Our People in the News


As an internationally recognised comprehensive health sciences faculty, pioneering medical research is a large part of our vision and mission. Our people are often featured in the media, being recognised for their significant discoveries and advances in modern medicine and medical sciences research. Browse coverage and highlights of our proud moments and achievements.

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Dr Siouxsie Wiles

Siouxsie Wiles has been recognised as a kiwi trailblazer! This campaign celebrates the successes of kiwi women 125 years after women's suffrage was achieved. 

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Dr Nicki Jackson

While millenials may be known as 'generation sensible', Dr Jackson has observed a problematic drinking culture among New Zealand adolescents. 

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Dr Jacelyn Loh

Dr Loh is developing a new vaccine against rheumatic fever, and now the research has received a funding boost. Read about it here.

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Professor Boyd Swinburn

Professor Swinburn discusses whether fast food sponsorship of kids' sports has an impact on their obesity rates. Watch the interview here.

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Professor Boyd Swinburn

Why are supposedly-savoury foods so sugary? Boyd Swinburn discusses the impact of our food environment in this article.

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Associate Professor Susan Morton

Susan Morton discusses how the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study could help shape the future of te reo Māori on Māori Television.

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Cristin Print

Cristin Print is part of a team that pinpointed a rare genetic mutation. Read more here.

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Dr Jacquie Kidd

Dr Jacquie Kidd comments on the need to address racism in order to improve Māori Health. Find out more on Radio NZ.

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Professor Boyd Swinburn

New Zealand Coco Pops cereal contains twice as much sugar as in the UK. Professor Swinburn comments on the consequences of loose food regulations.  

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Professor Cliona Ni Mhurchu

Professor Cliona Ni Mhurchu says we need a national food policy to be adopted by our schools in this Newstalk ZB interview.

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Professor Innes Asher

Professor Innes Asher says the launch of the Global Asthma Report 2018 could improve asthma treatment and reduce deaths both here and overseas.

 

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Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles

New Zealanders are not very good at safe sex, as Siouxsie Wiles talks about the rise of STIs on The Project.

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Professor Merryn Gott

Merryn Gott talks about the lonliness that older New Zealanders are facing and what we can do about this lifestyle in this Stuff article.

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Professor Boyd Swinburn

Professor Swinburn presented a new way of thinking about obesity and health at the Dieticians NZ national conference.

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Associate Professors Mark Bolland and Andrew Grey

Two associate professors worked with biostatistician Greg Gamble to expose scientific fraud around vitamins. Read more here.

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Dr Gary Cheung

Dr Cheung co-leads the dissemination of cognitive stimulation therapy in New Zealand. The therapy helps some dementia sufferers regain memory.

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Dr Francis Hunter

Patients battling advanced breast cancer could avoid needless treatments with the latest DNA sequencing technology - read more.

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Professor Peter Shepherd

Professor Peter Shepherd's research is leading the way to treating meleanoma - read more in this article.

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Dr Mark Thomas

Lead author of study that finds growing resistance to antibiotics in New Zealand. Read article on Stuff here.

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Professor Rod Jackson

What's your risk of heart attack? Rod Jackson discusses contributing factors and estimates the risk of different individuals. Read more.

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Professor Toni Ashton

Professor Toni Ashton says that the need for food assistance among families is both severe and widespread in this RNZ report.

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Associate Professor Janet Fanslow

Janet Fanslow discusses New Zealand's decrease in family violence prosecutions, despite an increase in investigations. Read more.

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Dr Fiona Moir

Dr Moir talks about burnout among medical professionals and what we can do to prevent it in this radio interview. 

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Associate Professor Cathy Stinear

Read about Cathy's research into the use of biomarkers to predict motor recovery and outcomes after stroke.

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Delia Cotoros-Goodall

This PhD candidate aims to update the research on how much internet use is too much. Read about her study in the New Zealand Herald. 

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Associate Professor Treica Wouldes

Trecia Wouldes is doing the only long term study in the world on the health of children whose mothers took P while pregnant with them. Read more.

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Professors Boyd Swinburn and Cliona Ni Mhurchu

Two professors comment on the suggestion of sugar labels on food and how the current health star rating system is not always clear for consumers. Read more.

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Professor Alistair Gunn

Professor Gunn is working on looking at brainwaves to stop brain damage in newborns in this article.

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Naoko Chapman

This MSc (Optometry) student has found that traditional oriental and mediterranean diets are best for reducing risk Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Read more

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Professor Chris Bullen

Professor Bullen comments on recent 'Growing Up in New Zealand' findings that 23% or women drink alcohol while preganant. 

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Professor Alan Barber

Professor Alan Barber and his team want more people to know that stroke need not be the end of the road - if you catch it early, they can help. Read more.

