Rate My Professor Noel Jhinku

Noel Jhinku serves as the Laboratory Health and Safety Co-ordinator at the University of Otago, a role in which he supports laboratory compliance, risk management, and operations across departments. He is also the Manager of the Otago Zebrafish Facility, located within the Department of Pathology, providing critical aquaculture, husbandry, and technical support for research, teaching, and training utilizing zebrafish models. These efforts enable studies in developmental biology, genetics, epigenetics, and disease modeling conducted by researchers such as those in the Horsfield Laboratory.

Jhinku co-authored the peer-reviewed article 'Dietary Intake Influences Adult Fertility and Offspring Fitness in Zebrafish' published in PLOS ONE in 2016 with Trent Newman, Michael Meier, and Julia Horsfield. His facility management expertise is acknowledged in numerous publications, including 'Zebrafish preserve global germline DNA methylation while sex-specific genes are demethylated' (Nature Communications, 2019), 'Cohesin Components Stag1 and Stag2 Differentially Influence Chromosome Structure and Gene Expression during Early Development in Zebrafish' (Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 2020), 'Riboceine Rescues Auranofin-Induced Craniofacial Defects in Zebrafish Larvae' (Antioxidants, 2021), 'Paternal Hypoxia Exposure Primes Offspring for Increased Glycolytic Capacity and Adiposity' (Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2022), and 'Variant ribosomal DNA is essential for female differentiation in zebrafish' (Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 2025). As a University of Otago alumnus, he donated a kauri sapling in 2019 to commemorate the institution's 150th anniversary. Jhinku founded Our Seas Our Future in 2011, serving as trustee for this marine conservation NGO, and has led community initiatives like beach cleanups. In October 2025, he earned third place in the University Bulletin Photo Competition for his image of a curious wheke. He organized social impact activities, including team outings in 2023, demonstrating commitment to community engagement.