Jeanette Rosemary Crossley

Jeanette Rosemary Crossley (née Niblett, 1949 – 11 October 2015) was a New Zealand biochemist, who pioneered the development of bloodspot tests for the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis. In 2009 Crossley was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to science, in particular Addison's disease.

Academic career

Crossley completed a PhD titled The nature of urinary insulin in normal and diabetic subjects at the University of Auckland in 1973. Crossley worked for DSIR and then with Bob Elliott and P. A. Smith in the paediatrics department of the University of Auckland, where she developed a test for elevated trypsin levels in newborns using blood spots.

Crossley developed the New Zealand Addison's Network, a support network for New Zealanders with Addison's disease. She created a website and a newsletter issued three times a year, providing support for those with the disease. She also worked in paediatric diabetes research and was on the executive committee of the New Zealand Society for the Study of Diabetes.

In 1992 Crossley published a book about Matt Burke, a shepherd who worked on Ngamatea and Timahanga Stations.

Honours and awards In the 2009 New Year Honours Crossley was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to science, in particular Addison's disease. Crossley had Addison's disease and related autoimmune conditions, which restricted her life, and eventually led to her being bedridden. Crossley died in 2015 aged 66 years.

Selected works