Rate My Professor Christine Thomson

Professor Christine Thomson is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Human Nutrition within the Division of Sciences at the University of Otago. She holds a Bachelor of Human Sciences (BHSc) in Nutrition and Chemistry, Master of Human Sciences with Honours (MHSc Hons) in Nutrition, and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), all awarded by the University of Otago. Her PhD research investigated the metabolism and nutritional importance of selenium in the New Zealand population. Thomson joined the Department of Human Nutrition as a member of the research staff in 1973 and took up teaching responsibilities in 1987. She has since retired from all research and teaching duties.

Throughout her over 40-year academic career, Professor Thomson conducted extensive research on selenium and iodine in human nutrition. Her studies addressed the metabolism and nutritional requirements of these trace elements, their antioxidant functions in preventing cardiovascular disease, interactions between selenium and iodine, impacts on thyroid status, volume, and function, iodine deficiency in New Zealand, and topics in sports nutrition. Her work received international recognition and included contributions to the 2008-2009 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey in collaboration with University of Otago colleagues and the Ministry of Health. She supervised numerous postgraduate students, among them PhD graduates Jody Miller (2011), Woravimol Krittaphol (2010), Kavitha Menon (2010), Sheila Skeaff (2004), Elaine Paterson (2000), and Anna Duffield (1999), and MSc graduates such as Will Payne (2009), Jennifer Campbell (2007), and Amy Pettigrew (2006). Key publications feature book chapters "Trace elements 10.4: Selenium" (2017) and "Trace elements 10.3: Iodine" (co-authored with S. Skeaff, 2017) in the fifth edition of Essentials of Human Nutrition; "Brazil nuts: an effective way to improve selenium status" (2008); "Selenium and iodine intakes and status in New Zealand and Australia" (2004); "Serum selenium concentrations and dietary selenium intake of New Zealand children aged 5-14 years" (2007); "Selenium intakes and plasma selenium of New Zealand toddlers" (2023); and "Iodine status of New Zealand elderly residents in long-term residential care" (2016).