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Associate Professor Bridget Kool

Bridget Kool appeared on TVNZ talking about the recent study looking at alcohol and A & E visits.  Watch here.

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Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles

Congratulations to Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles who has been announced as House of Science ambassador!

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Dr Helen Petousis-Harris

While the flu season may be off to a quiet start, Dr Petousis-Harris warns that we should still get vaccinated against it. Read more.

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Distiguished Professor Bill Denny

Distinguished Professor Bill Denny talks on the use of the ingredient borax in toy slime. Find out more. 

Distinguished Professor Richard Faull

Sir Richard Faull

The head of the Centre for Brain Research discusses whether we may find a cure for Alzheimer's in this video.

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Professor Boyd Swinburn

In this interview, Professor Swinburn discusses how the diet industry is contributing to our obesity problem. 

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Dr Maurice Curtis

In this interview with The Spinoff, Dr Curtis discusses some of the myths and facts around the impact that smoking weed off aluminium cans has on your health. 

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Dr Helen Eyles

A new study reveals a fast food growth spurt. Read more here.

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Dr Richard Edlin

Dr Edlin teamed up with researchers from Liggins Institute to research a better test from neonatal hypoglycaemia. Read more here.

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Professor Boyd Swinburn 

Rise in obesity in New Zealand inevitable, reveals world-first study. Read here

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Naoko Chapman (MSc student, Optometry) 

Over 50? Why you should be eyeing fruit and veg. Read more here.

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Francis Hunter

The genes that may predict cancer survival. Watch more on Newsroom.

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Dr Matire Harwood

Urgent call to improve medicine for Māori. Listen on RNZ here

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Professor Lesley McCowan

Listen to Prof McCowan speak on 1News about a study hoping to prevent stillbirth.

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Dr Rebecca Slykerman

Dr Slykerman has found that probiotic supplementation may improve postpartum depression symptoms in a new study.

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Rachael Sumner

This PhD candidate has done research into the impact of women's menstrual cycles on their brain activity. Read more in this article

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Dr Gerhard Sundborn

Dr Sundborn speaks on TVNZ 1's Breakfast programme about the measures New Zealand should be taking to combat childhood obesity. 

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Associate Professor Trecia Wouldes 

Dr Trecia Wouldes talks about Mothers smoking meth more than ever during pregnancy. See more here.

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Dr Ruth Teh

One of the biggest studies into ageing is happening across New Zealand as scientists explore the most effective ways to keep older people healthy. Read here

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Dr Emma Scotter 

Watch TVNZ's story about research into why NZ has the highest death rates for motor neurone disease. Watch here

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Centre for Brain Research

Read about the latest research from CBR using a special video game to boost kids brains. Read story here.

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Professor Heather McLeod

Professor McLeod talks about residential care in New Zealand. Read the story here

 

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Associate Professor Maurice Curtis

Congratulations to Maurice who will be able to further Parkinson's disease research thanks to a funding boost.

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Dr Tony Fernando

Dr Tony Fernando speaks on Radio NZ about the impact that sleeping pills can have on your behaviour.

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Professor Cliona Ni Mhurchu

Professor Cliona Ni Mhurchu discusses the latest research into whether taking vitamins and supplements is actually of any benefit.

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Associate Professor Trecia Wouldes

Trecia says the impact of P when taken by pregnant women could impact the babies for their whole lives. Learn more.

Distinguished Professor Richard Faull

Sir Richard Faull and Professor Mike Dragunow

Read about the ethical debate raised over growing 'mini-brains' in search for a cure for neurological disorders.

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Professor Diana Lennon

A moving obituary written for Professor Diana "Dinny" Lennon in the New Zealand Herald.

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Dr Rhys Jones

Dr Jones discusses what needs to change in New Zealand health in this panel interview for RNZ.

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Professor Innes Asher

Congratulations to Professor Asher who has been appointed to the Welfare Expert Advisory Group! Read more here.

Associate Professor Grant Searchfield

Associate Professor Grant Searchfield

Grant Searchfield speaks about whether optimised hearing aids can reduce cognitive decline in an interview with RNZ.

Distinguished Professor Richard Faull

Sir Richard Faull

Sir Richard Faull from our Centre for Brain Research talks on ZB about how slowing down brain disease can decrease its severity.

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Professor Warwick Bagg

Prof Bagg confronts New Zealand's alcohol culture and argues for a systemic change. Find out more.

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Professor Peter Browett

Prof Browett talks on Newstalk ZB about a UK study hypothesising that lack of exposure to germs at an early age could lead to leukaemia.

Distinguished Professor Jane Harding

Distinguished Professor Jane Harding

Researchers are looking into whether a dab of sugar gel could prevent the common, potentially serious condition neonatal hypoglycaemia. Read more.

