Rate My Professor Emma Wade

Dr Emma Wade is a Sir Charles Hercus Research Fellow in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women's Health at the University of Otago's Dunedin School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine. She completed her BSc (Hons) in Genetics at the University of York in 2010, followed by two years as a research assistant at the University of Manchester studying hereditary eye diseases such as early-onset glaucoma. In 2013, she moved to Dunedin to undertake a PhD under Professor Stephen Robertson, investigating rare skeletal disorders including frontometaphyseal dysplasia, which she completed in 2016. Subsequently, she served as a postdoctoral researcher and Cure Kids Research Fellow in the Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Department of Women's and Children's Health, focusing on the molecular mechanisms underlying connective tissue disorders.

Wade's research specializes in the genetics of connective tissue and skeletal disorders, particularly how rare genetic variants contribute to common conditions like pelvic organ prolapse. Funded by her Sir Charles Hercus Fellowship worth nearly $600,000, her current project employs New Zealand genomics cohorts and international datasets to pinpoint genes influencing pelvic floor tissue strength, with the goal of informing biological therapies for connective tissue healing. Notable publications include 'Mutations in MAP3K7 that alter the activity of the TAK1 signaling complex cause frontometaphyseal dysplasia' (American Journal of Human Genetics, 2016), 'The X-linked filaminopathies: Synergistic insights from clinical and molecular analysis' (Human Mutation, 2020), 'Autosomal dominant frontometaphyseal dysplasia: delineation of the clinical phenotype' (American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A, 2017), 'Idiopathic juvenile osteoporosis—a polygenic disorder?' (JBMR Plus, 2024), and 'Pathogenic FLNA variants affecting the hinge region' (American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A, 2024). With over 387 citations, she serves as Section Editor for the European Journal of Human Genetics. Awards encompass the European Society of Human Genetics Young Investigator Award (2016), Three-Minute Thesis finalist (University of Otago, 2015), and Medicines New Zealand inaugural award (2022). She leads the 'Genetics on the Go' initiative for public engagement in genetics education.