Rate My Professor Sarah Diermeier

Dr. Sarah Diermeier served as Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry, School of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Health Sciences, at the University of Otago from 2018 until 2024. She earned her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Regensburg, Germany, in 2013. Subsequently, she pursued postdoctoral research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York, USA, from 2013 to 2018, during which she received the Susan G. Komen Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2016 and the K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from the United States National Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health in 2017—a prestigious grant she rescinded to accept her position at Otago. Upon arrival, she was immediately awarded the Rutherford Discovery Fellowship in 2018.

Dr. Diermeier's research centers on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), the largest class of non-coding transcripts, as novel drivers and therapeutic targets in cancer progression and metastasis, with a focus on breast and colorectal cancers—significant health issues in New Zealand, particularly given higher mortality rates among Māori. Utilizing single-cell analysis, CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, and collaborations with clinicians, her lab identifies and characterizes lncRNA candidates for intervention. Key publications include "MaTAR25 lncRNA regulates the Tensin1 gene to impact breast cancer progression" in Nature Communications (2020), which identified a critical lncRNA in breast cancer, and "Characterizing the nuclease accessibility of DNA in human cells to identify putative regulatory elements" in Nucleic Acids Research (2019). Earlier works encompass "Splicing of many human genes involves sites embedded within introns" (Nucleic Acids Research, 2015). Her translational impact is exemplified by founding Amaroq Therapeutics as Chief Scientific Officer, securing a record NZ$14 million investment via Otago Innovation to develop lncRNA-targeting drugs for aggressive breast cancer now in pre-clinical trials, and establishing another biotechnology company. Awards include the University of Otago Early Career Award for Distinction in Research (2021) and the School of Biomedical Sciences Commercialisation Researcher Award (2021). Additional funding came from the Marsden Fund Fast-Start Grant, Cancer Society of New Zealand, Maurice Wilkins Centre, and others. She supervised a dynamic team including postdocs, research fellows, and postgraduate students. In 2024, Dr. Diermeier transitioned to lead RNA therapeutics research and partnering at BioNTech in Melbourne, Australia.