Rate My Professor Laura Gumy

Dr. Laura Gumy serves as Senior Lecturer in the Department of Anatomy within the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Health Sciences, at the University of Otago. She possesses qualifications including BSc(Hons), MSc, and PhD. In her role as Group Leader of the Neuroscience Research Group and Academic Lead for light microscopy at the university's Research Infrastructure Centre, Gumy investigates the molecular mechanisms governing intracellular transport processes and cytoskeletal remodelling in neurons. Disruptions in these pathways lead to neuronal dysfunction and deficits in nerve regeneration. Her interdisciplinary research employs high-resolution live-cell microscopy, advanced quantitative image analysis, biochemical methods, and genetic approaches to identify critical molecular interactions underpinning neural repair. Studies from her laboratory demonstrate that axonal regrowth relies on local translation of mRNAs and precise regulation of microtubule dynamics. Ongoing projects focus on the sorting and long-range transport of vesicles into axons, essential for neuronal growth and maintenance. Additionally, she contributes expertise in neuron injury research through affiliations with the Centre for Bioengineering and Nanomedicine.

Gumy's scholarly output includes publications in prestigious journals, reflecting her impact in neurobiology and cellular neuroscience. Key works encompass 'A functional role for septin-2 in the maintenance of the axon initial segment and in human cognitive development' (Brain, 2025; Weiss et al.), 'Type III CRISPR-Cas provides resistance against nucleus-forming jumbo phages via abortive infection' (Molecular Cell, 2022; Mayo-Muñoz et al.), 'MAP2 Defines a Pre-axonal Filtering Zone to Regulate KIF1- versus KIF5-Dependent Cargo Transport in Sensory Neurons' (2017), 'Local mechanisms regulating selective cargo entry and long-range trafficking in axons' (2018), and 'The Kinesin-2 Family Member KIF3C Regulates Microtubule Dynamics and Is Required for Axon Growth and Regeneration' (2013). Her research has accumulated over 1,850 citations. Gumy has presented findings, such as 'Visualising transport in neurons' at the Advances in Microscopy Satellite Meeting (Queenstown, 2022). She chairs the Confocal Microscopy User Group in the Otago Microscopy and Imaging (OMNI) facility, supports collaborative Health Research Council-funded projects in genetics, and delivers teaching modules on cytoskeleton and intracellular transport in courses like ANAT335 Neurobiology.