Rate My Professor Deborah Wright

Dr. Deborah Wright is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Surgery and Critical Care (Dunedin) at the University of Otago, within the Division of Health Sciences. She holds qualifications of BMedSc(Hons), MBChB, PhD, and FRACS. She began her medical training in the United Kingdom before relocating to New Zealand in 2003, where she completed training in General Surgery and obtained her PhD in the molecular biology of colorectal cancer. She pursued subspecialty training in colorectal surgery, including post-fellowship positions as a Fellow in Colorectal Surgery at Auckland City Hospital, New Zealand, and University Hospitals Birmingham, United Kingdom. Currently, she serves as a Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon at Dunedin Hospital, Surgeon and Director at Intus Dunedin, and Senior Lecturer in Surgery at the University of Otago. Her clinical practice encompasses general surgery including hernia repair, benign and malignant colorectal disease, pelvic floor disorders, laparoscopic and open surgery to the small bowel, colon and rectum, gallbladder surgery, and colonoscopy.

Dr. Wright's research interests include colorectal cancer genomics, particularly the role of p53 isoforms in colorectal cancer; trainee-led collaborative research through large-scale international collaborations to change clinical practice; and innovative clinical teaching utilizing technology in the operating theatre. Key publications include 'Safety and equity in scaling minimally invasive surgery worldwide in 109 countries using cholecystectomy as a tracer procedure: A prospective cohort study' (The Lancet Global Health, 2026), 'Predicting opioid consumption after surgical discharge: A multinational derivation and validation study using a foundation model' (npj Digital Medicine, 2025), 'Prevalence and outcomes of Hartmann's reversal following Hartmann's procedure in a regional center, a retrospective cohort study' (Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery, 2024), and 'Protocol for a national, multicentre study of post-endoscopy colorectal and upper gastrointestinal cancers: The POET study' (Colorectal Disease, 2024). She holds roles including RACS representative on the NZ Conjoint Committee for Recognition of Training in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, member of the Lower GI Working Party of the Australasian Gastro-Intestinal Trials Group, and member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Gut Cancer Foundation.