Department of Anatomy, University of Otago

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Department of Anatomy, University of Otago

Strengths in Bioanthropology, Clinical Anatomy, Neuroscience, Developmental and Reproductive Biology, and Anatomical Sciences Education.

With an Anatomy degree the world's your oyster! ** The University of Otago's Department of Anatomy is a biological sciences department in the School of Biomedical Sciences. We offer courses in Bioanthropology, Clinical Anatomy, Neuroscience, and Reproductive Biology.

** Some of your favourite HUBS lecturers are in the Department of Anatomy! We also boast the largest number of students, which means that your friends are probably majoring in Anatomy, and are having a great time learning here. Post-graduate students working in the Department come from across the school - some of our current post-grads are from Neuroscience, Genetics, BBioMedSci.

**With an Anatomy BSc and post-grad degree the world's your oyster! Graduates of Anatomy work all over the world and in a vast array of jobs including, scientists, science communicators, policy makers, writers, doctors, dentists, physiotherapists, teachers, nurses, lawyers, business people.

21/08/2026

Some of our second-year dental students recently took time away from their busy schedules to paint kindness rocks for families who will be attending our Thanksgiving Service in September. The service honours and celebrates our wonderful donors who donate their body to medical science teaching and research. The families will be invited to take a rock home with them as a lasting reminder of their loved one and the kindness of the students whose dental training has significantly benefited from the generous donors.

The Thanksgiving Service will be held in Dunedin on the evening of 24 September. Please contact [email protected] if you would like to receive more information.

22/07/2026

Fifteen students and one academic from Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Hangzhou, China) recently visited the department as part of a 3-week visit to the University of Otago for a face-to-face Health Science English Programme with the Otago English Language Centre. Our very own Professor Ping Liu graciously called in to have a chat with the group and helped explain/translate our medical teaching and her own research work.

14/07/2026

🦴🔬 The Department of Anatomy was delighted to welcome 19 Year 13 students from across Aotearoa New Zealand as part of the Science Academy programme.

Over two exciting days, students worked alongside our academics and professional staff, gaining hands-on experience in anatomy and biomedical science. They explored human anatomy through body painting, prepared histological slides, and used ultrasound to scan the knee joint, experiencing first-hand how anatomy is taught, visualised, and applied in healthcare and research.

It was a pleasure to meet such enthusiastic and talented future scientists. We hope this experience has inspired the next step in their journey, and we look forward to welcoming many of them back to the University of Otago in the years ahead!

12/07/2026

Meet the Postgrads: Hannah Sime

A desire to learn more about how the brain works and why things go wrong in neurological disorders spurred Hannah on to do an Honours year in Neuroscience. Throughout her undergrad science degree, she found herself really enjoying the research side of neuroscience so an Honours research year felt like a great opportunity to challenge herself and learn new skills.

Her research project investigates how ultrasound can be used in human models to reach deep areas of the brain safely and accurately without surgery. She is focusing on measuring how well ultrasound waves travel through the skull and how factors affect their targeting. By understanding these effects, her research aims to help improve the design, positioning, and safety of future ultrasound-based treatments.

Hannah says this research could help make brain therapies more precise and reliable, particularly for conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. “In the future, this technology may offer new ways to treat symptoms or deliver therapies to the brain while reducing the need for invasive procedures” she says.

She hopes the future will see her making a meaningful contribution to improving treatments for neurological disorders. She would love to be involved in research that has a real impact on people’s lives, whether in academia, industry or in the healthcare sector.

Outside of Uni, Hannah can be found either running, coaching ice skating, knitting, reading, or travelling (when she gets the chance), or just generally finding new ways to stay active and challenge herself!

01/07/2026

Meet the Postgrads: Melany Malcolm

Melany says it was after completing a Summer Studentship at the end of her undergraduate third year that she became hooked on biomedical research. She is now in the second year of a PhD research project that investigates the role of incretin hormones in the context of reproductive health.

Incretin hormones are released from the intestines and are important for blood glucose regulation. Currently incretin agonist drugs, such as Wegovy and Zepbound, are transforming diabetes and obesity treatment. However, the understanding of how these drugs may influence puberty and fertility is limited. Melany’s project uses mice to help understand the mechanisms underlying incretin signalling in reproduction.

She hopes to still be working in the research lab in ten years’ time; “Hopefully still researching something cool!”.

Outside of Uni, Melany enjoys arts and crafts, cooking, karate and swimming.

23/06/2026

Meet our Postgrads: Keira McLean

Keira is undertaking a PGDipSci in Anatomy. Her research focuses on the prevalence of Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS; formerly Polycystic O***y Syndrome/PCOS) in Pasifika women. In Keira’s own words “This research is the first crack in a long-closed door, beginning to open a space for Pacific-focused female reproductive genetics.”

