Roslyn Kemp

Roslyn A. Kemp is a New Zealand immunologist, and as of 2023 is a full professor at the University of Otago. Her research focuses on T cells, mucosal and tumour immune responses, inflammation and T cell memory.

Academic career
Kemp completed a Bachelor of Science in microbiology at the University of Otago. She then earned a PhD in pathology and molecular medicine at the Wellington School of Medicine and the Malaghan Institute. Kemp undertook postdoctoral work at the Trudeau Institute in the USA and at Oxford University before returning to New Zealand. She joined the faculty of the department of biochemistry at Otago in 2009, rising to associate professor in 2017 and full professor in 2021. 

Kemp's research focuses on cancer and inflammation, specifically the role of T cells and myeloid cells in mediating immunity to tumours. She investigates the molecular signalling pathways in T cells, and the role that T cells play within immune responses to tumours and inflammatory bowel disease. Her research is aimed at finding ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, particularly colorectal cancer. Kemp uses multiplex imaging and mass cytometry in her work.

Kemp is part of the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, and is associate dean research in the Division of Health Sciences at Otago.

Honours and awards
Kemp was awarded the Miriam Dell Award for science mentoring by the Association for Women in Science in 2015, with her nomination saying "she has an inclusive and unselfish approach to mentoring, with a special emphasis on supporting young female Maori students into postgraduate study." Kemp wrote a book with Deborah M. Brown, How to be a scientist: critical thinking in the life sciences published in 2023 by Garland Science.

Kemp was the University of Otago Supervisor of the Year in 2013 and 2020.