Rate My Professor Paul Turner

Paul Turner serves as Senior Laboratory Technician in the Department of Human Nutrition at the University of Otago, with a shared role in the Department of Food Science. He holds a PhD and a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from the University of Auckland, completed between January 1994 and January 1998. With over 30 years of professional experience in chemistry, biochemistry, and biomedicine, Turner provides essential technical support for laboratory research. His expertise encompasses a range of techniques including cell culture, PCR, DNA analysis, gel electrophoresis, flow cytometry, Western blot analysis, immunofluorescence, SDS-PAGE, RNA isolation, and cloning.

Turner's research specializations and academic interests focus on tissue engineering, additive manufacturing such as fused deposition modeling and melt electrowriting for creating branched vasculature and scaffolds, stem cell-based therapies particularly with mesenchymal stem cells, and biomaterials including chitosan/dextran core/shell constructs, polycaprolactone/chitosan scaffolds, and room temperature LCST-hydrogels based on thermoresponsive PEO stars. He has contributed to studies on intervertebral disc tissue engineering, wound healing with 3D living dressings that modulate immune responses, neuroprotection involving amyloid precursor protein and calcium dynamics, and neural function. Turner is affiliated with the University of Otago's Department of Food Science and has co-authored 29 publications garnering 1,727 citations. Notable publications include 'Integrating Fused Deposition Modeling and Melt Electrowriting for Engineering Branched Vasculature' (2023), 'Intervertebral Disc Tissue Engineering Using Additive Manufacturing' (2022), '3D Living Dressing Improves Healing and Modulates Immune Response in a Thermal Injury Model' (2022), 'Preparation, Properties and Cell Biocompatibility of Room Temperature LCST-Hydrogels Based on Thermoresponsive PEO Stars' (2021), 'Three-Dimensional Melt-Electrowritten Polycaprolactone/Chitosan Scaffolds Enhance Mesenchymal Stem Cell Behavior' (2021), 'Modification of Stainless Steel by Grafting of Poly(ethylene glycol) from Dopamine' (2021), 'Peptide Chitosan/Dextran Core/Shell Vascularized 3D Constructs for Wound Healing' (2020), and 'Effects of presynaptic mutations on a postsynaptic Cacna1s mutation in the zebrafish visual system' (2009). His work impacts regenerative medicine, scaffold design for tissue regeneration, and biocompatibility assessments.