Executive

EXEC MEMBER PROFILES

Richard Cannon richard.cannon@otago.ac.nz
Richard is Professor of Molecular Microbiology at the University of Otago School of Dentistry. He undertook his biochemistry and microbiology training at the University of Cambridge, UK. His main research interest is in oral yeast: how they colonise the oral cavity; how they cause disease; and ways of preventing them causing disease. Richard’s particular research interests focus on the human pathogen Candida albicans, which causes both oral candidosis and life-threatening disseminated disease. He uses molecular approaches to determine how C. albicans adheres in the mouth, what makes it pathogenic, how it becomes resistant to antifungal drugs, and how its drug resistance can be overcome. Richard also uses baker’s yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a tool to investigate fungal membrane protein structure and function.

Mike Taylor mw.taylor@auckland.ac.nz
Mike is an Associate Professor at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland. Mike completed his PhD in marine microbiology at the University of New South Wales in 2004 before undertaking post-doctoral research at the University of Vienna. He began his faculty position at the University of Auckland in 2007, with his research focusing on interactions between animal (including human) hosts and their associated microbial communities. Mike’s human microbiome research encompasses both the gut (type 2 diabetes and autism spectrum disorder) and the airway (chronic sinus disease, paediatric lung disease). Other host organisms under study include marine sponges and the critically endangered kakapo. Understanding which microbes are associated with which hosts – and why – is central to his research. Mike is Co-Convenor of the New Zealand Microbial Ecology Consortium, and Board Member of the International Society for Microbial Ecology.

Helen Withers helen.withers@mpi.govt.nz
Helen is currently a Senior Advisor (Microbiology) in the Science Risk Assessment Team which is part of the Biosecurity Science, Food Science and Risk Assessment Directorate, Regulation and Assurance Branch at the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI). Helen completed her undergraduate studies in food microbiology at the Department of Microbiology and Genetics at Massey University before heading to the UK. She gained her PhD in Molecular Biology at the Department of Genetics, Cambridge University, studying plasmid stability and the role of site specific recombination in that process. From there she moved to Uppsala University in Sweden, where she was a post doctoral researcher investigating the role of regulatory RNA in the control DNA replication. After 5 years in Sweden she returned to the UK to take up a Medical Research Council (MRC) Career Development Fellowship at Nottingham University to study bacterial communication (quorum sensing) and its impact on the control of the bacterial cell cycle, particularly DNA regulation. She returned to New Zealand in 2003 as a lecturer in the Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology at Auckland University; and after a few years moved to AgResearch at Ruakura and then on to the Hopkirk Research Centre in Palmerston North as a Senior Scientist. Here, Helen’s research focussed on food safety and in particular on shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and their association with cattle. In 2013, she moved to MPI and continues to support the food sector, particularly the meat industry.

Nick Heng Nicholas.Heng@otago.ac.nz
Nick is currently a senior lecturer in oral biology and oral health in the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Otago. Graduating in 1998 with a PhD in (gut) microbiology from Otago, he moved up in the microbiological world by conducting post-doctoral research in rumen microbiology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, U.S.A., and then oral microbiology at the University of Otago School of Dentistry. Nick’s research focuses on microbial genomics, specialising in next-generation DNA sequencing and bioinformatics. His other research interests include the biology, and subsequent development, of antimicrobial proteins (bacteriocins) targeting pathogens of humans and other animals.

Steve Flint S.H.Flint@massey.ac.nz
Professor Steve Flint is Professor of Food Safety and Microbiology and director of the Food Division of the Institute of Food Nutrition and Human Health at Massey University. Steve leads a team of post graduate research students studying a variety of food safety and quality issues with an emphasis on understanding biofilm development and control. Approximately half these projects are associated with the dairy industry. Future research will focus on bacterial interactions in biofilms and mechanisms of biofilm dispersion. Steve has more than 100 scientific publications and more than 100 presentations at national and international scientific conferences. He lectures in food safety and microbiology and does consultancy work for food manufacturers. Steve is a fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology, member of the American Society for Microbiology, member of IAFP and a certified food scientist with the Institute of Food Technology.

Syrie Hermans mher626@aucklanduni.ac.nz
Syrie Hermans is a PhD candidate at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland. Her research focusses on the patterns and processes that shape the bacterial communities across the New Zealand landscape. In particular she researches the impact human land use has on soil bacteria, and how these bacterial communities can be used to indicate the health of our soil environments.

