marsland, C. (2014). Percutaneous transtracheal ventilation in an obstructed airway model in post-apnoeic sheep. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 113(6), 1039-1045. doi: 10.1093/bja/aeu188

Journal - Research Article

Berry, M., Jaquiery, A., Oliver, M., Harding, J., & Bloomfield, F. (2013). Preterm birth has sex-specific effects on autonomic modulation of heart rate variability in adult sheep. PLoS ONE, 8(12), e85468. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085468

Journal - Research Article

Coker, S. J., Smith-Díaz, C. C., Dyson, R. M., Vissers, M. C. M., & Berry, M. J. (2022). The epigenetic role of vitamin C in neurodevelopment. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23, 1208. doi: 10.3390/ijms23031208

Journal - Research Other

Ng, S. K. F., Keenan, N., Swart, S. E., & Berry, M. J. (2022). Palliative care in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit: A 10-year review [Short report]. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care, 12(e5), e641-e645. doi: 10.1136/bmjspcare-2018-001538

Journal - Research Other

Raghu, K., & Berry, M. J. (2022). Acute liver failure secondary to therapeutic paracetamol dosing in an extremely preterm neonate. BMJ Case Reports, 15, e245406. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2021-245406

Journal - Research Other

Muccini, A. M., Tran, N. T., de Guingand, D. L., Philips, M., Della Gatta, P. A., Galinsky, R., … Berry, M. J., … Ellery, S. J. (2021). Creatine metabolism in female reproduction, pregnancy and newborn health. Nutrients, 13, 490. doi: 10.3390/nu13020490

Journal - Research Other

Prasad, J. D., Gunn, K. C., Davidson, J. O., Galinsky, R., Graham, S. E., Berry, M. J., … Dean, J. M. (2021). Anti‐inflammatory therapies for treatment of inflammation‐related preterm brain injury. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22, 4008. doi: 10.3390/ijms22084008

Journal - Research Other

Wiese, M. D., Berry, M. J., Hissaria, P., Darby, J. R. T., & Morrison, J. L. (2021). COVID-19: Can we treat the mother without harming her baby? Journal of Developmental Origins of Health & Disease, 13, 9-19. doi: 10.1017/s2040174420001403

Journal - Research Other

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