Rate My Professor Phil Sheard

Phil Sheard is an Honorary Associate Professor in the Department of Physiology at the University of Otago, where he previously served as Associate Professor and Deputy Head of Department (Teaching). He earned his BSc and Postgraduate Diploma in Science (PGDipSc) from the University of Otago and his PhD from the University of Western Australia. His long-standing career at the University of Otago has focused on teaching and research in physiological sciences, contributing to the training of numerous postgraduate students through supervision of PhD and honours theses in areas such as neuromuscular junction dynamics, cardiac ageing, and muscle plasticity.

Sheard's research specializations centre on the development, structure, function, and ageing of neuromuscular systems, with a particular emphasis on sarcopenia—the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength. His investigations explore the role of motor nerve terminals in driving sarcopenia, age-related alterations at the neuromuscular junction, and the sequence of motor nerve withdrawal relative to muscle fibre degeneration. Key publications include 'A role for long-lived nuclear envelope proteins in cardiac ageing' (Mechanisms of Ageing & Development, 2026, with M. Shuen et al.), 'MuscleMap: An open-source, community supported consortium for whole-body quantitative MRI of muscle' (Journal of Imaging, 2024, with M.J. McKay et al.), and highly cited works such as 'Voluntary resistance wheel exercise from mid-life prevents sarcopenia and increases markers of mitochondrial function and autophagy in muscles of old male and female C57BL/6J mice' (Skeletal Muscle, 2016, 157 citations) and 'Changes in mitochondrial membrane potential during staurosporine-induced apoptosis in Jurkat cells' (FEBS Letters, 2000, 307 citations). In recognition of his teaching excellence, he was awarded the Otago Medical School Research Society (OSMS) Distinguished Academic Teacher award in 2015. His contributions extend to collaborative efforts in brain health research and public outreach on age-related muscle weakness.