Rate My Professor Hamish Upritchard

Dr. Hamish Upritchard serves as the Laboratory Health and Safety Advisor at the University of Otago, where he provides expertise on laboratory management, hazardous substances, compressed gases, electrical safety, and safety data sheets. He holds a PhD from the University of Otago, completed in 2009, with his doctoral thesis titled 'The roles of siderophores in bacterial adhesion to metals and iron transport.' His doctoral work was conducted in association with the Departments of Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Food Science. Upritchard's research has centered on bacterial adhesion mechanisms, metal ion interactions in biofilms, and host-pathogen interactions, particularly involving Pseudomonas aeruginosa and siderophores such as enterobactin. Notable publications include 'Adsorption to Metal Oxides of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa Outer Membrane Protein OprF Is Influenced by Iron and pH' (Langmuir, 2007), co-authored during his time in the Departments of Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Food Science; 'Adsorption of Enterobactin to Metal Oxides and the Role of Siderophores in Bacterial Adhesion to Metals' (Langmuir, 2011); 'Immunoproteomics to Examine Cystic Fibrosis Host-Pathogen Interactions' (Proteomics, 2008), from the Department of Biochemistry and Webster Centre for Infectious Disease; and 'Siderophore-Mediated Covalent Bonding to Metal (Oxide) Surfaces during Biofilm Initiation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa Bacteria' (Langmuir, 2003), affiliated with Biochemistry and the Centre for Gene Research. He has also contributed to 'Monitoring Metal Ion Binding in Single-Layer Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01 Bacterial Biofilms Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy' (Langmuir, 2006), providing technical support from the Department of Biochemistry.

In his current role within Health and Safety Compliance at the University of Otago, Dr. Upritchard supports over 600 laboratories essential for research and teaching activities across the institution. He has been involved in key initiatives, such as developing protocols for laboratory access during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, ensuring safe operations for essential research. His expertise is recognized as a primary contact for laboratory health and safety matters, including biological compliance and hazard management. Previously associated with the Department of Biochemistry, Upritchard has collaborated with researchers like Iain Lamont and Philip Bremer on studies advancing understanding of bacterial biofilms and metal interactions, contributing to fields like infectious diseases and materials science at the interface of biology and chemistry.