Profile Details

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USD 45 /hr

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☆☆☆☆☆

Hire Dr. Aaron S.

New Zealand

USD 45 /hr

Experienced geneticist, statistician, bioinformatician, and company Director

Profile Summary

I am a scientific Researcher with a PhD in genetics, a Postgraduate Diploma in Microbiology, and a BSc endorsed in Biosecurity. I am a Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago, Wellington where I direct the Centre for Epigenetic and Genetic Research. I have strong analytical, project management, financial, and staff management skills. I also have six years of experience as the managing director of a limited liability company, four years of experience in bidding for grants and proposal writing, and three years of experience managing and reporting on grant outcomes. I have worked in research and medical laboratories for 12 years, and am well versed in a broad range of molecular/genetic techniques. I also have considerable statistical/bioinformatic expertise and experience in handling large and complex datasets using R. My lab members specialise in a diverse combination of biochemical skills including: genetic, statistical and bioinformatic expertise, tissue culture, cloning, DNA/RNA preparation, bisulfite conversion, DNA methylation, microbiome genetics (16S rRNA), DNA gene chip analysis, and non B-DNA structural analysis. My lab is currently looking to expand and I am interested in receiving applications for postgraduate positions at Hons, Masters, and PhD levels. Students must have a background in genetics with previous molecular experience. Outside of science, I also manage and direct a beef cattle farm, and an outdoors Company. I am experienced in marine, alpine and agricultural environments, including boat driving, scuba diving, climbing and back country skiing. I am married to an experienced freshwater/marine ecologist and we are passionate about working together to help understand and mitigate environmental and climatic issues that threaten the current state of ecosystem dynamics. We would be extremely interested in discussing potential opportunities to collaborate with; or work for international research institutes.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ★ Molecular Biology
• ★ Genetics
• ★ Technical & Scientific Writing
• ☆ Microbiome Research
• ☆ Epigenetics
• ☆ Scientific Proofreading & Editing
• ☆ Grant Writing

Services

• Writing
• Research
• Consulting
• Data & AI

Writing Clinical Trial Documentation, Technical Writing

Research Market Research, Fact Checking, Systematic Literature Review, Secondary Data Collection

Consulting Scientific and Technical Consulting

Data & AI Statistical Analysis, Data Visualization

Work Experience

Senior Lecturer

University of Otago Wellington

February 2021 - Present

Research Fellow

University of Otago Christchurch

2019 - Present

Research Fellow

University of Otago Wellington

2019 - Present

Managing Director

Aspect Outdoors Ltd

January 2014 - Present

Farm Manager

The Torrs Farm

January 2010 - Present

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

University of Otago Christchurch

2016 - 2018

Assistant Research Fellow

University of Otago Christchurch

2015 - 2016

Education

PhD human genetics

University of Otago

March 2012 - July 2015

Postgraduate diploma in microbiology

University of Canterbury, New Zealand

February 2011 - November 2011

Bsc endorsed in biosecurity

University of Canterbury, New Zealand

February 2008 - November 2010

Certifications

• Certification details not provided.

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Stevens, A.J., Purcell, R.V., Darling, K.A., Eggleston, M.J.F., Kennedy, M.A., Rucklidge, J.J., Stevens, A.J., Purcell, R.V., Darling, K.A., Eggleston, M.J.F., et al.(2020). Author Correction: Human gut microbiome changes during a 10 week Randomised Control Trial for micronutrient supplementation in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Scientific Reports, (2019), 9, 1, (10128), 10.1038/s41598-019-46146-3) . Scientific Reports. 10. (1).

Heft, I.E., Mostovoy, Y., Levy-Sakin, M., Ma, W., Stevens, A.J., Pastor, S., McCaffrey, J., Boffelli, D., Martin, D.I., Xiao, M., et al.(2020). The driver of extreme human-specific olduvai repeat expansion remains highly active in the human genome . Genetics. 214. (1). p. 179-191.

Rucklidge, J.J., Eggleston, M.J.F., Darling, K.A., Stevens, A.J., Kennedy, M.A., Frampton, C.M.(2019). Can we predict treatment response in children with ADHD to a vitamin-mineral supplement? An investigation into pre-treatment nutrient serum levels, MTHFR status, clinical correlates and demographic variables . Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry. 89. p. 181-192.

