DrRazia Zakarya

Dr Razia Zakarya is a Research Fellow at the University of Technology Sydney and current Wendy McCormick Fellow, specialising in environmental and developmental epigenetics. Her research integrates functional epigenetics with whole genome computational epigenomic analysis to understand how early-life environments shape DNA methylation, gene regulation, and long-term disease susceptibility. A central focus of her work is identifying context-dependent epigenetic changes, particularly during development, that persist over time and are embedded within transcriptional programs.

Dr Zakarya completed her PhD at the University of Technology Sydney and the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research. Her research program spans developmental DNA methylation dynamics, environmentally responsive epigenetic regulation, and sex differences in molecular organisation.

Following her doctorate, Dr Zakarya held the Jane Sherrard Fellowship at the University of Sydney, where she applied epigenetic approaches to translational cancer research, focusing on epigenetic mechanisms relevant to disease stratification and therapeutic response.

Dr Zakarya has previously served on the Board of Directors of the Australian Society of Medical Research and has contributed to the scientific community through leadership, editorial, and advisory roles.

Dr Zakarya is actively engaged in research training, mentorship, and collaborative science. She welcomes enquiries from students and collaborators interested in epigenetics, environmental health, and integrative epigenomic analysis.