DoctorGretel Major

Dr Gretel Major is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Neurology of Myopathies Lab at the University of Canterbury. Her research focuses on the integrative physiology of neuromuscular disease, particularly how neurological and muscle systems interact to influence disease progression and response to treatment. She aims to identify new pathways that can be targeted to develop therapies and improve outcomes for people with neuromuscular conditions (e.g., Duchenne muscular dystrophy).

She completed her PhD in 2023 at the University of Otago in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, where she developed disease models and programmable biomaterials, and previously obtained a Bachelor of Science (Honours Class I) from the University of Wollongong.

Her work uses ex vivo, in vitro, and preclinical models to explore how systemic and metabolic changes shape neuromuscular disease. As Principal Investigator, she is supported by a Neurological Foundation First Fellowship ($217K) and a Neuromuscular Research New Zealand project grant ($29K), and has secured $297K in competitive funding as an early career researcher.

Dr Major has authored 25 peer-reviewed publications (80% in Q1 journals), including 13 first or co-first author papers (h-index 13; m-index 2.17), and has received over 10 awards for research excellence. She collaborates with clinicians and international research groups, and is actively involved in mentoring students, supporting other early-career researchers, and contributing to the research community through outreach and leadership.