Rate My Professor Chelsea Kerr

Dr. Chelsea Kerr serves as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Botany within the Sciences Division at the University of Otago. She earned her Bachelor of Applied Science, majoring in Molecular Biotechnology with a minor in Botany, in 2016 from the University of Otago. Kerr then completed a Master of Science in Plant Biotechnology in 2019 in the Botany Department, graduating with Distinction under the supervision of Associate Professor David J. Burritt. Her MSc thesis examined postharvest storage of loose leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa). Subsequently, she undertook a PhD in Botany at Otago, supervised by Burritt, utilizing physiological, biochemical, and molecular tools, including RNA sequencing, to investigate storage breakdown disorder expression in kiwifruit. Kerr graduated with her PhD in 2025.

Kerr's research in plant biotechnology focuses on postharvest storage of fresh produce to minimize food waste, with emphasis on chilling injury and antioxidant responses in kiwifruit. Key publications include "The Importance of Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Metabolism for the Development of Chilling Injury in Kiwifruit" (Antioxidants, 2025; co-authored with David J. Burritt and Jeremy N. Burdon), which elucidates oxidative stress mechanisms, and "Identification and classification of chill-damaged versus sound kiwifruit using Raman spectroscopy and chemometrics" (Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 2024; with Sara J. Fraser-Miller, Keith C. Gordon, and others), developing non-destructive quality assessment techniques. She has earned recognition such as the best student talk award at the 2017 Botany Colloquium and membership in a 2023 University of Otago Staff Excellence Award-winning team. Kerr is committed to sustainable food production and public education on food origins, production methods, and their effects on health and the environment.