Dr Jane Alsweiler

Dr Jane Alsweiler

Dr Alsweiler is leading a clinical trial looking at whether caffeine prevents disability in premature babies. Read more here.

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Dr Andrew Wood

Dr Wood has launched a study looking at hard-to-detect cancer in children. Read more in the New Zealand Herald.

Dr Katie Groom

Dr Katie Groom

Thousands of pre-term babies could be saved by waiting 60 seconds before clamping the umbilical cord - learn more about this study.

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Associate Professor Susan Morton

Susan shares her story with Stuff and explains how she is using her passions to make a difference in New Zealand.

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Professor Cameron Grant and Associate Professor Susan Morton

The researchers begind 'Growing up in New Zealand' share key findings of their study so far in the New Zealand Herald.

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Professor Ngaire Kerse

Ngaire talks about the small ways that we can incorporate exercise into our daily life. Read more.

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Dr Siouxsie Wiles

In this interview, Siouxsie explains her doubts about claims that we may soon cure the common cold.

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Professor Peter Adams

Peter Adams looks to Scotland as an example of implementing effective measures to reduce alcohol-related harm in this opinion piece.

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Associate Professor Kim Dirks

NZ's car fleet is one of the oldest in the developed world, writes Kim Dirks. So what does that mean for pollution levels? Read her Newsroom article.

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Professor Ngaire Kerse

Ngaire Kerse speaks positively about contentment among the increasing number of centenarians in New Zealand. Read more.

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Associate Professor Nikki Turner

Nikki Turner says academics are discussing potentially ending cervical cancer, as she encourages those against vaccines to look at the science.

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Dr Anneka Anderson

Dr Anderson has led a study uncovering racism and 'rough handling' of patients in New Zealand hospitals. Read more.

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Professor Peter Adams

Peter Adams says that scare tatcics are ineffective when it comes to preventing drug use. Read more here.

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Dr Siouxsie Wiles

Siouxsie comments on a new study which shows that menstrual cups have a higher risks of Toxic Shock Syndrome than tampons. Read more.

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Associate Professor Jennifer Utter

Jennifer speaks to the New Zealand Herald about the long-term nutritional importance of learning to cook while you're young.

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Emeritus Professor Louise Nicholson

Former University of Auckland brain researcher Louise Nicholson speaks about her brain tumour diagnosis in the New Zealand Listener.

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Dr Mark Thomas

Dr Thomas speaks with Radio NZ about the new gonorrhoea superbug that could be ehading towards New Zealand.

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Stefanie Vandevijvere, Charlotte Aitken and Professor Boyd Swinburn 

A new study has found that Kiwi adolescents are frequently exposed to online advertising for junk food. Read about it here.

Dr Matire Harwood

Dr Matire Harwood

Dr Matire Harwood discusses her research that has found testing Māori and Pacific people for an irregular heartbeat earlier could spare hundreds of people from stroke each year. Watch now.

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Assoc Prof Rinki Murphy

Research led by Rinki Murphy has found that a higher rate of adolescent girls are obese in wealthier countries. Read more here.

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Associate Professor Mhoyra Fraser

Mhoyra Fraser has received a Cure Kids grant to investigate what happens in the fetal or newborn brain when it experiences oxygen deprivation. 

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Dr Siouxsie Wiles

Dr Wiles talks about sexism and STEM subjects in this recent article.

Billie Bradford

Billie Bradford

PhD candidate Billie Bradford recently won an Australasian award for her research into stillbirths. Read more.

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Dr Barry Snow

Dr Barry Snow said research showed that when people understood their future they become less afraid, less depressed, less anxious and they live longer. Read more.

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Dr Siouxsie Wiles

How bad is the bacteria on our cellphone screens? Dr Wiles talks about it in this article.

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Dr Siouxsie Wiles

Dr Wiles has been speaking about a new family of anitbiotics on Newstalk ZB, Radio NZ and 1 News.

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Nikki Turner

Nikki Turner stressed the importance of getting the flu vaccination early - read more here.

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Professor Boyd Swinburn

Professor Boyd Swinburn and 5th year medical student Apurva Kasture on a new study ranking the nutrition commitments of 25 of New Zealand’s largest food companies. Read more.

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Dr Gerhard Sundborn

Dr Sundborn has collabroated with musician Che Fu to healp South Auckland schools become sugar-free. Read more.

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Dr Katie Groom

Dr Groom has been leading a clinical trial which has found some evidence that mothers taking Viagra during pregnancy could help babies suffering from stunted growth in the womb.

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Dr Kirsty Wild

Dr Kirsty Wild discusses the ‘bikelash’ against cycleways and says much of it is caused due to the extra stress that new bike lanes put on drivers. Read more.

