Associate Professor Mark B. Hampton  BSc, MSc(Hons), PhD

• NRCGD Project Leader

• Senior Research Fellow, University of Otago

Research interests

Oxidative Stress; Redox Signalling; Apoptosis; Peroxiredoxins; Mitochondria; Isothiocyanates; Neutrophils; Inflammation.

Redox regulation involves the post-translational modification of cysteine residues in proteins. Oxidation and reduction of cysteine specifically alters the structure and activity of targeted proteins, thereby altering signal transduction pathways. Dr Mark Hampton and his team are using a variety of proteomic techniques to label reactive thiol proteins. The general goal is to identify and characterise proteins that are key targets during redox signalling. His recent focus has been on the peroxiredoxins, a fascinating family of proteins that appear to be integrally involved in redox signalling. He is particularly interested in mitochondrial peroxiredoxin 3 and the potential role of this protein in the regulation of apoptosis. He is also exploring the ability of oxidative stress to regulate epigenetic processes, and the influence that disruptions in redox homeostasis have on embryo development.

Isothiocyanates are responsible for the peppery flavour and pungent odours of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, watercress and wasabi. They have anti-inflammatory properties and can also protect against carcinogen-induced cancers in experimental animal models. Mark is particularly interested in the molecular targets of the isothiocyanates and how they trigger apoptosis.

NRCGD Project: Click here for details

Contact details

Department of Pathology

University of Otago, Christchurch

P.O. Box 4345

Christchurch, New Zealand

Email ; Phone +64 3 3641524