Rate My Professor Noelyn Hung

Dr. Noelyn Hung serves as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at the Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, within the Faculty of Medicine. Qualified with a BSc, MB ChB, and FRCPA, she is an anatomical pathologist with subspecialist interests in perinatal medicine, oncology, and autoimmunity. Joining the university in late 2004, Dr. Hung has balanced clinical practice as a pathologist at the Southern District Health Board with academic responsibilities. She teaches across diverse health disciplines, including undergraduate and postgraduate programs in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physiotherapy, medical laboratory science, pathology, and midwifery through Otago Polytechnic. Additionally, she curates the Pathology Department Museum of Human Disease.

In research, Dr. Hung co-leads the Slatter and Hung Laboratory focusing on molecular pathogenesis, translating cell fate knowledge from precancerous lesions, cancers, placentas, and autoimmune conditions to clinical settings. Notable contributions include demonstrating human papillomavirus (HPV) as a key factor in placental complications during pregnancy via the Otago Placental Study (OPuS), developing glioblastoma subtyping based on telomere maintenance mechanisms for the New Zealand Brain Tumour Study, and exploring telomere pathways in uterine cancer to predict outcomes. Her biotechnology experience encompasses leading over 500 pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) phase 1 and 2 clinical studies as Principal Investigator. Key recent publications encompass "Δ133p53 isoform enhances TLR4 function to promote tumour growth" (Carcinogenesis, 2025), "Oral docetaxel plus encequidar: A phase 1 clinical trial" (Cancer Chemotherapy & Pharmacology, 2024), "A sensitive assay for unbound docetaxel using ultrafiltration plus HPLC-MS" (Pharmaceutics, 2024), "Oral docetaxel plus encequidar: A pharmacokinetic model" (Journal of Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics, 2024), and "Optimal sample selection applied to information rich, dense data" (Journal of Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics, 2024). Her work underscores the regulation of cell death, survival, and growth across reproductive, oncologic, and autoimmune contexts.