Red X iconGreen tick iconYellow tick icon

Clocktower.

He Kitenga 2014 cover thumbnail

2014 Early career awards for distinction in research

The University of Otago is committed to recognising and nurturing the work of early-career researchers. In 2014, five Early Career Awards for Distinction in Research were presented, as well as the annual Carl Smith Medal and Rowheath Trust Award.

Leith river thumbnail

2019 Research awards

The 2019 Distinguished Research Medal - the University of Otago's  highest honour – was awarded to Professor Richie Poulton, Director of  the internationally recognised Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and  Development Study (Dunedin Study).

Janet Stephenson thumbnail

7 steps to a better future

Associate Professor Janet Stephenson outlines ideas to help kick-start New Zealand to a more sustainable way of life.

Catherine Smith and Professor Barbara Brookes thumbnail image

A cut above

Hairdressing delivered a lot to women over the 20th century – more than simply the hairstyles and the opportunity to look good. It also provided them with new employment and business opportunities.

Robert Patman thumbnail

A global disrupter

The perils of populism have been exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, argues Professor Robert Patman, however there are opportunities for positive diplomatic consequences in the long term.

Kurt Krause

A little look at the big picture

X-ray technology dates back more than 100 years and has generally been used to give the big picture, looking at bones and organs.

Aarthi thumbnail

A love of healing and people

Aarthi Rajesh's Journey to a Genetics Honours Degree created, and prepared her for, great opportunities

eDNA thumbnail

A mission for marine conservation

Genetics PhD student Gert-Jan Jeunen has gone from rearing alpacas in Belgium to developing a science-fiction-like way to help conserve New Zealand's oceans.

Dr Rebecca Bird thumbnail

A scientific calling

Award-winning anatomy teacher, Dr Rebecca Bird would like more people to choose science as a career path.

Kathy thumbnail

A skill set for all time

Kathy Sircombe explains how a genetics MSc at Otago is setting her up for a great career.

Olivier Jutel thumbnail

A solution in search of a problem?

Blockchain can do more than underpin cryptocurrency transactions; it can also be used to control data. Dr Olivier Jutel is looking at the implications of this in the Pacific.

Ivan Diaz Rainey thumbnail

A sustainable opportunity

Some good may come from the global pandemic if New Zealand creates a  more sustainable post-COVID-19 economy, according to Associate Professor  Ivan Diaz-Rainey.

Michael Stevens thumbnail

A world history of Bluff

Dr Michael Stevens (History) describes his research on the history of the Southland town of Bluff as both smaller and bigger than national-level history.

James Maclaurin thumbnail

AI and responsibility

Otago researchers are investigating the implications of the artificial intelligence revolution on law, life and work.

Aaron Hapuku thumbnail

Aaron Hapuku

“I really wanted to combine my passion for hauora Māori and public  health with sound academic qualifications that can make that passion a  career."

Aaron Jordan thumb

Aaron Jordan

A day spent surveying Otago Harbour from a boat was enough to convince Aaron that this was the career for him.

Aaron Stevens thumbnail

Aaron Stevens

It has been an exciting journey and I am glad to have a great team to work with every day.''

Aaron Turner thumbnail

Aaron Turner

One day soon Aaron Turner plans to be hanging out of a helicopter as a member of a rescue team saving lives.

Abby Suszko thumbnail

Abby Suszko

I used the Foreshore and Seabed Debate as a case study to unearth the equality and rights arguments that New Zealanders employ…

Abel Ang thumb

Abel Ang

Abel Ang had heard New Zealanders were friendly but was unprepared for just how willing to help other researchers at the University of Otago, Christchurch, turned out to be.

Kirsten Lovelock

Acres and pains

The University of Otago's Injury Prevention Research Unit (IPRU) has recently completed the most comprehensive study of occupational health in agriculture in New Zealand.

Pippa Scott bw thumbnail

Across the divide

Across the divide

Elaine Hargreaves thumbnail

Activity levels

A project examining the impact of lockdown restrictions on Kiwis' physical activity has already produced some interesting findings.

Adam Faatoese_Bioethics_Thumb

Adam Faatoese

If doctors understand bioethics they're likely to be able to help their patients better.

Adam Norrie thumb

Adam Norrie

Adam Norrie might be a specialist in the finer points of quantum mechanics, but on any given day he could be writing reports on subjects ranging from Antarctica to aerospace.

Aditya Sharma thumb

Aditya Sharma

Physiology satisfies Aditya Sharma's thirst for knowledge about how the human body works.

Adon Moskal thumbnail

Adon Moskal

"While it definitely helps to be a performer, you don't necessarily have to be able to perform to be a good producer... I am living proof of that!"

Susan Houge Mackenzie thumbnail

Adventurous insights

Internationally famous for its majestic beauty and adventure tourism, Queenstown attracts visitors from around the world, but what is the impact of this on well-being?

Peter Joyce thumbnail

Age-old issues

The multidisciplinary CHALICE study is investigating how New Zealand's increasing elderly population can age healthily.

Akio Kato Thumb

Akio Kato

"My university gave me four country options for study; Hawaii, Canada, Australia and New Zealand."

Alana Bird thumbnail

Alana Bird

“The programme was a perfect combination of theory and practical – it  allowed me to put my new knowledge and understanding into practice."

Alapasita Teu thumbnail

Alapasita Teu

If Alapasita Teu has her way, there will be a lot of New Zealanders much like her in the future – Pacific Islanders who are fit, healthy and engaged in regular physical activity.

Alaric McCarthy Thumb

Alaric McCarthy

Alaric McCarthy's postgraduate research is set to be something of a hot and cold experience - it will take him from Dunedin to the Cook Islands and Antarctica.

Albany Lucas DipGrad(PSYC)

Albany Lucas studying towards a DipGrad in Psychology

Albert Green thumb

Albert Green

"I have been exposed to new ideas and new knowledge that have challenged life-long, and now outdated, prejudices."

Aleisha Moore thumbnail

Aleisha Moore

“I have the privilege of helping equip the next generation of students and researchers with the experience, knowledge, and intellectual independence that can accelerate their own careers in STEM.”

Alex-Barker-tn

Alex Barker

Studying Physics at Otago and taking part in the lively Dunedin music scene lead Alex to a job at Marshal Day acoustics, who do anything to do with acoustics!

Alexander Wong-tn

Alexander Wong

Alex's advice for new students is “Make use of all the opportunities on  offer.  Make sure you attend all your lectures and prepare for tests and  exams but also ensure that you schedule breaks and spend time with  friends”.

Alexandra Tidy thumb

Alexandra Tidy

Distance learning is enabling Alexandra Tidy to achieve her  professional goals while still staying on top of  work and family  commitments.

Ali Mohammadi thumbnail

Ali Mohammadi

One of the things Ali Mohammadi enjoys most about his PhD study are weekly meetings with his whole research group.

Ali Rashidinejad thumbnail

Ali Rashidinejad

Ali is originally from Iran and moved to New Zealand to do a PhD in Food Science at Otago at the beginning of 2012.

SP-Alice-Barker-thumbnail

Alice Barker

Alice is a Food Science Graduate, currently employed as a Sensory Analyst at the Australian Wine Research Institute.

Alice Crawford thumb

Alice Crawford

Alice works at Lion's new cheese manufacturing plant in Tasmania, having completed a Bachelor of Science (with Honours) here at Otago.

Alice-Richardson-profile-thumbnail

Alice Richardson

If you are ever unfortunate enough to be in hospital during a bacterial outbreak, rest assured that Alice Richardson will be working against the clock to help solve the problem.

Ally-Kearsley thumbnail

Alison Kearsley

"Gaining the Certificate in Catechetical Studies was a huge benefit for  me when looking for jobs; it gave me an instant edge over other  applicants."

Genomics thumbnail

Allan Wilson at Otago: the science of evolution

Allan Wilson at Otago: the science of evolution

Allanah-Kidd-thumbnail

Allanah Kidd

Allanah Kidd chose to study at Otago because of the quality teaching and research as well as the life skills and independence students gain living here. She had planned a double degree in Commerce and Science, but found the Applied Science degree in Environmental Management delivered exactly what she wanted.

placeholder-thumbnail

Alliance progresses green hydrogen technologies

University of Otago researchers are playing a key role in a German-New Zealand alliance to support the development and use of green hydrogen, produced entirely from clean, renewable energy sources.

Amanda Navaratne_Economics_Thumb

Amanda Navaratne

“The projects I've worked on during my internships have enabled me to collaborate with some extraordinarily intelligent, inspiring individuals"

Ambro Lynch thumbnail

Ambro Lynch

The combination of a Management major and Entrepreneurship minor that  comprised Ambro Lynch's BCom (Hons) was formed through his interest in  business strategy and innovation.

Amelia Gill thumbnail

Amelia Gill

Amelia's PhD was an investigation of the relationship between snoring, learning and behavioural development, in pre-school children.

A-Yow-thumbnail

Ameline Yow

Ameline Yow studied Economics at Otago. This might not look like a science degree, but Economics is now available as a Science major at Otago. This is her story...

Amie Taua Thumbnail

Amie Taua

“My thesis topic, is a pilot study that looks to develop the  foundation for a Bicultural Audience Reception theory in a New Zealand  context". Audience Reception theory, Amie explains, suggests that the way a  reader/viewer interprets a piece of creative work is influenced by the  structure of their cultural background and subsequent life experiences.

Amir-Bastani thumb

Amir Bastani

I chose the Faculty of Law at the University of Otago for my PhD, as it is one of the few places I know of with an ideal research center...

Amirah Osama - Zoology thumbnail

Amirah Osama

Amirah Osama's interest in zoology was sparked after taking part in a Hands-On at Otago course as a senior in high school.

Amy Proudfoot thumb

Amy Proudfoot

"I enjoyed the mix of papers and while not all the compulsory papers  would have been my preferred options, I found them really beneficial".

Jessica Palmer & Nicola Peart

An abuse of trusts?

Apparent widespread abuse of trusts of all kinds – be they family, trading or charitable trusts – has prompted the Faculty of Law's Professor Nicola Peart and Jessica Palmer to undertake in-depth research into their legal basis.

Robert Poulin 2 thumbnail

An inside story

2013 Distinguished Research Medal recipient Professor Robert Poulin is investigating the potential effects
of climate change on parasites and the far-reaching implications these might have.

Neils Hammer thumbnail

Anatomy of research

Anatomy of research

Richard Poulton thumbnail

And finally...

The COVID-19 pandemic has catapulted us into unfamiliar territory. However, research and history show we have the inherent resilience to cope.

Andrew Barnett_Teaching_Thumb

Andrew Barnett

“It's very rewarding to experience that light-bulb moment when a student gets what you're teaching them.”

Andrew Haines Thumb

Andrew Haines

It was a science fiction novel Andrew Haines read at high school that first sparked his interest in nanotechnology.

Andrew Lamb_thumb

Andrew Lamb

"The training is very hands-on from the get go, which is hugely beneficial for us graduate dentists."

Andrew Wang tn

Andrew Wang

Andrew Wang's dream is taking him to Templeton Green College in Oxford where he  promises to “work to the best of his ability to uphold the reputation of  BBiomedSc Honours at Oxford!”

Angela Harwood Photo

Angela Harwood

BPharm(credit)2015, PGDipClinPharm(dist)2009

Angela_Wanhalla_thumb

Angela Wanhalla

"It's about reviving and reconstructing communities and looking at personal experiences"

Angie Anderson thumbnail

Angie Anderson

Fulfilling the dream of becoming a dietitian had its challenges.

Anita Middlemiss thumb

Anita Middlemiss

From the decline of grand skinks in Otago, Zoology Master's graduate Anita Middlemiss has shifted her sights to lizards in the Whanganui National Park.

Anji Sami Thumb

Anji Sami

For musician Anji Sami, the great appeal of coming to Dunedin was that it was far away and she didn't know anything about it.

Anna Campbell thumb

Anna Campbell

Anna Campbell is the recipient of the 2021 YES Alumni Awards,  Contributor of the Year category, having made a clear contribution to  business with value to New Zealand.

Anna Carey thumb

Anna Carey

“My Postgraduate Diploma in Health Management has enabled me to progress my career."

AGThumb

Anna Guenther

“My research on crowdfunding showed that there are a lot of niche  markets where this could be useful, and crowdfunding could become a valuable tool for start-ups too"

Anna Leese thumbnail

Anna Leese

"In Dunedin if you do well there are so many opportunities to be in the lime-light."

A-Skelton-tn

Anna Skelton

Anna Skelton completed her Studies in Physical Education and went on to be a video analyst for the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic netball team.

Anna Woods Thumbnail

Anna Woods

"Studying Chinese has truly provided me with a wealth of opportunities  and will ensure my working life will be filled with varied and  fascinating challenges."

Anna van Pomeren thumbnail

Anna van Pomeren

Anna van Pomeren always wanted to be a scientist, working towards medical breakthroughs.

Anne Burston thumbnail

Anne Burston

I chose to pursue postgraduate study to improve my qualifications for future work overseas.

2020 02 27 Anne-Marie Jackson Teaching Awards thumbnail

Anne-Marie Jackson

Dr Anne-Marie Jackson's research into Māori health and well-being focuses on supporting the hopes and aspirations of Māori communities.

Annika Seddon thumbnail

Annika Seddon

Annika says she regards her supervisors as 'the dream team' because of their depth of knowledge and research achievements.

Chris Pemberton thumbnail

Antibody answers

A University of Otago, Christchurch team is developing a specialised test to help answer crucial questions needed to effectively plan for and treat COVID-19.

Dee Mangin thumbnail image

Antidepressant dilemma

To prescribe or not to prescribe. That is the question faced daily by GPs treating those with depression.

Antoinette Righarts thumbnail

Antoinette Righarts

I embarked on PhD studies on infertility in Otago and Southland, jointly  supervised by the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine (PSM) and  Women's and Children's Health (WCH)

Ants Williams thumb

Ants Williams

Psychologists sit around in offices talking to people all day - right? Wrong - if your name is Ants Williams.

Risha Singh thumbnail

Appealing research

Appealing research

April Brown thumb

April Brown

In year two of a marine ecology degree, April (who grew up landlocked in Salt Lake City, Utah) sees Otago as the perfect place to study.

Ariana Cann thumbnail

Ariana Cann

For Ariana Cann, Radiation Therapy was the perfect combination of technology, science, anatomy and patient care.

Professors Lisa and Jeff Smith thumbnail image

Art of science

Professors Jeff and Lisa Smith (College of Education)  discovered that reactions to art and to images of space are similar.

Ashleigh Adair thumbnail

Ashleigh Adair

"There are things I learned during my time at Otago that I now rely on  all the time, such as the ability to analyse audience insights, write  strategic communications plans and present to rooms full of people."

Leckie Ghosh thumbnail

Asian migrations

The burgeoning global influence of Asia has prompted major research initiatives at the University of Otago, including the Asian Migrations Research Theme. It brings together researchers from throughout the University who are interested in the movement of people and ideas within Asia and into the Pacific, including New Zealand.

Paul Whitinui thumbnail

Aspirational achievement

Bi-lingual, bi-cultural education is a key to improving educational  outcomes for Māori secondary school students, according to a specialist  in Māori education.
Associate Professor in Māori Teacher Education, Paul Whitinui (College of Education),

Cig butts banner thumbnail

Aspire to a smokefree NZ

ASPIRE2025 – an interdisciplinary group of tobacco control researchers – conducts research that informs and supports the government's goal of creating a tobacco-free New Zealand by 2025.

