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Professor Neil GemmellBSc (Hons), PhD

Professor Neil Gemmell is the AgResearch Chair in Reproduction and Genomics at the University of Otago. He is also Director of the associated Centre for Reproduction and Genomics, based at Invermay. He leads the Evolutionary Genomics Group, which applies recent advances in genomic technology to the fields of ecology, population, conservation and evolutionary biology.

Neil's specific research interests lie in three reproduction-based areas: the analysis of mating systems through molecular approaches; asymmetric fitness effects of mtDNA mutations, explored through competitive fertilization experiments and theoretical modeling; and the evolution of microsatellites, using bioinformatics and comparative molecular genetics.

Neil obtained an Honours degree in Biochemistry at Victoria University of Wellington, before completing a PhD at Australia's La Trobe University, researching population and evolutionary genetics in platypus. He undertook postdoctoral research at Cambridge University and later Leicester University. In 1998, he returned to New Zealand to take up at position lecturing in genetics at the University of Canterbury. Neil was appointed to his current role in 2008.

Publications

Jeunen, G.-J., Mills, S., Bailie, M., Mauvisseau, Q., Lamare, M., Mariani, S., Pearman, W., Zavodna, M., Treece, J., Ferreira, S., & Gemmell, N. J. (2026). Recovering historical eDNA from museum-preserved filter feeders via non-destructive metabarcoding. Molecular Ecology Resources, 26, e70132. doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.70132 Journal - Research Article

Massué, T., Ferreira, S., Moffitt, J., Gemmell, N. J., & Lamare, M. D. (2026). Exploring the potential of serpulid external tube morphology for rapid grouping assessment in ecological research: A case study from southern New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 53, e70021. doi: 10.1002/njz2.70021 Journal - Research Article

Alvarez-Costes, S., Baker, C. S., Constantine, R., Carroll, E. L., Reeves, I. M., Dutoit, L., Ferreira, S., … Gemmell, N. J., Gillum, J., … Rayment, W., … Te Aikā, B., & Alexander, A. (2026, February). From Ice Age to isolation: Historical demography and inbreeding depression in New Zealand's endemic Hector's and Māui dolphins [Invited]. Verbal presentation at the Genetics Otago (GO) Annual Symposium, Dunedin, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Kroos, G. C., Fernandes, K., Seddon, P., Ashcroft, T., Pearman, W. S., & Gemmell, N. J. (2026). Targeted airborne eDNA of an invasive wallaby: Effects of sampler type, distance, and environmental conditions. Environmental DNA, 8(1), e70240. doi: 10.1002/edn3.70240 Journal - Research Article

Dowle, E., Doherty, J.-F., Gillum, J., Schmidt-Rhaesa, A., Herbison, R. E. H., Poulin, R., & Gemmell, N. (2025). Genomic insights into kin selection and developmental conflict in co-occurring hairworm parasites. Royal Society Open Science, 12(12), 251698. doi: 10.1098/rsos.251698 Journal - Research Article

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