IRANZ news briefs
Two of Lincoln Agritech’s young scientists, Research Scientist Alice Sai Louie and Postdoctoral Researcher Jeff Lang, left, have been named as finalists in this year’s Falling Walls Lab Aotearoa New Zealand. Photo montage: Lincoln Agritech.
Takarangi's Paora Tapsell elected as a Companion of Royal Society
Professor Paora John Tohiteururangi Tapsell CRSNZ has been elected as a Companion of Royal Society Te Apārangi for his innovation, commitment, and leadership within far-reaching Māori communities.
Paora has been a consistent advocate for Māori health and wellbeing. He has led and participated in research projects focusing on Indigenous issues, heritage, and community development, particularly within Aotearoa and the Pacific.
His work synthesises social science and Mātauranga research, addressing challenges such as heritage protection, water security, food sovereignty, and the impact of climate change on Indigenous peoples and ecosystems.
In recent years, Paora has become known for his Takarangi Research-led work under Project Kāinga, a five-year research programme assisting isolated marae communities better shape a future that builds community and environmental resilience in the face of climate change.
Spanning three decades, Paora’s career has seen him in roles as a curator, director, and an academic. He has worked, researched, exhibited, consulted, and lectured worldwide.
Gillies McIndoe: Meningioma research grant
Dr Matt Munro from Gillies McIndoe Research Institute has been awarded a Neurological Foundation of New Zealand Small Project Grant to further investigate the effectiveness of repurposed drugs in treating meningioma.
Meningioma is the most common brain tumour, with around 300 new cases each year in New Zealand. The symptoms of meningioma depend on where the tumour is in the brain and can include vision or hearing loss, dizziness, headaches, seizures, and depression. The usual treatment is surgery, sometimes with radiation. However, in high-grade cases, the tumour often comes back because some parts are hard to remove, and the cancer cells can spread and grow again. Currently, there are no chemotherapy drugs for meningioma patients.
Matt is investigating the use of repurposed drugs as a potential treatment to reduce the spread of meningioma cells. In the Gillies McIndoe lab, he will grow cells from meningioma patients and treat them with pre-selected drugs. He will then study how the drugs work by comparing treated to untreated cells to see the differences in cell behaviour and metabolism. Using existing drugs that are already proven safe is a good option because they are cheaper and more available. If successful, he may identify an existing drug that can reduce the tumour’s ability to spread, and patients may not need surgery as often, reducing both the physical and financial burden of treatment.
Motu: Urban Economic Short Courses coming soon
Motu Research’s Senior Fellow Stuart Donovan is coordinating three-day urban economics short courses in Auckland (7-9 October), and Christchurch (10-11 October).
These fun and intensive courses are designed for people with a variety of academic and professional backgrounds; no formal economic training is required.
The courses will introduce participants to key urban economic concepts, relevant research, and implications for policy. In Auckland, the course will run for three days and cover:
Day 1: The monocentric city model, agglomeration economies, and transport economics
Day 2: The Rosen-Roback Model, heterogeneity and sorting, and infrastructure policy
Day 3: Housing markets, models, and place-based economic policy
Stuart will lead the first two days of these courses, drawing on his experience working as both a researcher and a consultant in New Zealand, Australia, and the Netherlands. Stuart has run similar urban economics courses in many cities over the past five years. The third day of the course will be delivered with recognised local expert Dr Shane Martin from MRCagney in Auckland.
In Christchurch, Stuart will deliver a condensed 1.5-day version of the short course that covers similar content albeit in less detail.
“Even though New Zealand is already a highly urbanised country, the share of people that live and work in our cities and towns is projected to continue to grow,” says Stuart. “Trends like this, which are common globally, motivated me to develop and deliver this urban economics short course, where we can discuss some of the forces that have helped shape our cities and towns before now and how these forces might change in the future.”
Novice drivers stalled by anxiety: WSP study
A WSP study commissioned by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has highlighted the barriers hindering novice drivers in Aotearoa New Zealand's Graduated Driver Licensing System (GDLS). Unknown until now, one of the most significant issues revealed by the study is anxiety when learning to drive and being tested for a full licence.
Conducted by road safety and behavioural science experts from WSP Research, the study also identified cost and car access issues as obstacles delaying peoples' progress through licensing stages.
According to the study's findings, nearly one-third of novice drivers face challenges advancing from their learners to full licence. Anxiety was one of the study’s surprising findings - affecting people’s ability to pass licence tests and manage driving tasks - especially among those with disabilities.
To make anxiety less of an issue, WSP technical director for human factors research Jared Thomas says having a support person to help navigate the licensing system is important. So is more one-on-one time with an instructor.
Cawthron: Habitats vulnerable to gold clam invasion
A new study has modelled which habitats in Aotearoa New Zealand might be most vulnerable to gold clam invasion in the hope that management efforts can be targeted effectively. The findings suggest that the highest risk areas are mostly located in the North Island, in particular, northern Waikato, Auckland, Northland, Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay. In the South Island, areas with the highest habitat suitability included Marlborough, North Canterbury, and Christchurch.