Grant Dick profiles thumbnail

Associate Professor Grant Dick

There are many ways to solve a complex mathematical problem. You can do it the old-fashioned way, using pen and paper.

Jean Hay Smith thumbnail

Associate Professor Jean Hay-Smith

Nothing silences a group faster than “well, my master's research investigated painful sex after childbirth, and my PhD looked at pelvic floor muscle training for urinary incontinence”, which is her stock answer to the question “what is your research about?”

At a glance thumbnail

At a glance

From early February to late June 2020 some 28 academics from across Otago's campuses made a substantial contribution to the COVID-19 debate, here in New Zealand and around the world.

Afghan village flat banner thumbnail

At the front

Soldier, surgeon, academic - Associate Professor Lieutenant Colonel Dr Darryl Tong is combining all three roles for his PhD on face-and-jaw surgery in the context of warfare.

Auckland Islands thumbnail

Auckland Islands

The sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands are attracting Otago scientists searching for evidence of past climate events that might help forecast the future – and those monitoring the magnificent southern right whales who return to the islands' waters each year to breed.

Holger regenbrecht thumbnail

Augmented potential

Augmented potential

he-kitenga-cover-2015-thumbnail

Awards

The University of Otago is committed to recognising and supporting the work of early-career staff. In 2015, five Early Career Awards for Distinction in Research were presented, as well as the annual Carl Smith Medal and Rowheath Trust Award.

Ayesha Verrall thumb

Ayesha Verrall

Ayesha is completing a PhD with the University's Centre for International Health, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine.

Aysha Rimoni thumb

Aysha Rimoni

Aysha Rimoni's academic achievements in Samoa earned her a scholarship to study in New Zealand.

Tim Hore thumbnail

BOMB to the rescue

Meeting a need for alternative methods to purify COVID-19's genetic material, Dr Tim Hore's magnetic nanoparticle protocol is now being used here in New Zealand and internationally.

Martin Kennedy thumbnail

Bad reactions


Geneticists at Otago's Carney Centre for Pharmacogenomics are  looking at how genetic make-up may contribute to adverse reactions to  drugs.

Bailey Kennedy tn

Bailey Kennedy

Her father's battle with colorectal cancer inspired Bailey Kennedy to pursue a career in medical research.

Barclay-Winter-tn

Barclay Winter

Barclay studied Physiology at Otago, completing a BSc in 2009, and then a Postgraduate Diploma in 2010 looking at epithelial physiology.

placeholder-thumbnail

Battery power

Otago research is showing how household energy storage batteries could help meet peak demand without the need for massive infrastructure.

Michael Baker thumbnail

Be prepared

Professor Michael Baker became one of the most public faces of New Zealand's pandemic response. Now he is leading a new research project to help ensure the country is better prepared for the next major public health emergency.

Astrid an Huef thumbnail image

Beauty in numbers

Professor Astrid an Huef (Department of Mathematics and Statistics)  says she pursues mathematics for its beauty.

Bee Bathish thumbnail

Bee Bathish

“I believe that medical research could save lives. I want to work on a project that could make a difference for patients and contribute positively to society''

Tamlin Conner thumbnail

Behaving well

Behaving well

Damian Scarf thumbnail

Beliefs and behaviours

A new study will offer an insight into the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown on what New Zealanders' believe and how this changes over time.

Belinda Craigie thumbnail

Belinda Craigie

“Communication is paramount to everything we do. It's important – not to  mention fascinating – to learn about the history and development of  communication and the power of the media."

Berenice Torres Thumb

Berenice Torres

Berenice wanted to come to a country where English was the main language spoken.

Beth Leslie profile thumbnail

Beth Leslie

“I'm interested in what happens when people are put in different positions”

Bevan Lill profile thumb

Bevan Lill

Bevan is a geography graduate talking about his work for the international property advisory company DTZ New Zealand Limited. He shares his passion for Geography and his work as a consultant.

Bhavneet Chahal tn

Bhavneet Chahal

Bhavneet Chahal says her experiences at Otago kickstarted a career helping others learn about IT and realise their potential.

Bianca Koenig thumbnail

Bianca Koenig

The more I worked in the pharmacy, the more my curiosity for medication grew and I knew that this was the profession for me.

Big data thumbnail

Big data for big problems

Big data for big problems

Bill Turnbull thumbnail

Bill Turnbull

When a visionary, dedicated person creates innovative recreation concepts and dazzles architects with his ingenious, practical designs, it is fitting that Bill Turnbull has the 02 Gym at the new state of the art Unipol facility named after him.

Jing Bao Nie thumbnail

Bioethics of a pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic highlights important bioethical issues and shows just how destructive biological weapons could be.

Jon Waters thumbnail

Biological impacts

Biological impacts

Blair Grant Thumbnail

Blair Grant

“Doing three different subjects means you can't fall into the  intellectual biases of any one discipline - you're forced to be a  critical thinker when the different subjects sometimes tell you  different things, or at least, emphasize different aspects of the same  problem."

Jesse Wall thumbnail

Body of thought

Advances in medical science are raising legal questions around body material and ownership.

Bonar_Carson_thumb

Bonar Carson

I wanted to know how and why everything in the world worked and Physics was the best way to answer those questions.

SP Braid McRae thumbnail

Braid McRae

I stumbled-upon the Clothing and Textile Sciences programme at a study/careers expo when I was in seventh form at school.  I was involved in a lot of sport and through that involvement, developed an interest in the technical aspects of clothing and textile items such as outerwear for skiing and snowboarding or gear for tramping.

Red brain thumbnail

Brain Health

Brain Research New Zealand – Rangahau Roro Aotearoa is bringing together expertise to gain a better understanding of the ageing brain and to develop new therapies to enhance lifelong brain health.

Warren Ping Joanna thumbnail

Brainwaves

University of Otago researchers are at the forefront of identifying  biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease – and new treatment options – that  could lead to early diagnosis and better outcomes for the world's ageing  population.

Brent-King-tn

Brent King

Brent King graduated at the end of 2004 with a Bachelor of Applied Science(Honours) in Environmental Management. Now he's working as an Environmental Monitoring Officer for the Greater Wellington Regional Council.

Briget Gentle thumb

Bridget Gentle

Bridget Gentle has dressed wounds using only the light of the cell phone.

Bridget Lysagt thumb

Bridget Lysaght

“Dunedin really is a student city, it's a great place to live when you're a student.”

Bridget Murphy thumb

Bridget Murphy

Bridget had graduated with an MSc in Psychology 20 years earlier and decided to up-skill for her Ministry job by completing the PGCertPH and chose the endorsement in Health Services Policy.

SP-Bridget-Wright-thumbnail

Bridget Wright

After graduating with a degree in Surveying, Bridget Wright now works as a Registered Land Surveyor in NSW and ACT in Australia.

Brittany Williams thumb

Brittany Williams

Not getting university entrance didn't stop Brittany Williams getting  to university. Unlike most of her peers, she finished school, and even  got a scholarship to Christchurch Polytechnic to study business  administration.

Bronwyn Polaschek thumbnail

Bronwyn Polaschek

Finding out Professor Hilary Radner was based at Otago was the clincher that brought Bronwyn Polaschek back to New Zealand and into a PhD programme.

Tristham Ingham thumbnail

Bubble concept goes viral

Dr Tristram Ingham's 'bubble' concept was initially intended for the disabled community, but it quickly captured the nation's imagination, framing our lives under lockdown.

Wing Pratt thumbnail

Building knowledge

Using videoconferencing and ICT (information and communications  technology) to create a virtual classroom is one thing, but Professor  Kwok-Wing Lai, director of the Centre for Distance Education and  Learning Technologies (College of Education), is using digital  technologies to help children work collaboratively as "knowledge  builders", even though they live in different parts of the country.

Gauld Stokes thumbnail

Building partnerships… not silos

Building partnerships… not silos

Mikkel Grey thumbnail

Building the future

Dr Mikkel Andersen is a builder, but you need some extremely  high-powered equipment to see what he's building. Andersen and his team  at the Department of Physics are using the world's smallest building  blocks to begin constructing the future of technology.

Piazza Del Campo thumbnail

Buildings and beliefs

Buildings and beliefs

Virginia McIntosh thumbnail image

Bulimia burden exposed

University of Otago, Christchurch researchers, including clinical psychologist Dr Virginia McIntosh, investigated whether giving exposure therapy – where patients and therapists re-enact scenarios that typically precede binging and purging – helped them abstain from these behaviours.

placeholder-thumbnail

Business of change

Management Associate Professor Sara Walton believes there has been a seismic shift in eco-awareness, with changemakers showing it is possible for a business organisation to be more sustainable while still functioning as a viable economic entity.

Byron Sanders Thumbnail

Byron Sanders

“My Education Studies degree gave me a holistic view of what education is and a global view of what it could be."

Miguel Quinones-Mateu thumbnail

COVID captured

After rapidly producing a test for COVID-19, Professor Miguel Quiñones-Mateu and Associate Professor James Ussher turned their attention to sampling the virus itself. With this resource they now have multiple projects underway.

Cameron Toogood thumbnail

Cameron Toogood

As a future doctor in New Zealand or overseas, Cameron hopes that the  understanding of Chinese culture he is developing will improve the  standard of care that he can provide to these communities.

Can Cinar Thumbnail

Can Cinar

“Credit rating agencies – those financial institutions that rate financial security for  countries, governments, companies and individuals  –  have huge power, and that's what I'm really interested in."

Cereals thumbnail

Can good bugs make a difference in diabetes?

About 25 per cent of New Zealanders have pre-diabetes. However, a simple intervention – a daily dose of probiotic and cereal – may be a game-changer in the fight against this disease.

Vernon Ward thumbnail image

Cancer fight goes viral

Associate Professor Vernon Ward and his colleagues are using the empty shell of the rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus to tailor an immune response against cancer.

Chris Jackson thumbnail

Cancer management

New blood tests using the latest genomic technologies may provide a better way to assess treatments for advanced rectal cancer.

Blakely banner thumbnail

Cancer trends

Cancer is the most significant cause of death in New Zealand, likely to affect one in three people at some stage in their lifetime, and accounts for around 30 per cent of all deaths. While there has been a steady improvement in survival rates for many cancers over the last two decades – largely because of early detection and treatment – researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington believe significant further progress can be made in reducing cancer mortality.

Candace Hill thumb

Candace Hill

Although getting an interview can be about who you know, once you are in front of the employer it's only about what you know.

Candice Gracie thumb

Candice Gracie

After seven years working as a dental surgery assistant Candice Gracie itched to take a more active role in patient care, so she trained as a dental hygienist.

David Lont thumbnail

Carbon debates

Do a company's carbon emissions affect its market value?

Carly Collins tn

Carly Collins

I found that being part of a Unit was a big advantage, and the SBRU team involved me in all aspects of Unit life.

Carolijn van Noort thumbnail

Carolijn van Noort

Researching the "stories" of infrastructure projects gives insights into the aspirations of emerging countries, and their drive towards a new world order, says Politics PhD student Carolijn van Noort.

Caroline-Beck-thumb

Caroline Beck

I found the idea of doing curiosity-led research absolutely fascinating, and I still do.

Casey-Beel-tn

Casey Beel

Only a few months after completing his Masters in Geography, Casey Beel Casey got a job as Hydrological Technician at the West Coast Regional Council.

Cashill Tims - PPE thumbnail

Cashill Tims

Choosing just one subject to study was never on the cards for Cashill Tims, who graduated recently with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) and a Bachelor of Laws.

Cassino Doyle thumbnail

Cassino Doyle

Cassino Doyle, Land planning and Development (Whakatohea, Te Rawara). from Rugby league to construction management and now he works for global engineering consultants MHW.

Catarina Sahlberg  profile thumbnail

Catarina Sahlberg

Catarina Sahlberg came to the Physics Department at Otago to do her PhD in Quantum Theoretical Mechanics, looking at Bose Einstein condensiates and currently works as a research officer at the Sweedish Research Council

Catherine Brownlie thumb

Catherine Brownlie

Catherine Brownlie is proof  that it's never too late to follow your passions.

Catherine Roughton thumb

Catherine Roughton

For honours Zoology student Catherine Roughton conducting field work meant time spent with binoculars stalking lizards in the barren country around Macraes Flat.

Catherine Sherwin thumbnail

Catherine Sherwin

After completing her PhD in clinical pharmacology in the Department of Women's and Children's Health, Catherine Sherwin has had many opportunities to excel in her field and to use her training to make a difference in the area of paediatric pharmacology.

Catherine Willett thumbnail

Catherine Willett

Podiatrist Catherine Willett jumped straight into postgraduate studies in 2005 after her undergraduate degree, tackling a Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Medicine at Otago.

Brian Cox banner thumbnail

Cause and effect

New Zealand has the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world. Fortunately, the University of Otago is at the forefront of cancer research and new findings to bring these figures down.

Catherine Day

Cells behaving badly

Every second of every day, more than a million cells in our bodies kill themselves as part of a constant replacement policy.

Chan Won Lee thumbnail

Chan Won Lee

Chan Won Lee is studying for a Master of Business Data Science at the University of Otago.

Chanelle Carrick thumb

Chanelle Carrick

Chanelle Carrick is a big fan of contemporary New Zealand art and photography. But it's the artists themselves she's keen to work with.

Lati Iati thumbnail

Changing pace in the Pacific

Development policies are being implemented too quickly in Pacific island  countries, to the detriment of their people, according to Dr Iati Iati, a lecturer in Otago's Department of Politics.

Stephen Knowles thumbnail

Charity begins at home

New Zealanders are ranked among the most generous people in the world, but what drives their altruistic behaviours?

Charles Boulton thumbnail

Charles Boulton

Uni doesn't always need to be about training for a specific job or future, it can also be about learning to think critically in a range of ways.

Charles Radclyffe thumb

Charles Radclyffe

Charles Radclyffe got hooked on archaeology during a gap year  volunteering at excavation sites in the UK and in the Solomon Islands  where he was born and grew up.

Charles Rowe thumbnail

Charles Rowe

"My advice to anyone considering Chinese at Otago: mastering Mandarin opens doors!"

Charlotte Goldsmith thumbnail

Charlotte Goldsmith

She believes Genetics is “the fastest-moving and most exciting of scientific disciplines that exists today.”

Charlotte Payne thumbnail

Charlotte Payne

"The teaching practice was so emotionally and mentally rewarding that it always provided me with renewed determination to succeed.”

Charlotte Verstappen thumb

Charlotte Verstappen

“I am fascinated by the concept that the body can adapt over the course of a lifetime, and how the changes in muscle, tendon and bone are able to reflect different aspects of an individual's life."

Sally Brooker team thumbnail

Chemical connections

Specialising in designer molecules, 2015 Distinguished Research Medal winner Professor Sally Brooker looks at the small detail of the big picture.

Cherie Sweeney profile thumbnail

Cherie Sweeney

Cherie Sweeney is responsible for compiling NZ's annual greenhouse gas inventory for the environmental protection agency.

placeholder-thumbnail

Children's insights

New research that empowers the voices of three- and four-year-olds as urban planners has opened a conversation around how children view the communities they live in and revealed a new generation of considerate and future-oriented planners.

