Associate Professor Nuala Ann Helsby

Research | Current

How do your genes influence drug disposition?

Some people can respond well and others may have substantial side effects when given the same medication. Numerous factors affect how the body handles a drug, but one reason is the inherited differences in the expression of drug metabolising enzymes or drug transporters - this is known as pharmacogenetics. There has been a lot of optimism that sequencing the human genome will allow tailored selection of the appropriate drug at the right dose for each individual patient. However, many of the genes important in drug disposition are readily up- and down-regulated by either disease processes, the co-administration of other drugs and even dietary changes. Understanding gene expression and epigenetic regulation (pharmacogenomics) is an important and often overlooked component of “personalised medicine”.

Much of my research focusses on the pharmacogenomics of common cancer medications, because of the very narrow window between a safe and effective dose and life-threatening side effects. I also have an interest in how genomics may predict chronic pain after breast cancer surgery.

To do this type of research we need to determine an individual’s genetic make-up, to understand the complex processes underpinning drug disposition, accurately quantify drug levels in a patients and also have clinical information about patient outcomes. This requires strong links between the laboratory and clinicians. We have expertise in measuring drugs and their metabolites using analytical techniques such as LC/MS, genomics and design of clinical trials.

My research group includes:

Dr Kathryn Burns (John Gavin Postdoctoral Research Fellow; Genesis Oncology Trust)

Dr Soo Hee Jeong

Claire Bonnet & Maia van Kan (research technicians) as well as postgraduate research students.

Teaching | Current

Course director and lecturer for MEDSCI 301 Molecular basis of disease.  

Course director for MEDSCI 701 Special Studies in Medical Sciences.

I also teach on the following courses:

MEDSCI 203 Mechanisms of disease

MEDSCI 302 Cancer biology

MEDSCI 303 Drug dispostion and kinetics

MEDSCI 306 Principles of Toxicology

MEDSCI 101G Environmental threats to health

MEDSCI 706 Genetic disease

MEDSCI 715 Molecular toxicology

MEDSCI 716 Drug disposition and kinetics

PHARM 767 Advanced pharmacotherapy

Postgraduate supervision

Current supervision

• Daniel Chiang (PhD candidate)
• Minghan Yong  (BBiomedSc(Hons) candidate)

Co-supervision with Dr Kathryn Burns

• Mayerni Situmorang (MSc candidate)

Distinctions/Honours

• International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR). Councillor on the executive board of the Drug Metabolism and Drug Transporter section (2014-2018), Vice-chair (2018-2022)

• Member of council Australasian Society of Clinical Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology (ASCEPT)
• Chair of ASCEPT-NZ section (2017-2019)
  • Secretary of ASCEPT-NZ (Nov 2011-2014)
  • NZ representative on the ASCEPT Pharmacogenetics Interest Group Committee (2007-present)
• Member of British Pharmacology Society (BPS)

Responsibilities

• Executive editor of the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology

• Review editor for Frontiers in Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics (2011-present)

• Ad hoc reviewer for the international journals: Clinical Pharmacokinetics, Molecular Pharmaceutics and Special issue of Mutation Research - Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis, Chemico-Biological Interactions, Cancer Gene Therapy, British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology, Drug Metabolism and Drug Interactions, Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology, Australian Medical Student Journal, European Journal of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics

• Invited member of the reviewer panel for Current Drug Metabolism and  Drug Metabolism Letters  (2012-2014)

Areas of expertise

Pharmacogenetics, Human pharmacology, Drug biotransformation 

Committees/Professional groups/Services

Member

• British Pharmacology Society
• Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology
• New Zealand Society for Oncology