Rate My Professor Olga Kardailsky

Olga Kardailsky serves as a Genetics Lab Technician at the University of Otago, primarily affiliated with the Department of Biochemistry while also contributing to the Genetics teaching programme. Her technical role supports advanced molecular biology research, particularly in the areas of ancient DNA (aDNA), environmental DNA (eDNA), and next-generation sequencing (NGS). These expertise areas are evident from her verified Google Scholar profile and extensive publication record. Kardailsky holds a Master of Science degree and has been a key technical contributor to interdisciplinary projects spanning archaeogenetics, evolutionary biology, epigenetics, and population genetics. Her work at Otago, often in collaboration with the Department of Anatomy researchers, involves processing genetic samples from diverse sources including prehistoric human remains, extinct species, marine organisms, and model animals.

Kardailsky has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals, demonstrating her impact on the academic field. Key contributions include "Stress, novel sex genes, and epigenetic reprogramming control gonad differentiation in a rockfish" (Science Advances, 2019), which investigates sex determination and epigenetic mechanisms; "The elephant shark methylome reveals conservation of epigenetic regulation across jawed vertebrates" (FASEB Journal, 2017); "Ancient DNA of Phoenician remains indicates discontinuity in the settlement history of Carthage" (Scientific Reports, 2018), uncovering European genetic ancestry in ancient Carthaginian samples; "An isotopic and genetic study of multi-cultural colonial New Zealand from Omata Stockade" (Journal of Archaeological Science, 2021); "The Pacific Rat Race to Easter Island: Tracking the Prehistoric Arrival of Rattus exulans Using Ancient and Modern Mitochondrial DNA" (Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 2017); "Mitogenomes resolve the phylogeography and divergence times of New Zealand's enigmatic black robin" (Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2022); "Hairpin-bisulfite sequencing of cells exposed to decitabine identifies two noncytosine DNA modifications" (Epigenetics, 2021); "Population genetic structure of the giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera in Aotearoa New Zealand" (Marine Biology, 2024); and "The radiation of Austral teals (Aves: Anseriformes) and the evolution of flightlessness" (2024). These studies have advanced knowledge on prehistoric dispersals, species radiations, genetic continuity, and genomic adaptations, influencing research in evolutionary history and biodiversity conservation.