Chin Loh thumb

Chin Loh and Clare Strachan

For Chin Loh, a career in Pharmacy was more than the chance to dispense medicines and advice - it was also a path into the world of business. Meanwhile Pharmacy PhD student Clare Strachan is researching the precise crystal structures of drugs.

Chloe Baillie thumbnail

Chloe Baillie

Speaking another language opens up so many great opportunities for learning, communicating and expressing ourselves, and the cultures that go hand in hand with the Spanish spoken in different places are captivating to learn about and experience.

Chloe Banks thumb

Chloe Banks

Chloe Banks took a wide variety of papers in her first year at Otago.

Chloe Manihera thumbnail

Chloe Manihera

Chloe's involvement with Disability Information & Support came out of the blue.

Chris Brickell thumbnail

Chris Brickell

Professor Chris Brickell's research may investigate the historical context of Gender Studies, but his teaching is bang up to the minute.

Chris Ellis thumbnail

Chris Ellis

Chris didn't just learn technical knowledge—he learned how to interrogate financial information and understand the strategic impacts of accounting.

Professor Mike Eccles and Associate Professor Tony Poole thumbnail image

Cilia connections

It might seem like an odd combination – a geneticist, a former zoologist turned medical researcher and two flocks of sheep...

Legal issues thumbnail

Civil justice

Civil justice

Claire Auchinvole thumb

Claire Auchinvole

One of the great things about Geography, according to second-year honours student Claire Auchinvole, is the scope it offers for a good argument.

Claire Gordon thumb

Claire Gordon

The DipGrad is proving to be an ideal way for Claire Gordon to gain the specialised study she needs to achieve her professional goals.

Claire Green thumb

Claire Green

I was an associate within a large Auckland commercial law firm, with three young children, often thinking how much I would like to return…

Claire Maslin thumb

Claire Maslin

Claire Maslin knows about variables and how they direct trends - both as a statistician, and personally.

Claire Murray thumb

Claire Murray

Now an Auckland-based hotshot, Claire Murray remembers her Otago days fondly.

Tulua Sekone-Fraser_thumb

Classics: Marchell Linzey

Marchell is an early childhood teacher, and producer and host of Dunedin  children's radio show 'Space Station Kiwi' with listeners all over the  world.

Claudia Lewis tn

Claudia Lewis

Claudia Lewis has long held a dream of becoming a doctor – “throughout  my childhood I was fascinated by the human body – how things go wrong  and how to fix them”.

Clay

Clay Caird

Always intending to establish his own business venture, as his Master of  Entrepreneurship studies suggest, Clay found inspiration in the form of  some old rugby headgear lying around at home.

Diaz Rainey thumbnail

Clean finance

Dr Ivan Diaz-Rainey, senior lecturer in the Department of Accountancy  and Finance, is a committed member of both the Otago Climate Change  Network (OCCNet)
and the Otago Energy Research Centre (OERC).

changing-identities

Climate changing identities

"I am interested in the social impact of climate change on the governance and identity with cultural landscapes."

Wesselbaum thumbnail

Climate migration

Climate migration

Dr Anthony Butler

Clinical colour

For decades, images from x-rays and scanners have been in black and white, at times limiting clinical diagnosis. But this is now changing with the development, in Christchurch, of the world's first colour CT scanner for medical imaging.

Mike Hilton thumbnail

Coastal Collaboration

More than two decades of collaboration between the University of Otago and the Department of Conservation on Stewart Island/Rakiura has increased scientific knowledge of sand dunes and aided in their restoration.

Richard Porter thumbnail

Cognitive challenges

Cognitive challenges

Tracy Melzer thumbnail

Cognitive imagery

Until about a decade ago, tremor and other motor impairments were considered the biggest burden of Parkinson's disease.

DC3 on ice thumbnail

Cold hard facts

Antarctic sea ice plays a major role in the global climate system. A five-year Otago-led project has been seeking a better understanding of the drivers of sea-ice growth and decay.

Pat Langhorne towing a sled on the ice thumbnail image

Cold hard facts

Satellite images can tell scientists a lot about the formation, cover and break-up of sea ice around Antarctica, but they can't show how thick that ice is or how it forms around ice shelves that clad almost half of the southern continent's coastline.

Conor O'Kane thumbnail

Commercial realities

Science and innovation are key drivers of the knowledge economy, fuelled by growing interaction between academia, government and industry, and the boundaries between the three are blurring, says Dr Conor O'Kane (Management).

Rob Walker thumbnail

Confronting kidney disease

Concerted research and education projects are underway to tackle the comparatively high rates of chronic kidney disease among Pacific people.

Suetonia spread thumbnail

Connecting the dots

Kidney specialist Dr Suetonia Palmer describes her work as “sorting the wheat from the chaff”.

Leah Watkins thumbnail

Consumption and lifestyle: changes over time

Consumption and lifestyle: changes over time

Ayesha Verrall thumbnail

Contact tracing prioritised

Dr Ayesha Verrall was the right person in the right place when COVID-19 appeared.

Corey-Bragg-tn

Corey Bragg

Corey Bragg is now an assistant research fellow at the Centre for Sustainability (CSAFE). The resources and people at Otagos Zoology department just blew him away.

Tony Blakely thumbnail

Cost & effect


Imagine a data-mining tool on par with Google or Amazon that allows  decision-makers to quickly calculate the health impact, as well as the  upfront and downstream costs of a new health intervention or policy  change.

Courtney McLauchlan thumb

Courtney McLauchlan

“I absolutely loved learning how biochemistry could work with other  disciplines, and how it is right on the forefront of scientific  innovation..."

Colin Gavaghan thumbnail

Criminal minds

Rapid advancements in genetics and neuroscience are providing new  insights into the minds of criminals. The question now is, how should  that information be used?

Trudy Paul Mellysa thumbnail

Critical decisions

University of Otago expertise has been crucial in developing a tool that is available to help clinicians around the world prioritise intensive care for COVID-19 patients.

placeholder-thumbnail

Critical problems require transformational response

What will the post-pandemic world look like and what is the healthiest pathway to a sustainable future? Professor David Murdoch discusses the concept of mutualism in which the well-being of any individual is inextricably linked to the well-being of others in society.

Crystal Cassandra Paul thumbnail

Crystal Cassandra Paul

I wanted to involve myself in the health professional sector and I am  interested in contributing more to the community. That is how I finally  ended up choosing pharmacy. It involves a lot of communication with the  patients.

Crystal Lavulo thumbnail

Crystal Lavulo

I really love the idea of having a career that can provide so many  options after finishing my degree—these options include working in  community or hospital pharmacies, conducting my own research, working in  the pharmaceutical industry and running my very own pharmacy.

Brendan Gray

Cultures of success

For about 10 years Professor Brendan Gray has been studying what makes successful organisational or corporate cultures.

Fineran thumbnail

Cutting edge

Cutting edge

HP Pickerill thumbnail

Cutting-edge techniques transform lives

Servicemen who suffered horrific facial injuries during the two world wars were given new hope as a result of the revolutionary plastic surgery techniques and treatments pioneered by two extraordinary University of Otago men.

Tina Summerfield thumbnail image

Cyanobacteria potential

We might be surrounded by plentiful alternative sources of fuel and not even know it.

Waters Craw Parvizi thumbnail

DNA and earthquakes

A “eureka” moment has seen Otago researchers use kelp DNA to find out more about a catastrophic event that occurred along the Dunedin coastline some 1,000 years ago.

Damian Kearns thumbnail

Damian Kearns

“During my time at Otago, I've been able to travel to 17 countries and learn a lot about various tourism industries and economies.”

Damian Scarf thumbnail

Damian Scarf

You will have heard the advice that the key to success is finding something you love.

Damian Scarf 2 thumb

Damian Scarf

"Often students who've had to struggle become the best researchers."

Dan Farhat thumb

Dan Farhat

“A lot of students think economics is just crunching numbers and solving equations to find prices and quantities. But it's really all about human behaviour and decisions."

Dana-Lumsden-thumb

Dana Lumsden

Without an Honours degree, and the experiences I gained from studying at Otago, I would not have landed a job within the media industry as quickly as I did, and I am thankful to the Department for all of its support.

Daniel Kerse thumb

Daniel Kerse

"Technology has always fascinated me, especially the sort that's capable of sending information around the world at the speed of light."

Danielle Lucas thumbnail

Danielle Lucas

Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) graduate Danielle Lucas says studying at Otago was the perfect preparation for work as a policy analyst at the New Zealand Treasury.

D-Shanahan-tn

Danielle Shanahan

For Danielle Shanahan the Wildlife Management course was the perfect stepping stone as she pursued her passion for conservation.

David-Timothy-Duval-thumb

David Timothy Duval

I've always operated on the idea that if I'm not having fun teaching, students aren't having much fun learning.

Dean Paterson thumbnail

Dean Paterson

Because the last two years of Otago's Radiation Therapy degree is evenly split between theory and practical, Dean felt fully prepared once he graduated ...

Deanna Barwick  thumbnail

Deanna Barwick

“I really liked studying Neuroscience at Otago – it taught me how to  look at research critically, to think about information being presented,  and to apply a lens of curiosity over it."

Debbie Corson thumb

Debbie Corson

As an Analyst for Deloitte in Auckland Debbie Corson prepares annual financial accounts for a range of small and medium sized businesses and trusts, including management accounts for a large charitable Auckland organisation.

Debbie Sawer Thumbnail

Debbie Sawers

For Debbie Sawers a long and proud family history of studying at Otago meant leaving the Hawke's Bay to study in Dunedin was as straight forward as picking which subject to major in.

DeborahRowley_thumbnail

Deborah Rowley

Deborah is currently employed by BP Australia Pty Ltd as an Environmental Project Manager, where her role requires her to manage BP's environmental liabilities and liability prevention.

David Prior Core banner thumbnail

Deep at fault: Core Processes

Otago scientists are drilling deep, gaining a better understanding of  the processes at work within the South Island's Alpine Fault and the  impacts an earthquake is likely to have.

Deirdre_Anderson_thumb

Deirdre Anderson

I hope to work with elite athletes and find ways of helping them become faster and stronger.

Del Carlini Thumbnail

Del Carlini

The core question of Del's thesis is what enhances the ability of an  armed force to adapt during conflict and what slows, disrupts or hinders  that ability.

demystifying-statistics

Demystifying statistics

Bridget Robson  (Ngāti Raukawa) says one of her key goals and that of the centre, is to  demystify statistics, showing them for what they are – “a powerful tool  for all Māori”.

Denise Potgieter thumb

Denise Potgieter

Lieutenant Denise Potgieter has always loved travelling and adventure. In fact, it was her sense of adventure that brought her to Otago in the first place.

Dental Tourism - University of Otago

Dental tourism - The most popular form of medical tourism

The New Zealand dental sector is likely to be challenged and disrupted  by the growing phenomenon of dental tourism, the most popular form of  medical tourism.

Desiree Mulders-tn

Desiree Mulders

I searched for a distance learning course that would provide me with the  knowledge I was seeking, the University of Otago's Postgraduate Diploma in  Musculoskeletal Management did just that.

Richard Blaikie thumbnail2

Diagnostics group meets need

Otago scientists have responded to a call to action from the Ministry of Health to boost supplies of COVID-19 testing systems should global supplies run short.

Diana Bowalgaha Ralalage tn

Diana Bowalgaha Ralalage

I'm excited about where all this will lead me, and I encourage everyone  to dip their toes in postgraduate studies if they can.

Diane-Ruwhiu-thumb

Diane Ruwhiu

It's a long way from her initial career in the Royal New Zealand Airforce where she worked in Logistics and Supply Chain Management.

Dick Hitchings thumbnail

Dick Hitchings

“As far as getting a future-proof field to work in, you couldn't do much better than biochemistry.”

Richie Poulton

Different methods, different results

Failing to replicate a research finding is not all bad and could, in fact, shed new light on the subject being investigated.

Tautala Asaua thumbnail

Digging for answers

Tautala Asaua is aiming to rewrite the early prehistory of Samoa.

Patman Davis thumbnail

Diplomatic answer?

With science-based issues the most pressing of our time, is science diplomacy heralding a new day or is it merely a false dawn?

disabling-disability

Disabling disability

Dr  Emma Wyeth (Ngāi Tahu) was awarded a three year Health Research Council  of New Zealand Emerging Researcher First Grant for a project focused on  outcomes among injured Māori.

Kurt Krause thumbnail

Doing the detail

Teams led by virologist Professor Vernon Ward and structural biologist Professor Kurt Krause are drawing on their extensive experience and expertise to find ways to beat the SARS-CoV2 virus.

Donna Southorn thumb

Donna Southorn

"I wanted to be able to know more about teen mothers' views so I could better understand their challenges and priorities and become a more effective advocate.”

Dora Leahy tn

Dora Leahy

A budding interest in biology and chemistry at Taumarunui High School  was the first step for Dora Leahy towards a career as a medical  scientist.

Dough-Heath-tn

Doug Heath

When he came to Otago Doug found the acoustics papers in Physics fitted his combined interests perfectly and qualified with a BSc in Physics and an MSc in Electronics.

Andrea Robinson tn

Dr Andrea Robinson

The decision to take on the Diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine has  sharpened my clinical skills and introduced more variety and enjoyment  in my role as a GP.

Axel Zeitler, Pharmacy Graduate

Dr Axel Zeitler

PhD (2007), PGCert (2003), Staatsexamen (Würzburg) (2002)

Axel Zeitler thumbnail

Dr Axel Zeitler

German-born Axel Zeitler loves New Zealand. But it did seem very far away. But when Otago's Department of Pharmacy proposed a joint project with Cambridge University, looking at using laser technology to investigate the structure of pharmaceuticals, it felt the like the perfect solution for Axel.

Bastiaan Star thumbnail

Dr Bastiaan Star

Bastiaan Star remembers the first papers he read when he embarked on his PhD in population genetic theory. “They were completely incomprehensible. I could not understand them at all.”

Dr Charlotte King thumbnail

Dr Charlotte King

Charlotte King's world is full of mystery and intrigue, and she would have it no other way: it's exactly the world she dreamed of as a child.

Craig Rodger profile thumbnail

Dr Craig Rodger

Trying to understand how the sun's activity impacts upon our world here on Earth occupies the days and nights of Physics lecturer Craig Rodger.

Damien Mather thumbnail

Dr Damien Mather

The path to becoming a senior lecturer is not always through academia. Damien has a background broader than most.

Daniela Rosenstreich thumbnail

Dr Daniela Rosenstreich

Dr Daniela Rosentreich recommends all PhD students ask themselves one fundamental question: “Are you there for the ride, or are you there for the qualification?”

Elisabeth Liebert thumbnail

Dr Elisabeth Liebert

Elisabeth Liebert's Master's degree led her deep into the world of John Milton, which in turn led her to Otago's John Hale, an international authority on the renaissance poet. So when she embarked on her PhD, it was her choice of supervisor that brought her – intellectually, at least – to Otago.

Joel Gordon thumbnail

Dr Grace Macaulay

Grace's keen interest in children's health and wellbeing, and her  desire to develop her research skills, knowledge and experience, led her  to complete a BMedSc(Hons) with the Department of Women's &  Children's Health.

