Associate Professor Peter K. Dearden  BSc, BSc (Hons), PhD, DIC

• NRCGD Associate Director, Molecular sciences

• NRCGD Site representative (University of Otago)

• NRCGD Project Leader

• Director of Genetics Otago and Senior Lecturer, Biochemistry Department, University of Otago

Research interests

Evolution and Development; Polyphenisms; Epigenetics and evolution; Insect genomics; Insect development; Insecticide development

NRCGD Project: Click here for details

Biography

Dr Peter Dearden's research interests are in evolution and development, particularly in trying to understand how, at the molecular level, morphology evolves and in identifying ancient and conserved developmental programs.

He did his undergraduate degree at Victoria University of Wellington, in New Zealand and his PhD in the Biochemistry Department, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine (University of London) on Drosophila neurogenesis.

Peter completed a Post-doc in the laboratory of Prof. Michael Akam in the Museum of Zoology, Zoology department, Cambridge University in evolution and development in arthropods. He then did a short post-doc jointly between the Zoology Department, University of Western Ontario and the Southern Crop Protection and Food Research Center, London Ontario, on functional genomics in the two-spotted spider mite.

Since returning to New Zealand in 2002, he has set up the Laboratory for Evolution and Development and begun research into the evolution of segmentation mechanisms in insects and the development of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis. He also collaborates with Dr Marion Maw on the genetics of inherited retinal disorders.

Contact details

Biochemistry Department

University of Otago

P.O. Box 56

Dunedin 9054, New Zealand

Email ; Phone +64 3 4797832