Background

Elsie is a Research Officer with the Burnet Diagnostics Initiative (BDI). Her research interests lie in using protein engineering to advance human health. Her PhD at Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) focused on using engineered nitroreductase enzymes for cancer gene therapy.

More recent work at VUW (2020-2022) involved discovering, characterizing and evolving novel antibiotic and chemotherapeutic resistance proteins found in environmental DNA libraries. As a postdoctoral researcher at Emory University she investigated the biotechnological applications of bacterial encapsulin proteins.

View Elsie's publications profile.

Qualifications

• 2013: PhD in Biotechnology , Victoria University of Wellington, NZ
• 2008: BSc (Hons) of Biomedical Science, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ 
• 2007: BSc in Biology and Biochemistry, University of Canterbury, NZ

Positions

• 2020-June 2022: Postdoctoral Research, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ
• 2016-2019: Postdoctoral Research, Emory University, USA
• 2013-2015: Postdoctoral Research, Victoria University of Wellington, NZ