Harley Atkinson, Pharmacy Graduate

Dr Hartley Atkinson

MPharm (1983), PhD (1989)

Helen Tregidga thumbnail

Dr Helen Tregidga

Helen Tregidga says she loved doing her PhD at the time. And looking back, she loved it even more.

Iain Bell tn

Dr Iain Bell

The Diploma has provided a solid foundation, and I highly recommend it  to all Health Professionals that deal with musculoskeletal problems.

Joshua Ramsay thumbnail

Dr Joshua Ramsay

"I simply like problem solving and understanding living organisms."

Kirsten Robertson thumbnail

Dr Kirsten Robertson

A background in social psychology gives Kirsten Robertson an edge when it comes to researching and teaching marketing…

Leah Watkins thumbnail

Dr Leah Watkins

“There's little research on the implications of very young children being targeted as consumers."

Lynn Cheong, Pharmacy Graduate

Dr Lynn Cheong

PhD (USYD 2015), BPharm (Otago 2007)

Matthew Schofield thumbnail

Dr Matthew Schofield

When Matthew Schofield was entertaining the idea of a PhD, a work colleague gave advice that would echo for years to come: “Choose your supervisor well. It will make or break the PhD.”

Matthew Stephen thumbnail

Dr Matthew Stephen

I accepted the invitation to the honours programme believing that Politics offered me the best chances to extend my intellectual horizons while also keeping a toe in the door of employability.

Mele Taumoepeau thumbnail

Dr Mele Taumoepeau

PhD study was, says Mele, a juggle. And a somewhat self-indulgent one at that.

Paul Roche thumbnail

Dr Paul Roche

Undertaking a PhD in an area with few job prospects was both a help and a hindrance for Paul Roche.

Peter Mace thumbnail

Dr Peter Mace

"What excites me about my work is ... making new discoveries that you are the first person to know about, ever."

Rawinia Higgins thumbnail

Dr Rawinia Higgins

Leaving her whanau was the most important, and most painful, aspect of coming to Otago for her postgraduate years, says Dr Rawinia Higgins.

Raymond Staals tn

Dr Raymond Staals

Dr Raymond Staals worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Fineran lab, Department of Microbiology and Immunology.

Robert Peden thumbnail

Dr Robert Peden

If Robert Peden had his way, he would start on another PhD tomorrow. “I loved every minute of it,” he says. “It was an absolute privilege. It was one of the most challenging, rewarding, satisfying and interesting things I have ever done.”

Rosanna Rahman thumbnail

Dr Rosanna Rahman

“Your understanding of your topic increases exponentially when you write”

Shelagh Ferguson thumbnail

Dr Shelagh Ferguson

“It's perfect to be part of a prestigious University and still be able to climb a 2000 metre peak at the weekend – there are not many places where you can do that.”

Tony Garry thumbnail

Dr Tony Garry

How much is marketing about what is being bought and sold, and how much is it about the people involved in the transactions?

Tracey Melzer thumbnail

Dr Tracy Melzer

"Imaging is amazing, it has completely revolutionised medicine."

Debbie Hopkins thumbnail

Driving test

Postdoctoral research fellow Dr Debbie Hopkins is contributing to the BEATS Study, leading research into driver licensing and the use of information communication technologies by young people.

Elisabeth Wells

Drug use widespread

Christchurch biostatisticians Associate Professor Elisabeth Wells and Magnus McGee, with Dunedin colleagues Dr Joanne Baxter and Jesse Kokaua, have been quietly "peeling the onion" on New Zealand's non-medical drug use.

Duncan Sarkies

"It's my opinion that the Otago University Theatre Studies programme provides the best practical 'on-your-feet' introductory training for theatre in New Zealand.”
Duncan Sarkies

Tony Ballantyne thumbnail

Dunedin's global focus

Dunedin's changing connections with the rest of the world are the focus of the “Global Dunedin” project.

Walton thumbnail

Dunedin: 50 forward

Beyond the immediate doom-and-gloom headlines about business closures  and redundancies, what might work be like for people in Dunedin up to 50  years into the future?

BODE3 group thumbnail

Dynamic delivery

A key aim for University of Otago, Wellington's Burden of Disease Epidemiology, Equity and Cost-Effectiveness (BODE3) Programme is to build capacity and academic rigour in New Zealand in the estimation of disease burden, cost-effectiveness and equity impacts of health sector interventions.

Jessica Palmer thumbnail image

Early Career Awards for Distinction in Research

Early Career Awards for Distinction in Research 2010: Jessica Palmer, Dr Simone Celine Marshall and Associate Professor Richard Gearry

Dan Farhat thumbnail

Economic vampires

By building artificial societies Dr Dan Farhat can explore labour market outcomes – and communities plagued by “vampires”.

Moana Theodore thumbnail

Educational benefits

Educational benefits

Edward Kuipers Thumb

Edward Kuipers

Eddy Kuipers has turned his passion for health and fitness into a career.

Michael Jack thumbnail

Electricity evolution

Electricity evolution

Elizabeth Young thumbnail

Elizabeth Young

Because a degree in Religious Studies covers so many different religious and cultural practices and beliefs, I am able to really connect with my clients as I actually know and understand where they come from and why they believe what they believe and do what they do.

Ella Gordon-Latty Thumbnail

Ella Gordon-Latty

“Studying Politics gave me one of the most powerful insights – it enabled me to understand the mechanics of power."

Ellen Pullar

"I've always been a bit of a film geek so was excited to be able to watch a variety of different types of films and learn more about how films are put together."

Elliot Munro_Chemistry_Thumb

Elliot Munro

“It was a real step up from high school, especially all the facilities for practical work.”

Eman Ghandour thumbnail

Eman Ghandour

After finishing her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Eman started working as a Youth Case Worker for the Dunedin Red  Cross, focused on how best to settle former refugee youth into New  Zealand and Dunedin.

Emily Cooper thumb

Emily Cooper

Emily Cooper is taking the world outdoor clothing market in her stride.

Emily Mason thumbnail

Emily Mason

Emily Mason wasn't sure what she wanted to do when she started at Otago.

Emily Mathias - Politics thumbnail

Emily Mathias

It only took one politics paper to hook Otago graduate Emily Mathias.

Emily-Robinson-tn

Emily Robinson

Immediately after graduating with a double degree, including a BSc in Physiology, Emily won a job at Starship Hospital in the Respiratory and Sleep Physiology laboratory.

Emma Fairs-tn

Emma Fairs

Emma Master's by thesis answered the questions “what makes and keeps Osteopath  clinicians competent”.

Emma Sails thumb

Emma Salis

Emma's PhD project centred on investigating the different factors  affecting glucose concentrations in premature babies with a focus on  high blood glucose.

thumbnail of emma wade

Emma Wade

Emma is employed as a postdoctoral fellow pursuing a project which  has grown out of her PhD: trying to untangle the signalling pathways  which maintain skeletal homeostasis.

Greig Walter thumbnail

Empowering communities in heritage management

Otago archaeologists are leading a grassroots approach to the management of threatened heritage sites here in New Zealand and the Pacific.

maori-leadership

Enacting Māori leadership

Merata's research activities have over-arching themes of supporting Māori leadership, community and education.

Prof David Murdoch

Endocarditis breakthrough

Conventional wisdom in medicine has been that heart valve infection, or endocarditis, is most likely to have been caused by valve damage following rheumatic fever during childhood or adolescence.

Dione Healey banner thumbnail

Engaging in games

Common children's games have been shown to help hyperactive children  learn better self-control and may provide a longer-lasting treatment for  ADHD.

Associate Professor Brent Lovelock

Enjoying the outdoors

Society may have to rethink ways of encouraging children into enjoying the outdoors.

Paul Tapsell and Merata Kawharu thumbnail

Entrepreneurial journey

Entrepreneurial journey

CraigLeeBigThumb

Entrepreneurial skills just as important for restaurant owners as serving good food

A  study by Dr  Craig Lee has pinpointed success factors that have shaped some of the  top-performing, independent restaurants in Australia.

Louise Signal

Environmental obesity

New Zealand children live in an environment where unhealthy food is more heavily promoted, more accessible and, for the most part, cheaper than healthy food.

placeholder-thumbnail

Environmental personhood a way forward?

Dr Viktoria Kahui believes conferring legal “personhood” to the world's  natural resources could be one of the best ways of protecting the  environment for climate change resilience and future generations.

Ebola virus thumbnail

Epidemic proportions

Professor Michael Baker believes we need to learn from the past to help meet the challenges presented by new pandemic diseases.

Lesley Gray thumbnail

Equity in isolation

A researcher awarded a rapid response grant to examine the equity and effectiveness of self-isolation and quarantine measures had to do some rapid responding of her own when New Zealand moved swiftly into COVID-19 Alert Levels 3 and 4 before she began her study.

Erica Buxton thumb

Erica Buxton

“The great thing about the Treasury is that it's a relatively flat structure. You get opportunities that are quite rare in graduate jobs.”

Erin Wilson thumbnail

Erin Wilson

“I am now a qualified teacher but I'm still learning - the children teach me something new every day."

Estelle Sun thumbnail

Estelle Sun

At the age of 17 Estelle Sun's parents proposed the idea of sending her overseas for her higher education. Estelle eagerly packed her bags and left China destined for New Zealand.

Neil Pickering thumbnail

Ethical advice

A University of Otago academic has taken a leading role in developing advice for the Minister of Health on ethical issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shelagh Ferguson thumbnail image

Every stitch has a story

Department of Marketing consumer behaviourist Dr Shelagh Ferguson is exploring people's emotional attachments to clothes.

Expertise intro thumbnail

Expertise informs action

As news of a novel coronavirus emerged from China, University of Otago  public health experts feared the worst and urged decisive action.

HK laing banner thumbnail

Fabric of research

A better understanding of how fabrics perform – and why – is the aim of  new research being conducted at Otago's Department of Applied Sciences  (Clothing and Textile Sciences) with the help of funding from the  Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Wool Industry Research  Ltd and industry partners.

Fanaafi-Aiono-Le-Tagaloa thumb

Fanaafi Aiono-Le Tagaloa

The study of law as well as its practice fosters a particular type of individual and personality – one Fanaafi  Aiono-Le Tagaloa…

Farah Hamid thumbnail

Farah Hamid

The perfect combination of math, chemistry, and business, and to help the community too!

Feature 1

He Kitenga Features

Felix Lee thumbnail 2020

Felix Lee

Volunteering for the Dunedin Community Accounting programme has given Master of Finance student Felix Lee valuable practical experience.

Rebecca Campbell

Fertile research. Early Career Awards for Distinction in Research

New research on how the brain influences fertility could eventually result in improved ways of controlling conception and contraception.

Lamont thumbnail

Fighting superbugs

Fighting superbugs

Filipo Levi thumbnail

Filipo Levi

Filipo Levi says "it was very hard at the beginning", fitting in university studies with his rugby playing. Nonetheless, plenty of hard work, determination and support ensured success.

Fiona Edgar thumb

Fiona Edgar

When teaching topics such as human resource management, how better to practise what you preach than with the students themselves?

Fiona Hely_Comp_Thumb

Fiona Hely

"I wanted to be able to use my maths skills in practical applications for the real world.”

Fiona-Simpson-tn

Fiona Simpson

Fiona completed a Bachelor in Physical Education, and a BSc in Human Nutrition, then went on to do a Postgraduate Diploma in Dietetics.

Fiona Woodfield_IB_Thumb

Fiona Woodfield

Taking a Bachelor of Commerce in international business and economics, with a minor in Spanish, has taken Fiona Woodfield around the world.

Firsts for women thumbnail

Firsts for women

In 1893 New Zealand became the first self-governing country in the world to grant women the right to vote in parliamentary elections. By this time, however, a young teacher, Caroline Freeman, had already broken new ground for women at the University of Otago.

Chris Hepburn thumbnail image

Fishing for change

A team of scientists from the University of Otago is making big waves on the East Otago coast, their research a key factor in forcing a change in fisheries legislation after just two years of work.

MacKnight thumbnail

Flower power

Dr Richard Macknight (Biochemistry) is undertaking research that aims to  discover how legumes, such as peas, use seasonal changes in day length  and temperature to precisely control their flowering time, and to  understand how this process has evolved to allow natural populations to  grow in new geographical regions.

Professor Lisa Matisoo-Smith

Following ancient DNA trails

A surprise find of human remains with distinctly Polynesian characteristics in a South American museum has provided a new focus of research into human migration in the Pacific and how the Pacific was settled.

Rosalind Lisa thumbnail

Food for thought

With programmes currently underway in Kenya, Indonesia and India, Otago nutritionists are working with local collaborators to develop food-based strategies to improve the health and development of young children.

John Knight thumbnail image

Food miles: who cares?

Department of Marketing researchers have been looking at whether food miles influence UK consumers' food-purchasing decisions.

Miranda Mirosa thumbnail

Food wastelands

Many New Zealand households are routinely discarding perfectly good food, according to Dr Miranda Mirosa (Food Science).

Nicola  mark megan thumbnail

For better or worse?

For better or worse?

Oli Wilson thumbnail

For the record

Member of iconic Dunedin band The Chills, Dr Oli Wilson is bringing an insider's perspective.

Jacinta Ruru thumbnail

Foundational change

Recalibrating New Zealand's state legal system in order to challenge the Crown's assumption of sovereignty over lands and waters treasured by Māori is no easy task.

Hamish Jamieson thumbnail

Frailty factor

Frailty factor

Frankie Daroux

Frankie completed a BSc in Clothing and Textile Sciences and then an MSc in 2009. The research for her Masters explored how washing a garment might mask forensic evidence of blunt force trauma. She is now working as a Graduate Product evaluator for Fisher and Paykel's washing machine range.

Franky Maslin_thumb

Franky Maslin

"I really loved learning about the law and its many possibilities to shape and mould so many real-life scenarios."

Freya-Broughton-Ansin-tn

Freya Broughton-Ansin

Ask Freya Broughton what's so cool about statistics and it's hard to get her to stop…. “Statistics is really useful, in every area of endeavour! I love how applicable it is in all sorts of research and in everyday life – even with NCEA results…”

Philippa Howden Chapman

From academia to action

Over the last decade Professor Philippa Howden-Chapman and the team from He Kainga Oranga/Housing and Health Research Programme (Public Health, Wellington) have helped revolutionise how policy-makers and the public see the average New Zealand house.

Ice sheet thumbnail

From pole to pole

From the Antarctic to the Arctic, Otago researchers are at the forefront of several influential investigations that should help inform future decision-making across the globe.

Max Berry thumbnail

From the beginning

From the beginning

wayne monica graphic thumbnail

Fundamentally

Two Otago scientists are working on a project that could be a world-changer – a combination of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and cutting back on the use of fossil fuels.

salmon_thumb

Fussy fish use genetic compatibility to pick partners from afar

When salmon spawn, the sperm of competing males are in an all-or-nothing race to be the first to reach and fertilise the eggs.

Gabriel (Gabe) Mathieson

Gabriel (Gabe) Mathieson who completed a DipGrad in Advertising

Gabriella Brown thumbnail

Gabriella Lindberg

PhD student, Gabriella Lindberg, is part of a team working on the  difficult task of printing large, viable pieces of cartilage to  ultimately be used as replacement tissue in human surgery.

parkinsons-research

Game-changing Parkinson's research

Dr Louise Parr-Brownlie's (Ngāti Maniapoto and Ngāti Pikiao) career as a  research academic has been entirely devoted to Parkinson's disease– a  devotion that is now receiving international attention and generous  Neurological Foundation funding.

