Rate My Professor Masuma Zawari

Dr. Masuma Zawari is an Assistant Research Fellow in the Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science at the University of Otago, Christchurch, within the Faculty of Medicine. She holds a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences with Honours (BBiomedSc(Hons)) from 2014 and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from 2019, both from the University of Otago. Her doctoral thesis, "Bioavailability and biological effects of isothiocyanates from broccoli sprout powder," was completed in affiliation with the Nutrition in Medicine Research Group. Zawari's academic journey began with her honours project, "Involvement of Mitochondria and Peroxiredoxin in TNF-mediated Cell Death," exploring cellular mechanisms in inflammation.

Zawari's research centers on vitamin C concentrations and other biomarkers across patient cohorts, including individuals with community-onset pneumonia, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and aging-related conditions. She investigates the redox status of peroxiredoxins in human blood samples and contributes to non-invasive diagnostic developments using microbial cell-free DNA. Affiliated with the Nutrition in Medicine Research Group and the Centre for Free Radical Research, her publications include "Low Vitamin C Concentrations in Patients with Community-Onset Pneumonia" (Antioxidants, 2023), "Does Aging Have an Impact on Vitamin C Status and Requirements? A Scoping Review" (Nutrients, 2023), "People with diabetes and hypovitaminosis C fail to conserve vitamin C during weight loss" (Journal of Clinical & Translational Endocrinology, 2023), "SunGold Kiwifruit Consumption Restores Adequate to Optimal Vitamin C Status in Older Adults" (Nutrients, 2024), "Understanding the additional impact of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes on vitamin C status in adults living with obesity" (Nutrition, 2024), and forthcoming "Anti-inflammatory effects of alpha-lipoic acid modulate cystathionine-γ-lyase expression in RAW 264.7 macrophages" (International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2026). She has presented on urine-based bacterial cell-free DNA tests for Legionnaires' disease (Infectious Diseases & Pandemic Preparedness Summit, 2025).