Rate My Professor Jessie Sutherland

Dr. Jessie Sutherland is a Senior Lecturer and Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) Fellow in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy within the College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She completed her Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science (Honours) in 2010, and Doctor of Philosophy in 2015, all at the University of Newcastle. Her Honours project examined the molecular mechanisms of the JAK/STAT/SOCS cytokine signalling pathway in ovarian development, particularly primordial follicle activation, while her PhD investigated the role of the Musashi family of RNA binding proteins in mammalian spermatogenesis and fertility. Sutherland's career at the University of Newcastle began in 2009 as a Laboratory Technician in the Priority Research Centre for Reproductive Science at the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI). She advanced through positions as full-time and casual Research Assistant (2010–2014), Research Academic (2014–2015), and now holds her current academic appointment. She delivers lectures in undergraduate Biomedical Science, Biology, and Pharmacy programs and is developing an online Pregnancy and Development course for the Biomedical Science degree. Affiliated with HMRI's Pregnancy and Reproduction Program and Reproductive and Family Health research program, she chairs the Youth Sexual Health Consumer Advisory Committee and leads the GROW Research program in partnership with Family Planning Australia to enhance fertility education and awareness among adolescents.

Sutherland's research focuses on reproductive biology, investigating the regulation of ovarian development, primordial follicle activation, premature ovarian insufficiency, and environmental factors contributing to female infertility, such as toxicants from plastic food packaging. Her work utilizes single-cell sequencing, transcriptomics, proteomics, cell signalling, and transgenic models to identify mechanisms underlying age-related fertility decline and translate findings into clinical and public health strategies. She has authored or co-authored over 44 original research articles and two book chapters, accumulating more than 1,300 citations. Notable publications include the book chapter 'The Musashi family of RNA binding proteins: master regulators of multiple stem cell populations' (2013) and peer-reviewed papers such as 'Advances in human primordial follicle activation and premature ovarian insufficiency' (2020) and 'Transcriptomic profiling of neonatal mouse granulosa cells reveals molecular signatures of pregranulosa cells' (2022). Her impact is evidenced by major grants, including ARC DECRA (2022–2024, $414,113), NHMRC Early Career Fellowship (2017–2021, $348,023), and MRFF grant (2025–2027, $1,006,808) for studying bisphenol impacts on egg health. Additional honors comprise the Society for Reproductive Biology New Investigator Award (2014), HMRI Equal Futures Award (2016), and multiple equipment and project grants exceeding $300,000.