Victoria Sugrue, University of Otago PhD candidate in Anatomy, is the winner of the People’s Choice Science Communication award at the recently held Genetics Otago Symposium, for a video about her research on the effect of sex hormones on DNA methylation.
Lab Supply was the sponsor of the annual event, which showcased and recognised the latest research from across the Centre. Lab Supply also sponsored the Science Communication prize, which highlights the value of communicating science in a way that informs and inspires audiences.
“Sponsoring events and awards like these is our way of connecting with our customers and giving back to the science community”, says Adam Spurway, Director - Lab Supply. “The opportunity to learn about and share world-class local research like Victoria’s is the icing on the cake.”
We reached out to Victoria to talk about her research, her interest in science communication, and how she sees her research making an impact not just in livestock farming, but in generating greater understanding of how sex influences aging in mammals.
On her research.
My research centres around changes in DNA methylation that occur as you age. The arrangement and the amount of DNA methylation differ between tissues and cell types, but it is also dynamic over your lifetime. I am interested in how we can use these methylation patterns to predict age or disease, and how sex hormones might interact. Most recently, I used castrated sheep as a model to study the effect on the rate of biological aging as measured by an ‘epigenetic clock’, and found that androgen removal slows down the intrinsic aging rate.
On winning the award.
I’ve always been interested in science communication but never known exactly how to dip my toes in. I made this video to accompany my latest research publication and wanted to explain things in a way someone like my parents or grandparents could understand easily.
I am a huge proponent of accessible, clear, and well-communicated science and believe that it is critical to fostering a trusting relationship with the public, so it’s great to know I am capable of making that sort of content.
I’m also humbled that the award was chosen by ‘people’s choice’, so people must have enjoyed the animation.
On creating research impact in society.
I think the most important implication of this work is a contribution towards the understanding of how sex influences aging. While it has been accepted for some time that castration extends lifespan in several species and that females often possess lifespan advantage over males, we are yet to fully understand the mechanisms at play. I found several sites in the sheep genome that showed castration-dependent differences in DNA methylation, the most significant of which all show evidence of androgen receptor binding. This is the first time that a mechanistic link between male sex hormones and accelerated epigenetic age has been found in any mammalian species.
Commercially, we could use an epigenetic screen to determine the age of the animal that a meat product came from (i.e. ensure that it is not ‘mutton dressed as lamb’), which could add extra value to NZ lamb products, which already demand a premium price on the international market. Additionally, this work has the potential to provide a platform to develop a significantly more predictable estimate of an individual sheep’s longevity and thus projected productivity; longevity traits that are currently selected for in NZ sheep breeding programmes are only minimally heritable (~5-10%).
On the importance of science communication.
A lot of the media around my recent publication suggested (in jest, hopefully…) that men should get castrated if they want to live longer. This is of course not the take-away message I am trying to convey. Creating an easy-to-follow animation was a great way to steer the narrative of the story myself.
Particularly when it comes to possible commercial/agricultural applications of this work, it is important to avoid misinformation. Effectively communicated science is essential for this success.
On her plans going forward.
I am now working on teasing out the details of the role of male sex hormones in aging. I wasn’t anticipating this result out of the first portion of my project, so I have had to recalibrate the research plan for the rest of my PhD. But it’s cool to be following a story that is uniquely mine.
2022 is set to be a busy year for me – it will (hopefully) be my last full calendar year working on my PhD and I hope to be able to dive deeper into my project and finish strong in early 2023. I won’t lie – academic careers look a little daunting but I’m hoping to stick to it, as I love the idea of being able to combine both research and teaching in whatever I end up doing.
Watch the animation video.
Read the publication.