Garrick Cowley thumb

Garrick Cowley

Within a year of graduating from Otago with his LLB, Garrick Cowley found himself on an international stage facing his biggest legal…

Guarav Ganve tn

Gaurav Ganve

When Gaurav Ganve first discovered the concepts of 'big data' and  'analytics', he reckoned data mining and machine learning could generate  some of the most exciting career opportunities of the 21st century.

Gemma Dickson thumb

Gemma Dickson

Ask Gemma Dickson about one of the most interesting biochemistry classes she's taken, and she'll tell you about the time she found a never-before-discovered transposable element in a Candida albicans sample.

Gener Delos Santos

I'm involved in helping to maintain and set up occupational medical support in various industrial sectors.

Anita Dunble thumbnail

Genetic clues

Could the humble aspirin be effective in the fight against breast cancer?

Guildford Paringatai thumbnail

Genetic jeopardy

Genetic jeopardy

Jemma Geoghegan Thumbnail

Genomic clues to virus spread

Sequencing the genome of all New Zealand's COVID-19 cases will provide valuable insights into how disease spreads around the country.

Genomics Robertson Russelland Wilcox thumbnail

Genomic possibilities

Otago researchers are working to develop a catalogue of New Zealand genomic variation to help address health inequities in this country.

Geoffrey Miller thumb

Geoffrey Miller

"I'm now able to work on translations from anywhere in the world as a freelance translator, which is amazing".

George Wiggins tn

George Wiggins

Skiing, socialising with work mates, and great research opportunities  are all reasons George Wiggins recommends postgraduate study at the  University of Otago, Christchurch.

Georgia Harmos thumbnail

Georgia Harmos

Georgia moved to New York soon after graduating and has been there for  almost seven years. Her first job was as a creative project manager at a  small digital design agency, which was started by New Zealanders.

Georgie Staples thumbnail

Georgia Staples

Georgia Staples has been interested in health and medicine for as long as she can remember.

Gerard Graham thumbnail

Gerard Graham

As a Finance Business Partner for BNZ, Gerard Graham supports business units to meet their financial plans and prepare for the future.

Gianna Leoni thumbnail

Gianna Leoni

Gianna Leoni is researching attitudes towards te reo in Government departments.

Gillian Abel thumbnail image

Gillian Abel

Gillian's PhD became such a part of her daily life that when she finally submitted, she remembers feeling “quite bereft. It was like giving a baby away”.

Glenn Summerhayes profile thumbnail

Glenn Summerhayes

“Archaeology is about unlocking the past – it's a huge privilege.”

Lisa Matisoo Smith thumbnail

Global DNA

A principal investigator in the National Geographic Genographic Project, Professor Lisa Matisoo-Smith's work is revealing the global diversity of our New Zealand DNA.

John Crump and Philip Hill thumbnail

Global health

The Centre for International health plays a significant role in projects in Africa, Asia and the Pacific.

Paola Voci thumbnail

Going soft

Going soft

Dave Craw thumbnail

Golden career

2018 Distinguished Research Medal winner Professor Dave Craw is an Otago man andOtago is gold country: unsurprisingly, this has been a focus of his work as a geologist.

Steven Sexton thumbnail image

Good teacher, bad teacher

Most of us have at least one story of an inspirational schoolteacher who opened our minds to learning – or the other extreme of a terrible" one who made our learning experience an ordeal, one forever associated with memories we'd rather forget.

Claire freeman thumbnail

Good-natured ageing

Good-natured ageing

G-Lowe-tn

Graham Lowe

A Bachelor in Physical Education awarded with Honours, and a Masters in Physical Education, looking particularly at exercise physiology and exercise prescription… these sound like ideal qualifications for a sports coach, and Graham Lowe is coaching the best.

Greg Lewis thumbnail

Greg Lewis

I learnt how to approach new and often complicated situations using a framework of jurisprudence and ethics.

Griffin_Leonard_thumbnail

Griffin Leonard

"We're very lucky to have the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at Otago and I feel fortunate to be able to do postgraduate study here."

Intestine wide thumbnail

Gut instincts

Gut instincts

Gerald Tannock

Gut response

Professor Gerald Tannock fell in love with microbiology on his very first assignment as a trainee diagnostic laboratory technologist at Dunedin Public Hospital.

Guy-Ryan-tn

Guy Ryan

I'm finishing off my Masters – making a 24-minute documentary dealing with some massive social and environmental issues, writing a thesis, and engaged in some exciting projects combining two of my passions – design and film [and surfing] – life is sweet!”

Gwynaeth McIntyre photo thumbnail

Gwynaeth McIntyre

"Personally, I love the politics, the intrigue, the murder and mayhem of the Roman imperial period."

Hamish Milmine thumb

Hamish Milmine

For Hamish Milmine, dentistry offers everything he ever wanted in a career.

Shyamal Das thumbnail

Handy solution

As calls for hand hygiene gained traction in the weeks  leading up to the COVID-19 level-4 lockdown, hand sanitiser quickly  became a scarce commodity.

Hannah Bae image 2021 thumb

Hanna Bae

Hanna has now completed her BCom as well as a Master of Tourism and works at the University's boutique hotel, The Executive Residence.

Hannah-Forrest-tn

Hannah Forrest

“I really like the way this course has opened my eyes to what's involved – it's much more analytical and science based rather than opinion – you can't believe those CSI programmes after all…."

Hannah Kennedy thumbnail

Hannah Kennedy

Hannah Kennedy likes hands-on learning rather than spending all day with her head in a book.

Hannah Kerr thumb

Hannah Kerr

Distance learning is enabling Hannah Kerr to work towards completing a degree she first started in 2014.

Tamlin Conner thumbnail image

Hard-wired for happiness?

How much of our mood is hard-wired and how much is because you are simply having a bad day? It's a question researchers like Dr Tamlin Conner (Department of Psychology) are pondering as they look to understand the role genes play in how we feel.

Harriet Taylor thumb

Harriet Taylor

Don't stress too much about what you want to study at university, says Harriet Taylor.

Harry Saunderson-Warner_thumb

Harry Saunderson-Warner

"Studying social anthropology gave me the ability to look at the world in a new way."

hauora-maori

Hauora Māori in policy and practise

Examine  the work of Otago National Centre for Lifecourse Research's Dr  Reremoana (Moana) Theodore (Ngāpuhi, Te Arawa) and you'll see two  overarching themes deeply associated with Māori health and education.

Hayden Holmes thumb

Hayden Holmes

Hayden Holmes, former Air Force corporal in logistics, BCom in economics University of Otago, and now forging a new career in the health sector, says he is really enjoying his Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health.

Hayleigh Miller tn

Hayleigh Miller

Hayleigh is now working on completing her Bachelor of Medicine (MBChB) and will graduate at the end of 2018.

Phil Seddon and Janice Lord thumbnail

Healing the land

The Mahu Whenua land covenants provide an unprecedented opportunity for Catchments Otago researchers to explore new models for integrated landscape management.

H Chapman banner thumbnail

Health and home

Over the last decade Professor Philippa Howden-Chapman has repeatedly  drawn attention to the detrimental health and social effects of  low-quality housing and fragmented policy in housing, cities and energy.

Muriel bell thumbnail

Healthy challenges

For decades Otago's people have been instrumental in helping to address the health challenges of their time.

Researchers from the University of Otago Christchurch heart monitor breakthrough thumbnail image

Heart monitor breakthrough

Researchers from the University of Otago, Christchurch have implanted the world's first heart monitor, which gives daily updates of pressure changes in chronic cardiac patients.

Allamanda thumbnail

Heart of the family

Heart of the family

Heidi Boulter thumbnail

Heidi Boulter

Heidi  could write you a note - but that's about it.

Helen-Chapman-profile-thumbnail

Helen Chapman

Helen Chapman's experience provides support for the idea that in order to plan for the future you have to understand the past.

Helen Paterson

Helen Paterson

Whilst completing my specialist medical training I gained a research-based Masters of Medical Science on "LNG-IUD (levonorgestrel intrauterine device) use in adolescents in New Zealand".

Hemi McKechnie thumbnail

Hemi McKechnie

My first year in the Tū Kahika Programme set me up well for Health  Sciences and also was the year we were further exposed to many health  professions and people in these areas.

Herman Visagie thumbnail

Herman Visagie

Otago gives you a solid background, so keep your eyes and ears open and opportunities will present themselves.

Hilary Hickling DipGrad(FINC)

Hilary Hickling studying towards a DipGrad in Finance

Hillary-McCracken-tn

Hillary McCracken

Hillary McCracken completed a BSc (Hon) degree in Food Science in 2006. Following the completion of her degree she was accepted into the Fonterra Graduate Technical programme commonly referred to as the FGTP programme.

Tony Ballantyne thumbnail

History repeats

It's been described as “unprecedented”, but COVID-19 is not the first global pandemic to hit New Zealand. So how unique is this crisis and the government's response to it?

Richard Walter and Hallie Buckley

History unearthed

A project to return ancestral remains to one of the earliest sites of Māori settlement in New Zealand is providing a rich source of data for researchers in the Departments of Anthropology, and Anatomy and Structural Biology.

Tulua Sekone-Fraser_thumb

History: David Wilson

I'm David Wilson, and I am the Clerk of the House of Representatives at Parliament.

Hobert Sasa thumb

Hobert Sasa

Hobert Sasa says he has "a strong sense of belonging here". The lecturers, he says, are "awesome" - and the University's Pacific Islands Centre is his "second home".

MaoriBizThumb

How can the Māori perspective be used to shape the scientific world?

A joint project with Otago, AUT, Victoria and Waikato is studying  whether and how fundamental science relates to Māori concerns, looking  at developing processes that help Māori knowledge, expertise and effort  be brought into project planning.

Accounting for natural resources

How do companies account for their use of natural resources?

The University of Otago Business School is leading New Zealand  research into understanding how companies are accounting for their use  of natural resources.

bigDataAIThumb

How is Big Data and Artificial Intelligence transforming the NZ workplace?

What is the effect of Big Data and AI on the New Zealand workplace, and how should we start preparing for a more technological future?

AndreRichardPThumb

How teamwork affects hospital performance and patient care

Otago researchers have been investigating how  organisational culture is perceived by District Health Boards' (DHBs)  members and their senior executive teams, and its affect on hospital performance and patient care.

JuergenprofileThumb

How to capture more value from increased tourism?

One solution is matching what we have to offer with what the visitor  understands; by improving the experience of the tourist, they are then  encouraged to lengthen their stay.

Bridgman thumbnail

How to mend a broken heart?

The Canterbury earthquakes have provided a unique insight into the rare condition known as broken heart syndrome.

Emma Wade thumbnail

Hunting the Culpable Gene

Otago PhD student Emma Wade's discovery of a hidden gene responsible for bone disease is helping families around the world.

Ian Chapman thumb

Ian Chapman

"We're teaching the three disciplines and how they interact. What students turn their skills to then is up to them."

placeholder-thumbnail

Ice melt models refined

Efforts to develop a New Zealand Earth System Model (NZESM) that accurately represents the impacts of freshwater melting from ice shelves and icebergs are moving into a new phase.

CulturalThumb

Improving cultural sensitivity in the tourism industry

Research highlights the need for training and tools to increase cultural awareness and help businesses prepare for North Asian visitors.

Tadhg Ryan-Charleton thumbnail

In with the new

As many established businesses and industries struggle in the wake of COVID-19, new business creation will be critical for our economic recovery, suggests one Otago academic.

David Murdoch thumbnail

Infectious issues


By its nature, microbiology is the study of very, very small things.  But that doesn't stop microbiologist and infectious diseases expert  Professor David Murdoch from thinking –and working –on a big scale.

Ingrid Ambrosiussen thumbnail

Ingrid Ambrosiussen

“My time studying the Bachelor of Teaching was some of the most valuable years of my life."

Karyn Paringatai thumbnail image

Inner journey

... for plenty of New Zealanders, being both Māori and Pakeha is pretty normal. It's a message of integration, not division.

Sustainable seas thumbnail

Innovative Environmental DNA Research Earns Otago Researchers National Science Challenge Grant

An innovative use of the detritus of marine life to measure bio-diversity has earned a team of Otago researchers a national Sustainable Seas Science Challenge Grant.

Alex Tickle, Professor Warren Tate and Tony Cardno thumbnail image

Innovative potential

The academic and commercial worlds need each other, but where research is not sufficiently advanced to justify the risk of investment, there is often a gap.

placeholder-thumbnail

Inside farming's 'invisible worlds'

Reflecting on his own childhood family farm led to an uncomfortable revelation – “a colonial reckoning” –  for Otago's Professor Hugh Campbell.

Ruru thumbnail

Insights in indigenous rights

Otago research on indigenous peoples' legal rights is attracting global attention.

Angela Wanhalla

Inter-racial Connections. Early Career Awards for Distinction in Research.

Dr Angela Wanhalla is a highly-credentialled historian and has a swag of awards to prove she is one of New Zealand's brightest young researchers.

Beth Sylivie thumbnail

International strategy

Internationalisation is vital for New Zealand business.

Gillian Abel thumbnail

Internet impacts 'oldest profession'

The world's “oldest profession” is undergoing changes due to technology and a University of Otago, Christchurch researcher is at the forefront of investigations into the phenomenon.

Sheila Skeaff

Iodine ideas

In 1996 when Sheila Skeaff began her PhD research on iodine deficiency she didn't imagine she'd still be investigating the same issue 13 years later.

Isara-Treesahakiat-thumb

Isara Treesahakiat

For her Masters degree, Jay studied the religious practices of an early-20th century Buddhist monk from Northern Thailand, Khruba Sriwichai, who played a significant role in resisting the government's reforms for Buddhist practices.

placeholder-thumbnail

Island energy targets feasible

With policy implications for Pacific island nations, a detailed supply-demand analysis shows that switching from diesel to renewable energy sources would be economically viable for Samoa, but to limit this to 90 per cent – for now.

Jurian Hoogewerff honey banner thumbnail

Isotopic ”fingerprints” fight fakes

With key export markets becoming increasingly conscious of the provenance of food, researchers have turned to regionally-distinct isotopic geochemical signals in soils and rain to create unique “fingerprints” that provide geographical authentication.

Jack_Keogh_thumbnail

Jack Keogh

Jack has used his Entrepreneurship learning to develop a model for marae-based teaching.

Jack Wynne - Info Science thumbnail

Jack Wynne

Despite studying a little bit of everything at high school, Jack Wynne eventually enrolled with the University of Otago's Department of Information Science. He knew he was interested in how technology was used in society and in business, and because the department stood out from the same courses available at other New Zealand universities, he settled in Dunedin.

Jackie Shaw - Thumbnail

Jackie Shaw

"Otago had a great mix of practical skills and theory and you knew you were being taught by the best. All the lecturers have been (and some still are) in the industry, continuously developing themselves."

Jacob Lamb image 2021 thumbnail

Jacob Lamb

Jacob Lamb is passionate about using biology, and his background in biochemistry, to help us use energy in a better way.

Jaime Tucker Thumb

Jaimie Tucker

"International Business is perfect for anyone who's passionate about business but isn't sure exactly which direction they want to go in"

James Crowley thumbnail

James Crowley

“We're basically like engineers or architects, but rather than designing buildings, we're designing molecules.”

