Rate My Professor Arthur Morley-Bunker

Dr. Arthur Morley-Bunker is a Research Fellow with the Mackenzie Cancer Research Group in the Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science at the University of Otago, Christchurch, Faculty of Medicine. His research centers on cancer diagnostics, employing RNA in situ hybridisation techniques such as RNAscope, digital pathology, image analysis, and artificial intelligence to identify biomarkers and tissue changes. Current investigations include the presence of cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus in breast cancer tissue samples and characterization of immune cell phenotypes in the tumor microenvironment. His work also extends to colorectal cancer prognostic biomarkers and AI applications for predicting lymph node metastasis and detecting genomic instabilities.

Morley-Bunker obtained a Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science from the University of Otago, a Postgraduate Diploma in BMLSc from the University of Otago Christchurch, and a Master’s degree in Biomedical Science from the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland. He completed his PhD at the University of Otago in 2020 with the thesis “Scoping for RNA biomarkers in colorectal cancer.” His professional experience includes roles as a registered Medical Laboratory Scientist in the Cytology department at Canterbury Health Laboratories and as a registered Biomedical Scientist in Cytology at Northampton General Hospital in the UK.

Key publications include “Assessment of intra-tumoural colorectal cancer prognostic biomarkers using RNA in situ hybridisation” (Oncotarget, 2019), “RNAscope compatibility with image analysis platforms for chromogenic detection” (Methods in Molecular Biology, 2021), “Deep Learning Segmentation of Chromogenic Dye RNAscope From Breast Cancer Tissue” (Journal of Digital Imaging, 2024), and “Use of artificial intelligence for the prediction of lymph node metastasis in early-stage colorectal cancers: a systematic review” (BJS Open, 2024). These contributions advance understanding of cancer biomarkers and computational pathology tools.

Dr. Morley-Bunker has received the University of Otago Accelerator Grant in 2021 for a proof-of-concept study on digital pathology and AI for genomic biomarkers in New Zealand colorectal cancer patients, funding from the Cancer Society of New Zealand for MSI detection in colorectal cancer, the Roche Translational Cancer Research Fellowship in 2025, and Health Research Council grants. His research holds potential to enhance identification of immunotherapy-responsive patients and support cancer screening programs.