Rate My Professor Connor Davis

Connor Davis is an Assistant Research Fellow in the Department of Surgery and Critical Care at the University of Otago, Wellington, within the Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences Division. Currently pursuing a PhD in surgical immunology, Davis focuses on the immune system's response to major surgery. His research examines how immune cells maintain cleanliness at the surgical site and promote tissue healing. By tracking postoperative immune responses, he aims to identify indicators of poor recovery outcomes. To advance clinical applicability, Davis is designing a diagnostic test feasible for routine use in medical laboratories.

Davis secured a Research for Life grant of up to $13,716 to support his project. His scholarly contributions include co-authorship on heparan sulfate mimetic studies, such as 'The novel HS-mimetic, Tet-29, regulates immune cell trafficking across barriers of the CNS during inflammation' (2023) and 'Synthesis and Detection of BODIPY-, Biotin-, and 19F-Labeled Single-Entity Dendritic Heparan Sulfate Mimetics' (2024). These works explore glycosaminoglycan analogs' roles in immune modulation and neuroinflammation. Davis has also contributed to flow cytometry optimization for monocyte markers, serving as co-supervisor in related graduate theses. He has presented research at events including the Australasian Cytometry Society conference and immunology poster sessions, demonstrating his engagement in advancing surgical immunology at the University of Otago.