James Sandison tn

James Sandison

While studying Health Sciences First Year at the University of Otago's  Dunedin campus, James Sandison attended an introductory seminar about  Radiation Therapy after noticing the slogan 'technology meets  caring'.

Jamie Wood thumb

Jamie Wood

When Jamie Wood's Dunedin school team won a Young Enterprise Scheme  regional challenge she had her first taste of business success.

Jane Oliver thumbnail

Jane Oliver

“I worked on several projects with major New Zealand companies as part of my study, which really exposed me to what the industry was like.”

Janine Jattan_thumb

Janine Jattan

“Otago prepared us well for the 'real world'. We got trained in best practice so our standards are exceptionally high."

Janis Cheng thumbnail

Janis Cheng

“The reason I can speak confidently or write an essay overnight is purely because of Theatre Studies at Otago."

Jaye Moors thumbnail

Jaye Moors

Most new students expect challenges in their first year at University, but Jaye Moors had the added pressure of acclimatising to Dunedin's climate after moving from Samoa.

Jazmine Cassidy - Law thumbnail

Jazmine Cassidy

A Bachelor of Laws is a great toolbox degree that can lead to a world of opportunities, says Otago graduate Jazmine Cassidy.

Jean Pierre Meyer thumbnail

Jean-Pierre (JP) Meyer

BPharm (2007), PGCertPharm (2010), Antimicrobial Stewardship Certificate (Infectious Diseases Pharmacists in America 2013/14)

Jenifer Lamie thumbnail

Jenifer Lamie

I came to Otago to study because I loved the multi-disciplinarity of the Master of International Studies degree.

Jennifer Macindoe thumb

Jennifer Macindoe

"The skills I learned in the first three years – research, writing, critiquing, always working to deadline... "

SP-Jenny-Campbell-thumbnail

Jenny Campbell

Jenny now works for Fonterra as Lead Regulatory Strategist for the Global Ingredients and Foodservices business.

Jenny-McDonald-thumbnail

Jenny McDonald

After studying medicine, Jenny re-trained in computer science at Otago by doing a Diploma for Graduates. She then became the director of the Educational Media unit at the Higher Education Development Centre at the University of Otago

SP-Jenny-Stein-thumbnail

Jenny Stein

As an exploration geologist, Jenny has travelled the world while putting her Geology degree to good use.

Jessica-Craig-thumbnail

Jessica Craig

Jessica Craig enjoyed Biology and Chemistry at secondary school, and  wanted to study something similar. Coming to Otago for its “world-class  reputation” and the “scarfie experience,” she chose to study a wide  range of science papers in her first year and go from there.

Jessica Craig (thumbnail photo)

Jessica Craig

Coming to Otago for its "world-class reputation" and the "scarfie experience," Jessica chose to study a wide range of science papers in her first year and go from there.

Jessica Lucas - Tourism thumbnail

Jessica Lucas

International student Jessica Lucas initially came to Dunedin to improve her English, but she enjoyed living here so much that she decided to enrol at Otago. When choosing subjects, a double major in Tourism and Management offered the perfect combination.

J-North-tn

Jessica North

Jessica North completed her Masters in Environmental Science at Otago and now she travels the world as an environmental consultant.

Jessie Garland thumbnail

Jessie Garland

We're making significant discoveries about what life was like in 19th century Christchurch as we collect artefacts from all kinds of archaeological sites.

Jim-Cotter-thumb

Jim Cotter

Our bodies are designed to be physically stressed says Dr Jim Cotter, lecturer in exercise and environmental physiology at the School of Physical Education.

Jimmy Van der Pauw thumbnail

Jimmy Van der Pauw

The School of Surveying at Otago is New Zealand's only national school of surveying - students are very lucky to have a knowledgeable and enthusiastic group of lecturers who deliver a well-rounded skillset to the students – “something that I have used every day of my career thus far”.

Jo McGilchrist thumbnail

Jo McGilchrist

When she set out to study a Bachelor of Commerce, Jo McGilchrist never thought she'd end up majoring in economics, nor did she think she would do honours. But after studying an array of subjects, she's certain that economics was the right choice.

placeholder-thumbnail

Joanna Hikaka

I loved my time at Otago University. I enjoyed being part of the School of Pharmacy where you went through the same courses with the same students for 3 years and built long lasting professional as well as personal relationships.

Joanne Choi_Dent_Thumb

Joanne Choi

Dental Technology offers graduates a host of career choices, says Joanne Choi, who is now lecturing at Otago while she completes her PhD.

Joanne Lee thumbnail

Joanne Lee

My time working on the undergraduate paper was the catalyst for my decision to undertake a Master's degree and pursue a full year of research.

NicolaBeatsonPThumb

Job satisfaction - not money - is the key to workplace performance

Earning money may be an important reason for working, but it isn't the biggest motivator. Accountancy and Finance lecturer Nicola Beatson studies people in accounting.

Joel Gordon thumbnail

Joel Gordon

Joel began university by studying Music performance with an eye on training as a high school music teacher but, having added a BA to complement this study, quickly realised his passion for studying Classics and the ancient world.

JFountainThumb

John Fountain

John found that one of the best aspects of the course was to be taught  by staff that not only have the academic credentials but, "the  practical, hands-on background in start-up ventures and advising others  in such."

John Gartwaite thumbnail

John Garthwaite

“Video games are full of Spartans. Hercules and Xena have their own TV shows. They are great characters and great stories.”

SP-John-Lynch-thumbnail

John Lynch

John Lynch is a graduate of the Geographic information systems (GIS) course at Otago and now works as a GIS analyst for a natural gas company in Australia

John Tagg thumb

John Tagg

Seeking knowledge can be fun, says lecturer John Tagg. "It doesn't have to be a dreary process."

Jon Kyzer thumbnail

Jon Keyzer

“My time here has shed light on what I can do and what I am capable of, I  wouldn't have known that without my supervisor, without my department  and without a community of supporting peers.”

Jonathan Broom thumb

Jonathan Broom

Having completed one year of his Psychology degree, Jonathan is enthusiastic about the more specialised study which beckons in his second and third years.

Jonathan Dufour thumbnail

Jonathan Dufour

The museums, the many art galleries and the people I encountered in Paris all made it worthwhile.

Jonathan-Guy-thumb

Jonathan Zsofi

“The department is brilliant and the teaching was excellent. My mind was opened by MFCO, it introduced me to new perspectives on film and life.”

Jordan Dickson_thumb

Jordan Dickson

“The knowledge of what has come before me and what is happening in theatres around the globe, inspires and informs my own practice constantly."

Joseph Panapa thumbnail

Joseph Panapa

"I had many transferrable skills, gained from family, my culture, working in factories, playing sport and living in South Auckland, that enabled me to relate to the content in the social work papers."

Josh-Newman-tn

Josh Newman

“Josh Newman is passionate about Natural History. This passion has at times seen him researching Shearwaters in New Zealand's Sub Antarctic, snorkeling with Lion Fish in the Red Sea, climbing Mountains in the Himalayas, and marveling at the universe in his own backyard.”

Joshua Freeman, Pharmacy Graduate

Joshua Freeman

BPharm (2007), PGCertPharm (Clinical Pharmacy, 2010)

Joy Kwok_thumb

Joy Kwok

A degree in Linguistics provided the perfect foundation for Otago graduate Joy Kwok to pursue a career in speech therapy.

SP-Julia-Prier-thumbnail

Julia Prier

Julia Prier was an assistant research fellow using optogenetics to explore pathological pathways in a brain with parkinsons.

Juliet Petre thumb

Juliet Petre

Juliet Petre, Goodman Fielder

SocialMThumb

Just how much of a role should social media play in employee selection?

Management researcher Dr Paula  O'Kane is interested in how technology impacts how we work, and has  explored how and why organisations are using social media in the  workplace.

Kacy cosgrove Thumbnail

Kacy Cosgrove

“I now have the ability to mix sciences and humanities together, and bridge the gap between humans and technology.”

Karen Phillips thumb

Karen Phillips

"I came to Otago because it offered me the chance to combine both Teaching and Theatre Studies at the same time."

placeholder-thumbnail

Kasey Brown

Studying at Otago was always the way for me.

Kate Beer thumb

Kate Beer

In her final year of a Bachelor of Science in Zoology, Kate Beer says she's enjoyed everything about studying at Otago so far.

Kate Gidlow Black tn

Kate Gidlow-Black

Kate Gidlow-Black attended high school in Christchurch but her family  has now moved to Nelson and Kate is looking forward to joining them and  eventually establishing her own dental practice in that city.

Kate Newton thumbnail

Kate Newton

Kate found English helped her with journalism by driving home the power of the written or spoken word.

Katie Chong thumbnail

Katie Chong

“We have learned that a particle can be in two different places at once ...”

Katie Owens

Katie Owens

PhD (2014),BPharm(credit)2008

Keith Chau thumb

Keith Chau

Keith Chau reckons he stumbled into Finance, but it's clear he fell on his feet.

SP-Keith-Payne-thumbnail

Keith Payne

Keiths passion for wildlife and interest in electronics combine in telemetry of NZ wildlife, he hopes to combine them in a PhD in wildlife science and electronics.

Kelly Nafatali Thumbnail

Kelly Nafatali

“Taking Māori Studies has been a journey in self-discovery – who I am and where I come from."

Ken Ritchie thumbnail

Ken Ritchie

It took a long time for Ken to discover he had dyslexia.

Kendall Flutey tn

Kendall Flutey

Kendall Flutey was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug early – she was  selling class newspapers at the age of seven – and completing a Master  of Entrepreneurship only cemented that passion.

Keresoma Leaupepe tn

Keresoma Leaupepe

Keresoma Leaupepe's interest in health and disease, and in particular  how they impact on his Samoan community has been his motivation all  through his study at the University of Otago.

Keron Niles

Keron Niles is working towards a PhD in Energy studies, when he has completed his PhD he will return to Trinidad and Tobago and probably work as a policy analyst

Nicolas Cullen thumbnail image

Kilimanjaro's glacial clues

Sticking thousands of metres up into the atmosphere, it is little wonder that climatologists are looking to mighty Mount Kilimanjaro and its unique glaciers to act like climate change sensors.

Kim Ton thumbnail

Kim Ton

“Being able to work independently in a laboratory is important if you want to have a career as a scientist. I have learned that at the University of Otago, Christchurch.''

SP-kiri-mccomb-thumbnail

Kiri McComb

Kiri McComb's start in Chemistry was interesting to say the least. It was not until halfway through his final year of High School, after much coaxing from his Science teacher that he decided to give Chemistry a go.

SP-Kirsten-Bird-thumbnail

Kirsten Bird

A PE graduate from Otago, Kirsten Bird now organises the annual Oxfam Trailwalker event, Oxfam's largest fundraising event.

K-Mckenzie-tn

Kirstin McKenzie

Kirstin McKenzie is doing what many young scientists dream of: she's training in forensics, and working for ESR (Environmental Science and Research), New Zealand's independent forensic science institute.

Koro Dickinson thumb

Koro Dickinson

"My links with my whanau, tribe and the University of Otago will always remain strong."

Kurt McEwan thumbnail

Kurt McEwen

My Otago course covered quite a spectrum from abstract and conceptual design thinking to pragmatic subjects such as physics, mathematics and manufacturing principles.

Kyle Wilby (2018) thumbnail

Kyle Wilby

An opportunity to advance his research, clinical, and teaching interests and a desire for a lifestyle change combined to lead Dr Kyle Wilby to the School of Pharmacy at the University of Otago.

Kylie Robinson thumbnail

Kylie Robinson

After earning her degree in computer science at Otago, Kylie joined Animation Research Ltd, the Dunedin-based company that became famous for producing the America's Cup graphics.

Lakhan-Kukreja image 2021 thumbnail

Lakhan Kukreja

"The University of Otago's great international ranking was one of the main reasons I decided to pursue my studies at Otago. The course that I intended to join had an expert faculty and a high-ranked, research-focused department. The beautiful location and diverse campus made me finalise Otago as my study abroad destination."

Lani_Alo_thumbnail

Lani Alo

“I wanted the right course for the type of music that I do and that I want to do when I'm older, and I found that at Otago.”

Laura Fraser thumbnail

Laura Fraser

When you choose to study law at Otago, you choose to receive exposure to world class teaching and a wide range of stimulating subjects

Laura Haycock image 2021 thumbnail

Laura Haycock

A degree in biochemistry provided Laura Haycock with an answer and a pathway into the world of pharmaceuticals.

Laura Marwick - English thumbnail

Laura Marwick

It was “practically inevitable” that Laura Marwick would choose to study English.

Laurel Quirke and Peter Hurst thumbnail

Laurel Quirke

Links between the University of Otago and AgResearch enabled through the Centre for Reproduction and Genomics are benefiting leading science programmes and fast-tracking promising science careers.

Laurelle Smith thumbnail

Laurelle Smith

Laurelle's project focuses on sleep disturbances in children, focusing on children who are being treated for Sleep Disordered Breathing.

Lauren Chambers thumbnail

Lauren Chambers

"I decided to make Classics my major at Otago because it combines everything I am interested in: literature, history, languages, art, and mythology as well as architecture and archaeology."

Lauren McEwanNugent Thumb

Lauren McEwan-Nugent

Lauren McEwan-Nugent maintains that one of the strengths of Religious Studies is its extraordinary relevance to the world around us.

Lauren Otis

Lauren Otis of the National Food Laboratory in California started at Otago with a degree in Consumer Food Science

Lauren Tooley_Geology_Thumb

Lauren Tooley

“Doing lab work every week with approachable professors makes learning a lot easier.”

Laurie evans thumbnail

Laurie Evans

“The Master of International Studies gives you a skill set that lets you tackle a whole host of problems."

Bridgette Toy Cronin thumbnail

Law in lockdown

Otago law researchers are collaborating with Australian colleagues to analyse the experiences of people who have participated in online legal hearings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stephen Smith thumbnail

Law on a global scale

Otago senior lecturer Stephen Smith believes the proceedings of the International Criminal Court are of increasing importance for New Zealand.

Leanne Te Karu, Pharmacy Graduate

Leanne Te Karu

DipPharm, PGCertHerbalMeds, PGDipClinPharm, MHSc(Hons), PGCert(Prescribing)

Malcolm Cone

Learning from experience

A FRST-funded project is allowing business researchers to take a much closer look at how - and how well - New Zealand exporters are doing business in the key emerging markets of China and India.

Karyn Paringatai thumbnail

Learning in the dark

The revival of an ancient maori method of teaching in the dark has had spectacular results for Dr Karyn Paringatai and her students.

learning-in-the-dark

Learning in the dark

The  revival of an ancient Māori method of teaching in the dark has had  spectacular results for Dr Karyn Paringatai and her students.

Leesa McKay thumbnail

Leesa McKay

“Studying was one of the best choices I've made, early childhood  education is an awesome career and all I can say is I wouldn't change it  for the world, I may have finished studying but my learning journey is  far from over.”

Leigh Clutterbuck Young_Geography_Thumb

Leigh Clutterbuck Young

“Geography at university is very different from school … there are so many subjects we had never touched on.”

Lemuela Osorio thumb

Lemuela Osorio

Lemuela Osirio is studying for a Master of  Health Sciences endorsed  in Nursing while working full-time in the Intensive Care Unit at Dunedin  Hospital.