Aqualinc: The longer-term impact of drought
In the August issue of Canterbury Farming Newspaper, Dr Andrew Dark from Aqualinc Research talks about "The longer-term impact of drought"
Andrew says that for the mid and central Canterbury Plains, early and mid-summer were relatively benign, with rainfall tracking close to the long-term average through to mid-February. "This resulted in above-average irrigation demand for the 2023-2024 summer, although it wasn’t anywhere near a record-breaking level. Irrigation water users with access to reliable groundwater or stored surface water were able to get through the irrigation season without significant issues."
However, Andrew writes that the latter part of the summer, extending through to autumn and now winter has proven to be the most challenging time for many. "A medium-scale adverse event was declared by the Minister for Agriculture in late March, and since then there has been a lack of any significant rainfall in many areas. Environment Canterbury reported in June that some rivers were at their lowest levels ever recorded."
Lincoln Agritech: Discover the hidden hazard of shallow groundwater
Watch an insightful webinar, with Lincoln Agritech’s Dr Helen Rutter, that delves into the critical yet frequently neglected subject of shallow groundwater. Discover how this "out of sight, out of mind" resource influences flooding, susceptibility to liquefaction, architectural design, infrastructure, health, and more. Also, understand what effect climate change is likely to have.
Helen discusses current issues and challenges, offering practical insights and knowledge crucial for making informed planning decisions and managing flood events.
BRANZ: Reducing the carbon emissions of NZ buildings
A groundbreaking initiative is set to transform Aotearoa New Zealand’s building industry by reducing its carbon footprint, which currently accounts for up to 20% of the national total. The Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ) has partnered with Masterspec to launch a national online resource offering comprehensive carbon data for construction materials and products.
Anagenix announced winner of 2024 Cawthron Innovation Award
Anagenix Ltd has been announced as the 2024 winner of the Cawthron Innovation Award at the Natural Health Products New Zealand Industry Awards at the end of May.
The Cawthron Innovation Award recognises outstanding innovation demonstrated in any facet of the entrant’s business, and Anagenix were crowned winner for their advancements in natural health solutions such as their prebiotic product Livaux.
Malaghan: Rejuvenating the ageing immune system
The body’s ability to overcome infection becomes less effective as we age. In an international research effort, Malaghan postdoctoral research fellow Dr Theresa Pankhurst is focussed on producing vaccines to revitalise the ageing immune system.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 74% of global deaths occurred in people over the age of 65. Likewise, most deaths from respiratory viruses like influenza and RSV occur in people in this older age group, with risk increasing sharply with advancing age. So, what happens as we age that reduces our body’s ability to fight infections? And what can we do to power up the immune system in later stages of life? These are questions that Theresa is trying to answer.
HERA’s new champion for sustainability
HERA has a new Structural Sustainability and Circular Economy Engineer, with the appointment of Marie-Salomé Duval Chanéac.
With a robust background in Mechanical Engineering and a specialisation in Material Science and Sustainable Infrastructure Systems, Marie-Salomé brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep commitment to environmental sustainability to the HERA team.
Strategic science leader joining Cawthron’s Board of Directors
Cawthron Institute has announced that Dr Emily Parker, a bio-organic chemist and academic, has joined the Board of Directors.
Dr Parker is an esteemed strategic leader in science and technology and has held a variety of governance and advisory roles in both New Zealand and Australia. These roles include as a Director on the Board of Manaaki Whenua (Landcare Research Ltd), Chair of the Science Advisory Panel for AgResearch Ltd and as a member of the Science Advisory Panel for the Australian Synchrotron. In 2023 Emily took up a part-time secondment to the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment as Departmental Science Advisor.
Year 13 students value mussel workshops at Cawthron Aquaculture Park
Can you attach tiny heart rate monitors to adult Kuku (Green Lipped Mussels) and count their heart beats in different temperatures of seawater? Yes, you can! This and many other intriguing questions have recently been investigated by Year 13 biology and agriculture students at Cawthron Aquaculture Park.
Lincoln Agritech: Young scientists make national finals
Two of Lincoln Agritech’s young scientists have been named as finalists in this year’s Falling Walls Lab Aotearoa New Zealand.
Falling Walls Lab is a global search for world-changing new ideas from students or early-career scientists.
Research Scientist Alice Sai Louie and Postdoctoral Researcher Jeff Lang will be among 22 young scientists making their three-minute pitches at the national event in Wellington on 11 September.
The New Zealand winner will compete in the global event in Berlin in November for the title of international Breakthrough Winner of the Year in the emerging talent category.
Malaghan: International collaboration finds lipid imbalance in the skin may contribute to inflammatory conditions
An imbalance of lipids in the skin may be a contributing factor to psoriasis according to a collaboration between the Malaghan Institute and Seoul National University. The findings offer vital clues in understanding the complex relationship between the skin, the immune cells that call it home, and our health.
Summer student scholarships at the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute
Are you passionate about cutting-edge scientific research? Do you aspire to make a difference in the fields of cancer, vascular birthmarks (strawberry birthmarks), and fibrotic conditions? The Gillies McIndoe Research Institute, based in Wellington, New Zealand, is seeking motivated students to join our internationally recognised team.
Scholarships are available in both research and marketing.
A sum of $6,000 will be paid for summer student interns. Applications close 12 September 2024.
For more information and to apply contact Cindy Naresh, subject line attn “science internship” to ea@gmri.org.nz.
Date posted: 3 September 2024