Dame Juliet Ann Gerrard DNZM FRSNZ (born 1967) is a New Zealand biochemistry academic. She is a professor at the University of Auckland[2] and the New Zealand Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor.[3]

Dame Juliet Gerrard
Gerrard in 2021
Born
Juliet Ann Gerrard

1967 (age 56–57)
EducationUniversity of Oxford
AwardsIRL Industry and Outreach Fellowship,[1] Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
Scientific career
FieldsBiochemistry
InstitutionsCrop and Food, University of Canterbury, University of Auckland
Thesis
WebsiteOfficial biography

Early life

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Gerrard was born in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, in 1967.[4][5] Her family frequently moved around the United Kingdom when she was a child, living in various locations including Nottingham, Wales and Grimsby.[6] She liked science and focused on chemistry in her studies.[6]

Education and career

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Gerrard obtained a first-class honours degree in chemistry at the University of Oxford[7] and then in 1992 a DPhil[7] titled Studies on dihydrodipicolinate synthase, also from Oxford.[8] She moved to Crop and Food in New Zealand in 1997[9] and then the University of Canterbury in 1998, where she rose to full professor.[8] She then moved to a professorship at the University of Auckland in 2014,[9] where she holds a Callaghan Innovation Industry and Outreach Fellowship.[10] Having been the recipient of Marsden grants herself in 1998 and 2003, Gerrard went on to serve as the chair of the Royal Society of New Zealand's Marsden Fund Council from 2012 until 2018.[11][12][13][14]

Her research includes investigations of protein-protein interactions, lysine biosynthesis (particularly the enzyme dihydrodipicolinate synthase) and the application of protein chemistry to the food industry.[15][16][17] She has over 175 publications, including three books.[7]

In June 2018 she was appointed the New Zealand Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor, succeeding Sir Peter Gluckman[18] and taking up the role for a three-year term starting 1 July 2018.[19] In her role she has tried to "draw on as many science voices as possible", and to be "rigorous, transparent, accessible and inclusive".[6]

Honours and awards

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In 2004, Gerrard won a National Teaching Award for Sustained Excellence in Teaching.[7] In 2012, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand.[20] In 2018, she was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.[7]

In the 2021 New Year Honours, Gerrard was appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to science.[21] In 2017, Gerrard was selected as one of the Royal Society Te Apārangi's "150 women in 150 words", celebrating the contributions of women to knowledge in New Zealand.[22]

Other

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She has a koru tattoo on her back, purchased for by her lab group for being made professor before her fortieth birthday.[23]

She has spun out her own company called Hi-Aspect, which produces protein nanofibres for medical and other uses.[7][24]

She is divorced[6] and has two children.[24]

Selected works

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Books

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  • Gerrard, Juliet A. (2013). Protein Nanotechnology: Protocols, Instrumentation, and Applications, Second Edition (Methods in Molecular Biology). ISBN 978-1-62703-353-4.

Journal papers

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  • Gerrard, Juliet A. (2002). "Protein–protein crosslinking in food: methods, consequences, applications". Trends in Food Science & Technology. 13 (12): 391–399. doi:10.1016/S0924-2244(02)00257-1. ISSN 0924-2244.
  • de Zwart, F.J.; Slow, S.; Payne, R.J.; Lever, M.; George, P.M.; Gerrard, J.A.; Chambers, S.T. (2003). "Glycine betaine and glycine betaine analogues in common foods". Food Chemistry. 83 (2): 197–204. doi:10.1016/S0308-8146(03)00063-3. ISSN 0308-8146.
  • Gerrard, J.A.; Fayle, S.E.; Wilson, A.J.; Newberry, M.P.; Ross, M.; Kavale, S. (1998). "Dough Properties and Crumb Strength of White Pan Bread as Affected by Microbial Transglutaminase". Journal of Food Science. 63 (3): 472–475. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2621.1998.tb15766.x. ISSN 0022-1147.
  • Hutton, Craig A.; Perugini, Matthew A.; Gerrard, Juliet A. (2007). "Inhibition of lysine biosynthesis: an evolving antibiotic strategy". Molecular BioSystems. 3 (7): 458–465. doi:10.1039/b705624a. ISSN 1742-206X. PMID 17579770.
  • Rasiah, I.A.; Sutton, K.H.; Low, F.L.; Lin, H.-M.; Gerrard, J.A. (2005). "Crosslinking of wheat dough proteins by glucose oxidase and the resulting effects on bread and croissants". Food Chemistry. 89 (3): 325–332. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2004.02.052. ISSN 0308-8146.

References

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  1. ^ "Renowned Scientist receives IRL Industry and Outreach Fellowship". Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  2. ^ "Professor Juliet Gerrard – The University of Auckland". Unidirectory.auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Our office". Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  4. ^ "Professor Juliet Gerrard: A protein-packed life". University of Auckland. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  5. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d Easther, Elisabeth (27 April 2020). "My Story: Dr Juliet Gerrard - The life and times of the Prime Minister's Chief Science Advisor". NZ Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "Our 2018 Honorary Fellows". Update. Royal Society of Chemistry. April 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Science Staff Profiles | University of Canterbury". Canterbury.ac.nz. 12 October 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  9. ^ a b Scotcher, Katie (12 June 2018). "Juliet Gerrard named as Chief Science Advisor". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  10. ^ "Professor Juliet Gerrard – MacDiarmid Institute". Macdiarmid.ac.nz. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  11. ^ "$84.6m in Marsden funding for NZ researchers | Scoop News". Scoop.co.nz. 2 November 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  12. ^ "Juliet Gerrard new Chair of Marsden Fund Council". 24 February 2012.
  13. ^ "This year's Marsden Fund recipients revealed". Newshub. 11 March 2014 – via www.newshub.co.nz.
  14. ^ "Chair of the Marsden Fund Council". Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  15. ^ Gerrard, Juliet (2002). "Protein–protein crosslinking in food: methods, consequences, applications". Trends in Food Science and Technology. 13 (12): 391–399. doi:10.1016/s0924-2244(02)00257-1.
  16. ^ Hutton CA, Perugini MA, Gerrard JA (2007). "Inhibition of lysine biosynthesis: an evolving antibiotic strategy". Mol Biosyst. 3 (7): 458–65. doi:10.1039/b705624a. PMID 17579770.
  17. ^ Gerrard, J; SE Fayle; AJ Wilson; MP Newberry; M Ross; S Kavale (1998). "Dough properties and crumb strength of white pan bread as affected by microbial transglutaminase". Journal of Food Science. 63 (3): 472–475. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2621.1998.tb15766.x.
  18. ^ "PM Jacinda Ardern announces new science advisor". Stuff. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  19. ^ "New PM's Chief Science Advisor – Expert reaction". Scoop. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  20. ^ "List of all Fellows with surnames G-I". royalsociety.org.nz. Royal Society of New Zealand. 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
  21. ^ "New Year honours list 2021". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  22. ^ "Juliet Gerrard". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
  23. ^ "Ninth International London Tattoo Convention". Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  24. ^ a b Dann, Jennifer (9 October 2015). "12 Questions with Juliet Gerrard, Prime Minister's science advisor". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
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