Leonard Guy thumb

Leonard Guy

"For someone in my position- entering Computer Science with a degree from a completely different academic field - the DipGrad is a required qualification before a postgraduate diploma or master's degree can be pursued; it was the only choice."

Chambers thumbnail

Leprosy research informs policy

Leprosy continues to be a significant problem in Pacific nations such as Kiribati. Professor Steve Chambers and his University of Otago, Christchurch colleagues are helping to find the most effective public health interventions.

Lesieli Seaton Thumbnail

Lesieli Seaton

“I highly recommend the Te Pōkai programme because you will not only go  on a journey of learning to be a teacher but you will discover a new  sense of identity.  Teaching kaupapa maori starts with knowing who you  are and valuing your own history."

Jon Hall thumbnail

Lessons in politeness and performance

Lessons in politeness and performance

Tobias Langlotz thumbnail

Let there be colour

Let there be colour

Liam McIlvanney_English_Thumb

Liam McIlvanney

“If you want to study literature you have an advantage if you write.”

Libby Hamilton thumbnail

Libby Hamilton

"Studying contemporary music really opened my eyes to the intricate craftsmanship behind writing a good song."

Professor Gareth Jones & Maja Whitaker

Life after death

“Repeatedly, we see the wishes of the living take precedence over the wishes of the dead. This is not based on ethics, but on expediency.”

Life in lockdown  thumbnail

Life in lockdown

At 11.29pm on 25 March 2020 New Zealand entered Alert Level 4 – a nationwide lockdown.

Parry Guilford thumbnail

Life saver

Life saver

Lindsay Robertson thumbnail

Lindsay Robertson

After completing the Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health (DPH), Lindsay decided to stay  on to complete her master's in Public Health and a PhD.

Lindy Fraser thumb

Lindy Fraser

"The beauty of this degree is that it doesn't narrow you down in terms of job prospects."

wellbeing

Line managers influence wellness of staff

Many organisations assume their HRM policies work and deliver optimum  staff performance and therefore productivity to their organisation.....how true is this?

Lisa Marshall tn

Lisa Marshall

The content in these papers has vastly increased my knowledge around  pain and the complexities of managing this for my patients.

Lisa McClintock

Lisa McClintock was going to be a Doctor, but discovered a passion for chemistry and was hooked. She now works at Fonterra, improving products using chemistry in the bakery rather than the lab.

Lisa Reynodls thumbnail

Lisa Reynolds

A Bachelor of Science graduate, Lisa works as an administrator and studied part-time to complete the Postgraduate Certificate in Public Health.

Liz Goodin thumbnail

Liz Goodin

Her research focussed on the gene MET, which is important in a rare bone disease in children called Osteofibrous Dysplasia.

Liz Holland thumb

Liz Holland

Liz Holland admits to somewhat divided loyalties when watching the All Blacks play the Wallabies in the Rugby World Cup semi-final. The Wallabies were, after all, wearing Canterbury clothing that she had helped to design.

Lloyd-Burr-thumb

Lloyd Burr

I work with some of the country's most experienced and renowned journalists for New Zealand's biggest multi-media company – my future is bright and Otago is where it all started.

Lloyd McGinty profile thumbnails

Lloyd McGinty

It's not easy being green, which is precisely why businesses rely on people like Lloyd McGinty to ease the pressure.

Logan Seddon thumb

Logan Seddon

Logan Seddon, radiation therapist, has no trouble listing the advantages of his career.

Joe Boden thumbnail

Longitudinal lessons

During its more than 30 years of existence, researchers from the Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS) have published an average of one paper every month.

Crowd thumbnail

Longitudinal studies

The University of Otago hosts two of the most significant longitudinal  studies in the world – the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and  Development Study and the Christchurch Health and Development Study.

Marc Schallenberg thumbnail image

Looking at lakes

New Zealand, with 3,500 lakes, faces many freshwater issues, yet has relatively few qualified people to help solve them.

Louise-Sandford-tn

Louise Sandford

When Louise Sandford completed her undergraduate degree in Anatomy, she  never imagined that her postgraduate studies would take her to a dream  job in Wellington with one of the largest non-profit organisations in  New Zealand.  But this is exactly what happened, and Louise is now the  National Research and Policy Manager for the Cancer Society.

L-Kempthorne-tn

Loveday Kempthorne

Loveday Kempthorne completed a BSc with Honours in Maths in 1996. The following year she also completed a BA Honours in French. She continued on to graduate Maths ( Part III of the Mathematical Tripos) at Cambridge, and recently completed a Masters in International Relations.

Luba Lukacova-tn

Luba Lukacova

Luba Lukacova welcomed the opportunity to take on the entire  Postgraduate  Certificate in Health Sciences endorsed in Pain and Pain  Management as I  found it particularly relevant to my clinical role.

Lucie Humpfries thumbnail

Lucie Humphries

“I loved the learning, particularly learning to understand young children's behaviour and how to recognise when and why they are frustrated or angry; basically learning about how they learn."

Lucy_Carter_thumb

Lucy Carter

Sociology and the humanities are important subjects because they teach you about ethics.

Lucy-Clark-thumb

Lucy Clark

The research skills and critical thinking I developed in my undergraduate degree have been invaluable to my work.

Lucy King - Marketing thumbnail

Lucy King

The opportunity for personal development was one of the main factors that led Lucy King to choose the University of Otago.

Luke Gardener Thumbnail

Luke Gardener

“I wouldn't have studied anywhere elsewhere in New Zealand. I was taught  by people who had previously held roles in governments, including the  ex-foreign affairs minister of Afghanistan, and academics who are  internationally renowned for their work. Otago is a great place to  study.”

Luke Minford-thumbnail

Luke Minford

“English teaches you how to read, not just for the sake of reading but  to get the most out of it, which is an incredibly powerful skill."

Lyall Hanton thumb

Lyall Hanton

Chemistry lecturer Lyall Hanton admits to an obsession with science from a young age.

Lydia White thumbnail

Lydia White

"Along with language papers I also had the opportunity to discover many facets of German culture, inlcuding German literature, history, philosophy, and art."

Macaela Joyes Thumbnail

Macaela Joyes

“I would really encourage more students to think about completing HUMS301. It was a really perfect paper to finish off my politics study because I  was able to see themes and theories I had studied since my first year in  action."

France Hudson thumbnail

Managing retreat

Managing retreat

Manuel Wehi - Education thumbnail

Manuel Wehi

A desire to give back to his home community motivated Manuel Wehi to studying teaching at the University of Otago.

Hauiti Hakopa thumbnail

Mapping ancestral landscapes

Modern mapping technology is helping to preserve traditional Māori knowledge.

Marc Matsas thumb

Marc Matsas

"I'm passionate about science and about teaching, and Otago gave me the life skills to be good at my work."

MarcusHoefligerThumb

Marcus Hoefliger

“I wanted to undertake a programme that allowed me to apply the theories  I learned in my undergraduate degrees to real-life, practical  scenarios. The Master of Entrepreneurship was the perfect programme to  achieve this.”

dsc04596_thumb

Marewa Kraak

"We launched the business at the end of 2013, and it's growing really fast. We're just making the move into supermarkets, we've launched into Australia, and we're exploring the wider global market."

Margaretha Small-Smith

"Through studying Spanish, I developed an appreciation for communicating with more than words."

Mariam Abdul thumbnail

Mariam Abdul-Dayyem

“Social media is challenging traditional sociology because the  socialisation isn't happening face to face – its virtual. It's  interesting to see how sociology can adapt and deal with these changes.”

Marianna McEwan thumb

Marianna McEwan

Marianna McEwan; Packaging technologist at Frucor Beverages

M-Swart-tn

Marianne Swart

With Physiology the options are endless! “Physiology allows me to work in varied jobs; as a researcher, in industry or allied health as a cardiac, respiratory or sleep physiologist”.

Marica Frost Thumbnail

Marica Frost

“My studies were excellent preparation for my role as a Refugee and  Protection Officer with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and  Employment."

Nicola Wheen thumbnail image

Marine mortality minefield

Saving New Zealand threatened marine animals is being made more complicated by the way the relevant legislation is spread over three Acts of Parliament, according to Faculty of Law senior lecturer Nicola Wheen.

Martin Burke thumbnail

Martin Burke

"I think my disability is one of those unseen disabilities."

Mary Foley thumbnail

Mary Foley

Otago Law Faculty was the obvious choice, its reputation for collegiality and academic excellence being well founded.

Maryann Cant, Pharmacy profile thumbnail

Maryann Cant

At the end of high school I knew I wanted to go into something health  related as I enjoyed science based subjects and wanted to be able to  make a difference in the community.

Matariki thumbnail

Matariki: global reach

The Matariki Network enables Otago researchers to share knowledge and best practice, and to establish meaningful international collaborations.

Mathew Downs thumbnail

Mathew Downs

When John Barlow appealed his conviction for the murders of Gene and Eugene Thomas on the grounds that one aspect of the scientific…

Lubica Benuskova

Maths modelling aids brain research

Fast, adaptable, and extremely portable - it is the best computer known to man. Able to learn languages, guide vehicles and make complex computations in a split second, there is nothing that can match the versatility of the human brain.

Matiu Payne thumbnail

Matiu Payne

I'm working full-time so I chose postgraduate study via distance because I could fit it in with my work

Matt-Hickey-tn

Matt Hickey

Matt is working as a Water Resource Scientist for the Otago regional Council. His job is to set minimum flows in rivers, carefully balancing the needs of the eco-system to maintain it's sustainability, as well as the needs of users such as farmers wanting water for irrigation

Matt Short thumbnail

Matt Short

Returning to study postgraduate papers at University of Otago has  been one of the most rewarding and progressive decisions Matt believes  he has made in his professional career.

Matthew Prouse (thumbnail photo)

Matthew Prouse

Matthew Prouse wanted a career where he could go to work each day and, as he explains, "learn about life and expand my understanding of the world."

Drs Rudd, Hayward and Craig

Media delivery for voters

Many people think that the media have dumbed down over the years, increasingly producing populist trivia rather than useful information.

Neil Carr thumbnail

Media narratives

Blindsided by COVID-19 and its rampant infectious path, international tourism has contracted with unprecedented swiftness over recent months. Meanwhile, mainstream and social media has become bloated with coronavirus discourse. As someone whose areas of expertise include human behaviour and destination management, Professor Neil Carr (Tourism) has been professionally – but cheerlessly – riveted.

placeholder-thumbnail

Medicines for equity

Improving access to medicines could be a simple and relatively inexpensive way to ensure a healthier life for all New Zealanders. Otago researchers are working with Pharmac to identify the barriers.

Megan Anderson thumbnail

Megan Anderson

Megan Anderson was the first student at the University of Otago to receive a Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in Sociology.

Meghan Evans thumb

Meghan Evans

The University of Otago is the “science university” and this is what  attracted Meghan Evans south from Wellington to study biomedical  sciences.

Mei Mackay-thumb

Mei Mackay

"Without the enthusiasm and encouragement from the history department staff I might never have developed my passion for history and research."

Melissa Ludeke thumb

Melissa Ludeke

"Studying at the University of Otago provided me with the ideal environment to explore my interest in women's health".

Mental health thumbnail

Mental health impacts

While most New Zealanders coped well with being in lockdown during COVID-19 Alert Level 4, almost a third experienced high levels of mental distress, well above normal levels, researchers from the University of Otago have found.

Mercy Ah Siu-Maliko Thumbnail

Mercy Ah Siu-Maliko

Mercy Ah Siu-Maliko says that her main purpose in coming to the  University of Otago was that it “was able to offer postgraduate  opportunities especially for women in areas that were mostly dominated  by men”.

Michael Stevens profile thumbnail

Michael Stevens

Time takes on peculiar qualities for many PhD students, and for Michael Stevens perhaps more than most.

Michele Burns tn

Michele Burns

The ability to study, work and pursue other interests while in a family environment made distance learning an attractive option.

Michelle Redmond thumb

Michelle Redmond

Michelle Redmond is no stranger to distance learning.

Robert Patman thumbnail

Middle Eastern perspectives

After years of research and on-the-ground experience, experts from Otago's Department of Politics are helping their students – and the wider world – make sense of Middle East politics.

Mike-Owen-tn

Mike Owen

For Mike Owen the blend of indoor and outdoor activities along with travel opportunities, variety and job security made studying surveying a no-brainer.

Mike Owen thumbnail

Mike Owen

“One of the real highlights of the job is being able to see a large part of the country.”

Mele Taumoepeau

Mind reader

Everyone knows the way mothers speak to their babies is special, but to Dr Mele Taumoepeau the unique linguistic bond between mother and child is more than just baby talk.

Minishka Bradley

Minishka Bradley

“If you are thinking about teaching my only advice is do it. It really is the most rewarding career."

Miriam Jenkins thumbnail

Miriam Jenkins

Since religion and faith are practised in such wildly varying ways around the world, my background has helped me to adjust my viewpoint when working in a multicultural office, and also at competitions abroad.

Nick Wilson thumbnail

Model advice

Concerned by how disastrous the coronavirus outbreak could become, Professor Nick Wilson and his team have modelled real-world data throughout the pandemic crisis, providing vital information for government.

Moizle Ocariza image 2021 thumbnail

Moizle Ocariza

Graduating with a degree in biochemistry in the midst of a global pandemic gave Moizle Ocariza a flying start to her career in biotechnology.

Molly Devine thumbnail

Molly Devine

"It really helped me to be independent– I can write a song, I can sing a song and I can record it."

Monica Singh thumb

Monica Singh

Monica Singh knows first hand the range of jobs a Biochemistry degree opens up.

Monica Singh Social Work thumbnail

Monica Singh

“You have to be role models; to learn to balance what you have with what you've learned in order to provide support and advocacy to people and to families."

Moragh Loose thumbnail

Moragh Loose

"Anthropology introduced me to a whole way of thinking and understanding people that I hadn't experienced before."

US Flag banner thumbnail

Mothers' darlings

During World War II several thousand mixed-race babies were born to Pacific women and US servicemen serving in the region. Little has been known of these "children" and their stories – until now.

Caroline Orchiston thumbnail

Moving mountains

Moving mountains

Mutahar Al-Murtadha thumbnail

Mutahar Al-Murtadha

“It just shows everything is possible – when I began my studies at Otago  I never thought I could publish in a top journal but now it is looking  possible.”

M-Fahmy-tn

Muthasim Fahmy

“Shortage of energy is just round the corner so someone has to do this! Otago offers a variety of pathways, with Energy Studies – which is a science program -  and Energy Management which is an applied science program and very practical.”

Myunik Panthi Thumbnail

Myunik Panthi

"I knew by undertaking research at an international level I could get experience that wouldn't be available otherwise.”

Gianna Leoni thumbnail

Māori economic expression

Postdoctoral research fellow Dr Gianna Leoni is seeking better ways of using the Māori language to express Māori economic aspirations.

placeholder-thumbnail

Māori mental health: inequity and systemic change

Māori are disproportionately impacted by mental health problems. Dr Cameron Lacey and his team are looking at the reasons for this and how these inequities can be overcome.

Sir Peter Buck thumbnail

Mātauranga Māori

In 1904 Te Rangi Hiroa – later Sir Peter Buck – became Otago's first Maori graduate and the first New Zealand-trained Maori medical doctor.