She is specifically investigating anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels in Māori and Pacific women and how this links to PMOS biology. She will be measuring AMH in about 120 women and will test whether genetic variants previously found in Samoan women also influence AMH in Aotearoa, helping to reveal which genes shape ovarian function and why PMOS may look different across populations.

A desire to help support better and more equitable health outcomes for Pasifika women, and a need to address a major gap in reproductive genetics in Māori and Pacific women of Aotearoa were huge motivating factors for Keira to pursue postgraduate study at Otago.

And her motivation doesn’t end here. In the future she hopes to be working in the hospital environment either as a research nurse with a focus on reproductive disorders like PMOS or the first of her whānau to become a surgeon.

Outside of Uni, Keira loves getting involved with netball and touch rugby, visiting her dog and whānau in Auckland, and getting back into the swing of regular reading before bedtime!

12/06/2026

Meet our Postgrads: Andy Stewart
Andy says that embarking on postgraduate study was the natural step for him to take after he completed a Bachelor of Science degree where he was drawn to neuroendocrinology – the study of how the nervous and endocrine systems interact to control bodily functions.

Andy is now in the third year of his PhD studies. His research looks at investigating the mechanisms involved in attenuating fever during pregnancy.

During pregnancy, elevated temperatures in an expectant mother can increase the risk of complications and disability. Mothers therefore develop mechanisms during pregnancy which help to keep temperatures low. One mechanism that has been observed in several species is that fever responses resulting from infections are suppressed. This likely safeguards the foetus from harmful temperatures but may do so at the detriment of the mother’s health, as fever is a beneficial component for fighting infection. Andy’s project aims to investigate the mechanisms that lead to the attenuation of fever during pregnancy in mice, focussing on the role of hormones like prolactin acting within the brain.

Andy hopes to make a tangible contribution to people’s lives, especially with female-focused research, an area he notes has traditionally been underrepresented across many fields of research. He aims to continue researching and teaching in the future.

Outside of Uni, Andy enjoys hanging out with his friends, watching movies and travelling.

20/05/2026

Meet our Postgrads: Nigani Willie

Nigani is in the second year of a PhD in Anatomy. A desire to learn more about how genetics tells the story of his ancestors and the people of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Pacific was his inspiration to pursue postgraduate research.

Using biochemical, anthropometric, and whole-genome sequencing data from diverse PNG populations, Nigani’s research examines host genetic variation and its interaction with environmental and historical factors.

More specifically, he is investigating the genetic and evolutionary origins of hyperuricaemia, gout, and metabolic diseases in PNG, and exploring how long-term exposure to malaria may have driven adaptive changes in human populations, particularly in uric acid metabolism, that were once protective but now contribute to disease risk.

By integrating epidemiology, genomics, and anthropology, Nigani aims to create a better understanding of disease patterns in PNG and Pacific populations.

Nigani grew up in Kirakira village in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. His long-term goal is to contribute to medical research in his home country and around the Pacific and to continue to be an active researcher in his field.

Outside of Uni Nigani enjoys playing the guitar, singing traditional songs from his village, hiking (which he says he hasn’t managed to do much of yet in Aotearoa), fishing, playing chess, and reading random stuff online!

15/05/2026

Anatomy proudly got behind Pink Shirt Day, coming together to support anti-bullying awareness with a shared morning tea and some fantastic pink attire – joined by professional and academic staff, including our own Head of Department!

24/04/2026

Rashini Fernando

Rashini is a PhD student in the Department of Anatomy. Her research project focuses on understanding oligo/anovulation in polycystic o***y syndrome (PCOS), a common condition that affects women’s fertility worldwide.

She completed her undergraduate studies with Honours in her home country of Sri Lanka and says she always had the long-term goal of becoming a research professor so when the opportunity to undertake a PhD at Otago presented itself, it felt like a significant step towards building the skills and knowledge she would need for her chosen career path.

Her research centres on how hormone imbalances disrupt the normal growth and maturation of ovarian follicles by looking at how changes in hormone levels alter follicle development and lead to the build-up of immature follicles in the o***y. She is particularly focused on how surgical treatments, such as ovarian drilling, restores ovulation, with the aim of uncovering the biological mechanisms behind their success and improving future therapies.

Rashini’s future plans include working in academia as a lecturer, supporting and mentoring students while continuing to conduct research in her chosen field of reproductive biology.

Outside of Uni Rashini enjoys playing squash and travelling. She especially enjoys exploring new and beautiful places around the world.

Address

Lindo Ferguson Building, 270 Great King Street
Dunedin
9016

Telephone

+64 3 479 7362

Website

http://www.otago.ac.nz/anatomy

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