Rate My Professor Rachel Purcell

Dr. Rachel Purcell is a Senior Research Fellow and Head of Clinical and Translational Research in the Department of Surgery and Critical Care at the University of Otago, Christchurch, Faculty of Medicine. She earned a BSc (Hons) from University College Cork, MSc (Hons) (PIC), and PhD from the University of Otago. After her early degrees, she worked in a diagnostic laboratory before completing her doctoral research at Otago Christchurch. Following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, she served as Research Officer and Project Manager at the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, coordinating publication of the World Health Organization’s “Blue Books” of Tumour Classification. In 2018, she became a Research Fellow in the University of Otago Department of Surgery, receiving the Sir Charles Hercus Fellowship from the Health Research Council of New Zealand in 2019, and advanced to her current senior role.

Purcell's research centers on molecular mechanisms of pathogenic bacteria in colorectal carcinogenesis, with a focus on the gut microbiome's influence on cancer development, treatment responses, and metastasis. Her projects explore microbiome effects on radiotherapy and immunotherapy in rectal cancer, circulating bacterial DNA for early metastasis detection, microbiome-based markers for diverticular disease, molecular classification of colorectal cancer, and dietary modifications to enhance outcomes. She develops computational tools integrating gene expression, microbiome, and patient data, prioritizing better health for Māori and Pacific Peoples amid rising early-onset colorectal cancer. Notable awards include the New Zealand Mana Tūānuku Research Leader Fellowship in 2024 (valued at $1.16 million), HRC Emerging Researcher and Explorer Grants, Otago Explorer Grant, and 2021 NZSO Roche Translational Cancer Research Fellowship. Key publications encompass "Bacterial lipopolysaccharide alters DNA methylation in colorectal cancer cells" (2025, Clinical Epigenetics), "Colorectal polyp distribution in relation to age: meta-analysis" (2025, BJS Open), "Consensus molecular subtypes and gene expression in early-onset colorectal cancer" (2025, Colorectal Cancer), "Fibre, microbes and radiotherapy: unravelling the gut’s impact on radiotherapy in cancer" (2025, ESMO Gastrointestinal Oncology), and "Distinct gut microbiome patterns associate with consensus molecular subtypes in colorectal cancer" (2017, Scientific Reports). With over 4,275 citations, her work significantly advances microbiome-informed diagnostics and therapies in oncology.