He will be among more than 480 graduands, including in sciences and consumer and applied sciences, who will graduate in person from the university at a 3pm ceremony at the Dunedin Town Hall.
"My PhD has been quite a roller-coaster ride," Mr Sutherland said in an interview.
Perhaps the greatest high was when he was recently awarded a prestigious post-doctoral fellowship in acute stroke at Oxford University, England, in the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine.
There he will pursue his search for drug treatments to limit brain damage after stroke.
He was "absolutely gobsmacked" to learn he had gained the fellowship, which he had not been expecting and would now take up next month.
"I am very excited about the opportunity to work with some of the world's leading stroke researchers."
Another high was that when his PhD in pharmacology was formally approved last December, the university health sciences division recognised it as of exceptional quality and in the top 10% of all PhD theses.
By far the biggest low came when Dr Ian Appleton, his English-born supervisor in the Otago pharmacology and toxicology department, suddenly became ill early in 2007 and died in October that year, aged 41.
Dr Appleton was an award-winning international researcher, deeply involved in the world of drug discovery research, particularly involving wound healing and inflammation.
He died before Mr Sutherland had completed his experimental work.
"I was pretty gutted and quite emotional, wondering whether I'd actually manage to finish my PhD without him involved.
"He was a great supervisor and mentor but also an excellent friend.
"It was a sad time and a bit of a struggle following his death for not only myself but also his other PhD students.
"Thankfully, the pharmacology department and the university supported all his students through this tough time."
Prof Paul Smith subsequently became his principal supervisor.
Heme oxygenase (HO) is an enzyme which breaks down heme, an iron-containing molecule, in the body and is increased during times of stress.
Mr Sutherland's research showed that a compound which inhibited HO also reduced brain injury in a stroke-like model.
His research raised the possibility of developing a drug which could be used to limit inflammation-related brain damage many hours after a stroke had occurred.
The main existing medications to limit further brain damage after a stroke could be used only within three hours of a stroke, limiting their usefulness when the initial reporting of a stroke was delayed, he said.
Mr Sutherland was born and grew up in Invercargill, and is a former head prefect at Southland Boys High School.
Today will be an exciting day, with his parents Don and Andrea Sutherland, of Invercargill, and other family members also travelling to Dunedin to attend the graduation ceremony.
However, he did have some mixed feelings, given that Dr Appleton would not be present.
"But I've been in constant touch with his family in England since his death.
"I will be sending photographs over to them to keep them aware that Ian's name and his work live on."
Stroke facts
• Stroke is New Zealand's second-largest killer, causing more than 2000 deaths each year.
• It is the major cause of adult disability in New Zealand.
• Stroke is largely preventable yet 8000 New Zealanders a year suffer a stroke, a third of them fatal.
• There are 56,000 stroke survivors in New Zealand, many with a disability and needing significant daily support.
• High blood pressure is a major cause of strokes.
• One in five New Zealanders has high blood pressure, and one third of these do not know it.
Source: Stroke Foundation of New Zealand; www.stroke.org.nz