Ian McDonald irmcdon@waikato.ac.nz
Currently Assoc Prof at the School of Science, University of Waikato, I received a BSc (Hons) from the University of Ulster, PhD Liverpool University. I was a postdoc and NERC Advanced Research Fellow at Warwick University. My research has focused on the microbial ecology of methane oxidation, Antarctica and geothermal environments in New Zealand. In Antarctica we are studying the drivers of microbial diversity in Dry Valley soils, geothermal environments (Mts Erebus, Melbourne and Rittmann), and terrestrial meltwater ponds. Currently ‘The 1000 Spring project’ is determining drivers of microbial diversity in NZ geothermal environments. I have organized several NZ and international conferences, am on the LOC for PAM 2019 in Hamilton. I am on the editorial board for ISMEJ.

Jasna Rakonjac j.rakonjac@massey.ac.nz
Jasna Rakonjac has received a PhD from the Rockefeller University, NY, USA in 1998 and has held postdoctoral positions at the Rockefeller University and Massey University, followed by a position as a Scientist at the Plant and Food Institute. Jasna started her independent research programme at Massey University in 2003. She is currently an Associate Professor at Massey University, Palmerston North, and Microbiology Major Leader.
Jasna’s research focuses on bacteriophages (viruses of bacteria) and their applications, from use as nanoparticles in vaccine development and diagnostics, to mining for “gold” in microbial communities. She is also working on antibiotic development. Jasna is a recipient of a Nestlé/ASM award in phage research and an author of papers and patents in microbiology, immunology, phage biology and phage display technology. Jasna has been a mentor to over 15 PhD students who are now active scientists

Stephen On stephen.on@lincoln.ac.nz
Stephen On is the Associate Professor of Food Microbiology, and Associate Dean of Research, at Lincoln University in New Zealand, where he is responsible for under- and postgraduate programmes in microbial food safety and biotechnology. Stephen has previously worked in Government research organisations in New Zealand, Denmark and the UK. Stephen’s research interests have been fuelled by a keen interest in microbial taxonomy, and thereby improved diagnostics (for identification and subtyping, using both phenotypic and molecular methods) for emerging (and emerged!) pathogens of humans (notably foodborne) and animals. These interests are now expanding to microbial aspects of production and spoilage of wine, with the aim of enhancing a vibrant $1.7 B industry. He is Chairman of the ICSP (International) sub-committee on the taxonomy of Campylobacter and related bacteria, and convened the biannual International conference on these organisms in Rotorua, New Zealand in 2015. He has contributed to various expert advisory groups at the request of the World Health Organisation, Ministry for Primary Industries and the World Bank-sponsored Global Food Safety Partnership. He has published over 140 papers thus far, and has received three awards* for his contributions to the field.

*2001: WH Pierce Memorial Prize from the UK Society of Applied Microbiology “for an outstanding contribution to bacteriology”.
2014: New Zealand Business Events Award presented by Rt Hon Minister Steven Joyce for securing the 18th International Workshop on Campylobacter, Helicobacter and Related Organisms (CHRO 2015) for New Zealand.
2017: New Zealand Microbiological Society Distinguished Orator Award “in recognition of outstanding contributions to microbiology in New Zealand”.

Eddie Smolinski Eddie.Smolinski@fonterra.com
Eddie is a process microbiologist within the Fonterra Co-operative Group based at the South Island site Clandeboye. Microbiology career began as a Medical Scientist researching Community Heath disease within the Pilbara and Kimberly regions of Western Australian. Current focus aligned to process anomalies associated with facultative thermophiles and biofilm development.

John Brooks foodmicrobiologist.007@gmail.com
John graduated from London University with BSc (Hons) in microbiology and then worked on development of a process for single cell protein production at ICI, Billingham, UK. He conducted PhD research on the fundamental aspects of growth of bacteria on single-carbon compounds at Sydney University, Australia. John took a position as lecturer in food microbiology at Massey University in 1977 and remained there until 2007, undertaking research on various aspects of food microbiology and food safety, specialising in dairy biofilms. In 2005 he was appointed Honorary Professor at Hong Kong University and spent two periods of six months writing and conducting research on preservatives extracted from traditional Chinese herbs. He then returned to New Zealand as Professor of Food Microbiology at AUT, and continued research on biofilms in the food industry, in aquaculture and in medicine. Since 1981, John has provided advice and conducted on-site investigations for over 50 companies on aspects of food safety and industrial microbiology, both in New Zealand and overseas.

Jan Schmid j.schmid@massey.ac.nz
Jan is a Senior Lecturer in Microbiology at Massey University's Institute of Fundamental Sciences. His educational and career path involved a Diploma in Biology and a PhD in Microbiology at the University of Hannover, Germany, followed by postdoctoral work in the US at the National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine in Colorado and at the University of Iowa. Jan's research is aimed at understanding how microbe-host interactions function and evolve, focusing mainly on symbioses between ryegrass and their fungal Epichloë endophytes and the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans and its human host. This research utilizes a wide variety of approaches, including population genetics, comparative genomics, bioinformatics, proteomics, transcriptomics and gene manipulation.

Executive Committee