Associate Professor Joe Baker’s specialist bent is keeping our backs in good form. A leading academic orthopaedic surgeon with a special interest in spinal deformity and disease, Associate Professor Baker’s research focus is on infection and metastatic cancer of the spine, particularly in children. His work is enhancing understanding of spinal conditions and injuries, predictors…
Associate Professor Bridgette Masters-Awatere draws on mātauranga Māori knowledge to inform medical best practice. Associate Professor Masters-Awatere has been instrumental in embedding Kaupapa Māori approaches and principles into medical and health-related research, creating meaningful health impacts for Māori at individual, community, service-provision and policy levels. Her focus is consistently reflected in her publication record, supervisory…
Dr .Charles Lee is on the front line between climate change and one of the most pristine and least understood places on earth. Dr. Lee’s early career busted many myths about the nature and behaviour of microbes in Antarctic soil and with them the prevailing belief that the icy continent’s ecosystems were stable and insensitive…
Dr Megan Grainger is securing sweet success for our multi-million dollar manuka honey industry. As a university student Dr Grainger isolated and identified MGO, the compound behind the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) which indicates the honey’s special qualities. Dr Grainger went on to develop the first model to predict MGO concentration from freshly harvested honey,…
Biogeochemist Dr Terry Isson has clarified the link between silica-rich marine ecosystems and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, with big implications for climate change. Dr Isson’s work reveals the death of creatures such as single-cell plankton, that have skeletons made of silica, influence levels of dissolved silica in seawater and its subsequent deposit in marine clays,…
With her research into goat milk and its impact on brain processes, Dr Anica Klockars is traversing new ground in nutritional research. When breastfeeding is not possible or practical, formula feeding is the alternative. Cow-milk products are the usual choice but rising popularity of goat milk options revealed a research gap. Dr Klockars examined the…
Dr. Etuini Ma’u’s leadership and research is improving our understanding of dementia care needs, particularly in relation to Pacific people. As our population ages, the number of people with dementia is rapidly increasing. An academic psychiatrist specialising in mental health services for older people, Dr. Ma’u is currently undertaking a PhD looking at dementia prevention,…
Associate Professor Leandro Bolzoni is a world leader in the realm of titanium alloys and economic, environmentally-friendly ways to produce them. Strong, light, corrosion-resistant and biocompatible, titanium and titanium alloys are invaluable to the aerospace, land transport and biomedical industries. However, use has been limited by high extraction and manufacturing costs compared to other materials.…
By building a ‘bot to crack a back-breaking task, Dr Shen Hin Lim gives hope to our asparagus industry. Our horticulture sector is facing a labour crunch and asparagus growers are particularly hard hit. Workers must walk fields daily to spot spears of the required height and then stoop to pick them, making it one…
Fiona Wolff is committed to increasing interest, access and participation in science within her classroom and beyond. At Morrinsville College, Fiona teaches the Year 9 learning support class where she thrives on helping students who have struggled with achievement to develop strong skills in specialist subjects. She has reshaped the school’s junior courses to increase…