Stevens, A.J., Purcell, R.V., Darling, K.A., Eggleston, M.J.F., Kennedy, M.A., Rucklidge, J.J.(2019). Human gut microbiome changes during a 10 week Randomised Control Trial for micronutrient supplementation in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder . Scientific Reports. 9. (1).

Stevens, A.J., Rucklidge, J.J., Kennedy, M.A.(2018). Epigenetics, nutrition and mental health. Is there a relationship? . Nutritional Neuroscience. 21. (9). p. 602-613.

Stevens, A.J., Rucklidge, J.J., Darling, K.A., Eggleston, M.J.F., Pearson, J.F., Kennedy, M.A.(2018). Methylomic changes in response to micronutrient supplementation and MTHFR genotype . Epigenomics. 10. (9). p. 1201-1214.

Aaron J. Stevens, Julia J. Rucklidge, Martin A. Kennedy(2017). Epigenetics, nutrition and mental health. Is there a relationship? . Nutritional Neuroscience. 21. (9). p. 602--613. Informa {UK} Limited

Aaron J. Stevens, Martin A. Kennedy(2017). Methylated Cytosine Maintains G-Quadruplex Structures during Polymerase Chain Reaction and Contributes to Allelic Dropout . Biochemistry. 56. (29). p. 3691--3698. American Chemical Society ({ACS})

Aaron J. Stevens, Millie G. Taylor, Frederick Grant Pearce, Martin A. Kennedy(2017). Allelic Dropout During Polymerase Chain Reaction due to G-Quadruplex Structures and {DNA} Methylation Is Widespread at Imprinted Human Loci . G3{\&}amp$\mathsemicolon${\#}58$\mathsemicolon$ Genes$\vert$Genomes$\vert$Genetics. 7. (3). p. 1019--1025. Genetics Society of America

Aaron J. Stevens, Meni Wanunu, Martin A. Kennedy(2017). Structural Analysis of G-Quadruplex Formation at the Human {MEST} Promoter . {PLOS} {ONE}. 12. (1). p. e0169433. Public Library of Science ({PLoS})

Stevens, A.J., Kennedy, M.A.(2017). Structural analysis of G-quadruplex formation at the human MEST promoter . PLoS ONE. 12. (1).

Stevens, A.J., Taylor, M.G., Pearce, F.G., Kennedy, M.A.(2017). Allelic dropout during polymerase chain reaction due to G-quadruplex structures and DNA methylation is widespread at imprinted human loci . G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics. 7. (3). p. 1019-1025.

Stevens, A.J., Kennedy, M.A.(2017). Methylated Cytosine Maintains G-Quadruplex Structures during Polymerase Chain Reaction and Contributes to Allelic Dropout . Biochemistry. 56. (29). p. 3691-3698.

Stevens, A.J., Kennedy, H.L., Kennedy, M.A.(2016). Fluorescence Methods for Probing G-Quadruplex Structure in Single- and Double-Stranded DNA . Biochemistry. 55. (26). p. 3714-3725.

Stevens, A.J., Appleby, S., Kennedy, M.A.(2016). Many commercial hot-start polymerases demonstrate activity prior to thermal activation . BioTechniques. 61. (6). p. 293-296.

Steel, O., Kraberger, S., Sikorski, A., Young, L.M., Catchpole, R.J., Stevens, A.J., Ladley, J.J., Coray, D.S., Stainton, D., Dayaram, A., et al.(2016). Circular replication-associated protein encoding DNA viruses identified in the faecal matter of various animals in New Zealand . Infection, Genetics and Evolution. 43. p. 151-164.

Stevens, A.J., Stuffrein-Roberts, S., Cree, S.L., Gibb, A., Miller, A.L., Doudney, K.(2015). Correction: G-quadruplex structures and CpG methylation cause drop-out of the maternal allele in polymerase chain reaction amplification of the imprinted MEST gene promoter . PLoS ONE. 10. (3).

Stevens, A.J., Stuffrein-Roberts, S., Cree, S.L., Gibb, A., Miller, A.L., Doudney, K., Aitchison, A., Eccles, M.R., Joyce, P.R., Filichev, V.V., et al.(2014). G-Quadruplex structures and CpG methylation cause drop-out of the maternal allele in polymerase chain reaction amplification of the Imprinted MEST gene promoter . PLoS ONE. 9. (12).