Rate My Professor Monika Zavodna

Dr Monika Zavodna is the Sequencing Specialist at the Otago Genomics Facility (OGF), a core research infrastructure within the Research Infrastructure Centre of the University of Otago's Health Sciences Division. In this role, she forms part of a dedicated team of genomics experts who provide comprehensive support to researchers, including advice on experimental design, sample preparation, library construction, and selection of appropriate sequencing platforms. The facility enables high-throughput sequencing for projects spanning molecular biology, ecology, and health sciences. Dr Zavodna is also recognized as a Scientific Officer affiliated with the Department of Biochemistry.

Dr Zavodna's academic and technical contributions are evidenced by her involvement in multiple peer-reviewed publications demonstrating expertise in genomic methodologies and evolutionary genetics. Key publications include her first-author article 'The effects of transcription and recombination on mutational dynamics of short tandem repeats' published in Nucleic Acids Research in 2018, which examined the influences of transcription-biased gene conversion and recombination on mutation rates in repetitive DNA elements. She co-authored 'Parallel Tagged Next-Generation Sequencing on Pooled Samples' in PLOS ONE in 2013, introducing a cost-effective multiplexing protocol for next-generation sequencing of DNA pools before individual genotyping. More recently, she contributed to 'Recovering Historical eDNA From Museum-Preserved Filter Feeders via Non-Destructive Metabarcoding' in Molecular Ecology Resources in 2026, pioneering methods to retrieve environmental DNA from preserved biological samples without destruction. Earlier works include studies on parasite transmission influenced by host genetics (2008) and epigenetic changes in reproductive gene promoters.

Prior appointments include positions within the Department of Anatomy's Centre for Reproduction and Genomics, where she was a lab member in the Gemmell Laboratory from 2009 to 2012. Her technical proficiency has underpinned numerous university research outputs in areas such as eDNA biomonitoring, genetic variation, and historical biodiversity reconstruction.