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Nikki Turner

Associate Professor Nikki Turner spoke with Radio NZ about the potential for sports tournaments to allow for the spread of mumps.

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Dr Elza Cloete

Māori and Pacific babies with a rare but potentially fatal heart defect are less likely to survive than their Pākehā counterparts according to a new study.

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Professors John Fraser and Warwick Bagg

A new article explores what our faculty is doing to help Māori and Pacific students studying in our programmes. Read the full story here.

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Dr Elizabeth Broadbent

Dr Broadbent featured on Seven Sharp, talking about robots alongside Dr Craig Sutherland from Faculty of Science.

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Justinn Cochran

PhD candidate Justinn Cochran was interviewed on Māori Television about legislative changes in tobacco packaging.

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Professor Boyd Swinburn

Should we have a sugar tax in New Zealand? Boyd Swinburn debates the issue with the Faculty of Arts' Professor Martin Wilkinson. Read more here.

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Adam Patterson and Jeff Smaill

Professor Adam Patterson

Professor Patterson talks with Mike Hosking about the European funding he's received for the anti-cancer drug he co-invented. Listen here

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Dr Simon Thornley

Dr Thornley suggests we tackle our sugar dependency in the same way we deal with nicotine addiction in The Timaru Herald.

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Dr Tony Fernando

Dr Fernando discusses 'late sleepers' as a biologically and genetically determined condition on 1 News.

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Dr Helen Petousis-Harris

Dr Petousis-Harris is pleased about a recent study which may help allay some parents’ fears that multiple vaccinations weaken a child’s immune system.

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Professor Cindy Farquhar

Professor Farquhar says that hysterectomies used to be common, but women now have less-invasive options available. Read more here.

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Professor Merryn Gott

The critical role that family play in meeting rapidly rising palliative care needs is not being recognised in most mainstream palliative care policy. Read more.

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Professor Innes Asher

Professor Innes Asher received the NZMA’S Chair’s Award for 2017, honouring her paediatric research on the impact of child poverty. 

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Retina Rimal

Our PhD candidate Retina Rimal is currently working on research that links gambling to psychological disorders. Read more here.

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Dr Ngaire Kerse

Dr Ngaire Kerse says she's not surprised more people have been reporting tummy bugs than usual this summer in this Newshub story.

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Professor Boyd Swinburn

Professor Swinburn explores the notion of a sugary drinks tax in his recent opinion piece for the Herald.

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Professor Peter Adams

Professor Adams from our School of Population Health wrote a recent opinion piece about mental health and addictions.

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Jamie Penno

Undergraduate medical student Jamie Penno is the first Kiwi woman to with the Global Student Entrepeneur Award. Read the full story here.

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Dr Peter Saxton

Dr Peter Saxton spoke on Breakfast about PHARMAC’s decision to become one of the first countries in the world to publicly fund the HIV-prevention drug PrEP.

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Dr Nikki Turner

Dr Nikki Turner told RNZ that the mumps epidemic will worsen when the school year resumes. Listen to her interview here.

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Ricci Harric, Ronna Cormack, Rhys Jones, Elana Curtis

New research has found evidence of ethnic bias among medical students in New Zealand. Read more here.

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Dr Brigid Ryan and Sir Richard Faull

Click here to read about a new blood test that could spot Alzheimer's years before symptoms appear.

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Dr Tony Fernando

"Compassion requires very little effort from doctors and nurses but it will be remembered by our patients until the end" says Dr Fernando in his opinion piece.

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Professor Boyd Swinburn

Professor Swinburn speaks about Krispy Kreme targetting lower socio-economic areas of Auckland on Newshub.

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Dr Hilary Lapsley

Dr Lapsley investigates the mental health of older people. Read about it here.

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Dr Ian Reid

Dr Ian Reid spoke to Duncan Garner on the AM Show about how we can keep our vitamin D levels up. Listen to the full interview here.

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Dr Barbara Daly

New research has found women who develop diabetes during pregnancy are significantly more likely to develop heart disease. Read about it here.

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Professor Merryn Gott

New research shows elderly are living in isolation. Listen on Radio Live here.

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Dr Helen Petousis-Harris

Dr Helen Petousis-Harris speaks about the misinformation surrounding vaccinations for a New Zealand Herald podacst. Listen to her interview here.

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Alzheimer's study on NZ Herald

Unravelling a crucial link between insulin and the most common form of dementia. Read more here

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Dr David Welsh

Dr David Walsh on the NZ Herald 'Loud music just as addictive as smoking.' Read more.

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Dr Hilary Lapsley

Senior Research Fellow Dr Hilary Lapsley talks on about New Zealand's seriously overstretched mental health care sector here.

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Helen Petousis-Harris

Talks about a severe mumps outbreak in Auckland expected to affect more than 1000 people so far this year. Read more here

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