Rate My Professor Louisa Ashby

Dr. Louisa Ashby serves as the Louisa Forbes Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Pathology and Biomedical Science at the University of Otago, Christchurch, part of the Faculty of Medicine in the Health Sciences Division. She holds a Bachelor of Science with Honors from the University of Canterbury and a Doctor of Philosophy from University College London. Her academic career has centered on advancing knowledge in redox biology and inflammation, with a primary focus on neutrophil biochemistry and the enzymology of myeloperoxidase.

Ashby's research investigates the mechanisms by which myeloperoxidase generates reactive chlorine species, such as hypochlorous acid, to kill microbes within neutrophil phagosomes, while also exploring how this enzyme contributes to oxidative damage in inflammatory diseases. She examines the oxidation chemistry involved in microbicidal activity and develops inhibitors to mitigate oxidative stress in conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, gout, and cystic fibrosis. Affiliated with Mātai Hāora – Centre for Redox Biology and Medicine, her work employs advanced biochemical assays, fluorescent probes, and phagosome models to study oxidant production and bacterial responses. Key publications include "Myeloperoxidase Enzyme Activity in Feces Reflects Endoscopic Severity in Inflammatory Bowel Disease" (2025, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases), "Dioxygenation of Tryptophan Residues by Superoxide and Myeloperoxidase" (2025, Journal of Biological Chemistry), "Phenotypic Spectrum in a Family with a Novel RAC2 p.I21S Dominant-Activating Mutation" (2024, Clinical & Translational Immunology), "Hypochlorous Acid Inactivates Myeloperoxidase Inside Phagocytosing Neutrophils" (2023), "Superoxide: The Enigmatic Chemical Chameleon in Neutrophil Biology" (2023), "Oxidation of Bacillithiol During Killing of Staphylococcus aureus USA300 Inside Neutrophil Phagosomes" (2022, Journal of Leukocyte Biology), and "A Multi-Substrate Assay for Finding Physiologically Effective Inhibitors of Myeloperoxidase" (2017). Through these contributions, Ashby has advanced understanding of neutrophil-mediated immunity and potential therapeutic interventions.