Anne Marie thumbnail

Mātauranga and marine management

Mātauranga and marine management

Ewan Fordyce thumbnail

NZ key to fossil record

A project exploring the “dark age” of whale and dolphin (Cetacea) history seeks to uncover the mystery of the earliest “modern” cetaceans and plug the gap in the global fossil record.

Naomi Aporo profile thumbnail

Naomi Aporo

Naomi Aporo has built a successful career out of combining her talent for business with her passion for Māori culture and heritage.

Natalie Fleming, Pharmacy profile thumbnail

Natalie Fleming

During First Year Health Science, I particularly enjoyed the biochemistry and pharmacology components, and was curious to learn the mechanisms behind how medicines worked.

Natalie Harfoot thumb

Natalie Harfoot

Using the same technology you see on CSI, Natalie Harfoot examines a new set of samples.

Natalie Lanfear thumb

Natalie Lanfear

Natalie Lanfear says distance learning is an ideal option for those on the go.

Natalie Medlicott thumbnail

Natalie Medlicott

Associate Professor Natalie Medlicott's Pharmacy research involves colleagues in New Zealand, Australia, Denmark and Northern Ireland — and distance is not an issue.

Nathan Alexander Thumb

Nathan Alexander

Becoming a teacher wasn't always Nathan's plan. He moved to Otago from Christchurch to study Phys-Ed exclusively, on the recommendation of teachers who had told him it was “the best place in the country” to study the subject.

Nathan Rose thumbnail

Nathan Rose

Nathan Rose jokes that he gained a “poker degree” at Otago, with majors in Finance and Psychology.

Nathaniel Christensen thumb

Nathaniel Christensen

Geography was Nat Christensen's favourite subject at school, but he didn't focus on it when he first started a BA at Otago.

Neha Parayath_Pharmacology_Thumb

Neha N. Parayath

“I found Dunedin really quiet, but then I started liking the calmness. I think I have got used to it now, and I can work in peace.”

Beach iphone thumbnail

Networking holidays

Social networking is playing an increasingly important role in where people decide to go on holiday and what they do when they get there.

Dirk de Ridder thumbnail

Neuro frontiers

The future looks bright for the country's first academic neurosurgery unit at the University of Otago.

Dias et al thumbnail image

New face to ancient history

Resurrecting the dead may be impossible, but Dr George Dias is achieving the next best thing.

Meglinski Longdell thumbnail

New light on cancer

Researchers in Otago's Departments of Physics and Pathology are  combining their expertise in two projects that have the potential to  revolutionise techniques used for cancer detection and diagnosis.

TB bacteria thumbnail

New talents

Microbiologist Professor Greg Cook has been awarded the University of Otago's 2014 Distinguished Research Medal for ground-breaking work that may lead to a breakthough in the fight against diseases such as tuberculosis. He is also committed to mentoring a new generation of talented researchers.

Nic Vipond thumbnail

Nic Vipond

“I'm finding there are more opportunities with respect to work and learning available and I have the confidence to explore more academic work-related pursuits."

Nicola Bunkenburg

Nicola graduated with a BSc(Honours) in Biochemistry at the end of 2008. By March 2009 she was employed by Global Science, supplying scientific products throughout Southern New Zealand.

Nicole Chuah thumbnail

Nicole Chuah

PPE gives you the substantial depth in a cohesive breadth of disciplines that prepares you for jobs in a range of fields, such as politics, business and journalism.

Nicole Chuah_Philosophy_Thumb

Nicole Chuah

“Otago appealed for its ideal mix of academic and social activities and Dunedin has all the right kinds of student town vibes.”

Nicole Jenkins - Dance thumbnail

Nicole Jenkins

Nicole Jenkins has always loved to dance, so when she found out the University of Otago was offering dance papers, she knew she had to make it part of her degree.

Caldwell thumbnail

Nicotine "hit" a new way to quit

A key driver in the Government's aspirational Smokefree 2025 goal for  New Zealand is better help for smokers wanting to quit. With that vision  for the future in mind, University of Otago, Wellington researchers are  breaking new ground in the area of smoking cessation.

Niki Lomax thumbnail

Niki Lomax

I loved studying arts and it was an excellent foundation for the 'real world'. It helps you develop effective communication and analytical skills which are immensely useful in any workplace.

Niki Osborne

Niki has always been fascinated by the processes used by police investigators to link evidence to perpetrators.  Her research looks at how forensic decision-makers can be swayed by more than just the evidence, and how miscarriages of justice can be prevented.

Nita Sullivan thumbnail

Nita Sullivan

Nita works as a graduate advisor in the Mayor's Office at the  Christchurch City Council, a job that involves  providing research,  analysis and advice to support the Mayor in her leadership role within  Christchurch City.

Anna Garden thumbnail

Nixing nitrate with nanoparticles

Nixing nitrate with nanoparticles

Nuno Hermiterio thumbnail

Nuno Hermiterio

I felt I needed to understand the way Radiation Therapy is taught in New Zealand in order to do a better job teaching them

Rachael Taylor thumbnail

Obesity interventions

With statistics showing that around one third of young New Zealanders  are overweight, research programmes are looking at ways to modify both  the eating and activity patterns of our babies and children.

clocktower closeup

Ocean explorers

From the largest to the very smallest sea creatures, and from estuaries to deep-water trenches, Otago researchers are striving to increase our understanding of the vast oceans that make our planet habitable.

Jon Waters and Ceridwen Fraser thumbnail image

Ocean travellers

An evening stroll along one of Dunedin's most popular beaches has led to a fascinating discovery by Department of Zoology researchers.

Claudine Stirling thumbnail

Oceans and oxygen

Extreme volcanic eruptions more than 94 million years ago had a dramatic effect on Earth's climate. Otago's Professor Claudine Stirling is now examining tiny traces of uranium and other elements in ancient sediments to determine what happened in the oceans and what might happen in the future.

Oliver-Broughton-thumbnail

Oliver Broughton

"Threats of power blackouts from low Hydro lake levels in my final school years piqued my interest in a career in the energy industry.  I attended the open day in yr 13, picking up some brochures for Energy Studies – it looked awesome."

Olivia Buckner thumbnail

Olivia Buckner

"I learnt in a team teaching environment, which made everything less daunting and meant that I started my teaching career with confidence."

Olivia Glazebrook thumb

Olivia Glazebrook

Olivia Glazebrook, Heinz Watties recipient and graduate of the Food Science Department

David Murdoch thumbnail

One health for our health

COVID-19 has highlighted the impact of humanity's changing relationship with the environment. Infectious disease expert Professor David Murdoch says a One Health approach is needed to help ward off future threats.

Pill strawberry banner thumbnail

Oral vaccine breakthrough

Immune Solutions Ltd, a spin-out company formed by Otago Innovation Ltd,  the University of Otago's commercial arm, has developed a world-leading  oral delivery method for vaccines and bioactives for commercial use.

Oscar Acland thumbnail 2020

Oscar Acland

“While volunteering at Dunedin Community Accounting (DCA) I was able to implement the strategies and concepts I'd learned during my studies to help fix day-to-day issues that affect non-profit charities in Dunedin. I also had the opportunity to organise and run a seminar to help first-time treasurers understand their role in their non-profit organisations. Many of the skills I learned from my DCA experience were easily transferable to the activities I performed during a summer internship with Ernst Young in Christchurch.”

Joseph Mellor thumbnail

Otago innovators

“Today we may not know enough to see the practical bearing of this work, but who dare predict what we shall see tomorrow.”

Katie Lane thumbnail

Otago's People: Katie Lane

Travelling to exotic locations with an international rally motorsport  team may sound like a life of glamour, but Otago alumna Katie Lane says  it's not only the drivers that need focus and “grit” to stay ahead of  the competition.

Urban futures 2 thumbnail

Our urban future

With 87 per cent of New Zealanders now living in cities and towns,  planning for urban resilience is needed more than ever. What development  path should New Zealand's cities take to ensure the maximum  environmental, economic, social and cultural benefits can be gained?

Peter Smith & Peter Hurst thumbnail

PCOS study brings the best capabilities together

A 27-year working relationship has brought the best of sheep and human research capabilities together and laid the foundation for a developing area of study.

Bryant Carter thumbnail

Pacific lessons

NZ can learn a lot from the Pacific when it comes to climate change.

Sir Tom Davis thumbnail

Pacific people

The University of Otago has a long association with its Pacific neighbours. From the early 1930s, a series of bright young men from the islands blazed a path to Otago, determined to advance opportunities for indigenous people.

Mele Taumoepeau thumbnail

Pacific youth wellness

Pacific youth wellness

David Baxter thumbnail

Pain of ageing

As part of a growing focus on how New Zealanders can age well, Professor David Baxter is investigating the impact of pain and its associated disabilities on older people's lives.

Ben Hudson thumbnail

Pain relief

Every week Christchurch general practitioner Dr Ben Hudson sees patients with severe pain from osteoarthritis, but with few options for relief.

placeholder-thumbnail

Pan Yin Hsia (Susan)

The Otago experience has prepared me well for my career as a pharmacist.

Paola Voci thumb

Paola Voci

"I'm interested in the type of dissent that these forms of visual culture can produce and how they can contribute to create a more open society."

Paris_Potaka_Goossens_thumb

Paris Potaka-Goossens

What I love about the course is that you can do both hygiene and therapy rather than having to choose one or the other.

Felix Marx thumbnail image

Past impacts: future clues

A study by PhD Geology student Felix Marx has shown that the evolution of modern whales was driven by a combination of food abundance and climate change, findings which could help scientists predict the impacts of future global changes on these creatures.

Tony Ballantyne thumbnail

Past, present, future

Understanding the legacy of New Zealand's complicated past will be made  easier by research from the University of Otago's Centre for Research on  Colonial Culture (CRCC).

Richie Poulton thumbnail

Past, present, future...

The internationally acclaimed Dunedin Study is being reset. Building on its vast database of knowledge, using cutting-edge technologies and world-class expertise  the study is now examining how we age. It is looking at why some people age faster than others – and how an extended life span might also be an extended health span.

Pat Wheatley thumb

Pat Wheatley

Growing up in the Canterbury high country, Pat was a farm kid who read Homer.

Patricia-Windle-thumb

Patricia Windle

The combined programme has sent me down an interesting career path.

Susan Heydon thumbnail

Pattern and context

Dr Susan Heydon's background in history helps her social pharmacy research.

Paul Chong thumb

Paul Chong

"Business studies gives a really good career base. You do a bit of everything in a BCom."

Paulien-van-Geel-tn

Paulien van Geel

Paulien van Geel works with families addressing family nutrition and lifestyle goals. She is employed by Sport Wellington as the Active Families advisor.

Richard Jackson and Charles Butcher thumbnail

Peaceful solutions

The National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, established at the University of Otago in 2009, combines multidisciplinary expertise and research on the global issues of development, peace-building and conflict transformation. Two of the centre's staff discuss the effectiveness of non-violence as a means of countering terrorism and repressive regimes.

Penny McRandle thumb

Penny McRandle

Penny McRandle chose to study at Otago for its variety of Health Sciences courses and discovered a passion for Pharmacology.

Parry Guilford thumbnail

Personalising cancer

Professor Parry Guilford is leading a game-changing project to investigate the potential of ctDNA technology to better detect and treat New Zealand's most prevalent cancers.

Peter Murray thumbnail

Peter Murray

Peter Murray is a medical doctor who is currently undertaking his specialist training with the New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine.

Petra McCallum thumb

Petra McCallum

Petra McCallum has pursued her fascination for other cultures and languages across continents - originally from Melbourne, she has lived in Ecuador, Spain and England.

Philippa McNulty thumb

Philippa McNulty

Few 14-year-olds have an interest in accountancy, but then again few can boast a top-shelf London lifestyle by the time they reach their mid-20s.

Zach Weber thumbnail

Philosophical paradoxes

A University of Otago philosopher is seeking to explain something that has puzzled philosophers since at least the fourth century.

Maria Amoamo thumbnail image

Pitcairn postdoc

Few stories have captured the imagination of readers as successfully as the extraordinary South Seas tale of Fletcher Christian and fellow mutineers on the HMS Bounty.

Shieak Tzeng thumbnail

Point-of-care focus

Point-of-care focus

placeholder-thumbnail

Policy school fosters tourism rethink

At the time of writing, Professor James Higham (Tourism) has just spotted an article in the Otago Daily Times that points to some heartening gown-to-town traction in the tourism industry.

Heather Devere thumbnail image

Politics of friendship

"For most of the 20th century political friendships have been equated with nepotism and favouritism, which do not fit with the idea of objective democracy"

Janet Stevenson thumbnail

Power of change

Power of change

Rob Lawson Janet Stevenson banner thumbnail

Power to change

The interdisciplinary Energy Cultures project is finding out why New Zealanders are slow to adopt energy-efficient technologies.

Indrawati Oey thumbnail image

Pressure on food processing

A means of food processing and preservation that maintains nutritional benefits, taste, colour and appearance while at the same time keeps the product stable, safe and easy to use is something of a holy grail for food scientists.

Preston Maluafiti thumbnail

Preston Maluafiti

Over the summer Preston worked on a project which looked at the global state of  involvement of indigenous knowledge in ecosystem restoration.

Dr Collings and Professor Dowell

Primary solutions

Professor Tony Dowell and Dr Sunny Collings (University of Otago, Wellington) are convinced that GPs and other primary health-care professionals can provide more effective care to the thousands of people suffering from mild to moderate mental health problems in New Zealand.

Tim Woodfield thumbnail

Printing cartilage

A third of the New Zealand population will be aged over 60 by 2051. This  growth, combined with an elderly population living longer and more  active lives, means an epidemic of degenerative joint disease is fast  approaching. Dr Tim Woodfield, of the Christchurch Regenerative Medicine  and Tissue Engineering (CReATE) Group, is working on a way to address  this epidemic.

Professor Cliff Abraham 2009 Distinguished Research Medal Recipient

Professor Cliff Abraham - 2009 Distinguished Research Medal recipient

The brain is an astonishing device for storing the information with which it is bombarded, every moment of the day.

John_Crump_tn

Professor John Crump

Professor Crump's work focuses on infectious diseases that cause fever, a very common syndrome in the tropics and one that is often equated with malaria.

David Duval

Project set to fly

Fundmental questions, such as what factors airlines consider when adding or reducing flights to New Zealand, are to be examined under a FRST grant secured by Associate Professor David Timothy Duval (Department of Tourism).

placeholder-thumbnail

Public housing marae-style

A project in Wellington to build public housing connected to a microgrid  on Māori reserve land is providing a way for one community to deal with  the housing crisis and could become a pilot project for others around  the country.

Jason Gurney thumbnail

Puzzling disparity

Contrary to international trends, in which testicular cancer is a disease of white men, New Zealand's rates are highest among Māori compared to any other ethnic group, including Pacific men for whom rates are the lowest.

Qais Nayle tn

Qais Nayle

Qais Nayle's dream of becoming a doctor has led him from war-torn  Afghanistan, via Pakistan, to Dunedin where he arrived in 2009 hoping to  complete the medical degree he had started at Aryana University in  Peshawar.  Dunedin was an easy choice as his wife, Marwa, was already an  Otago student (she has since completed Oral Health and Dental  Technology qualifications)

Physics image thumbnail

Quantum Leap

From cutting-edge research with real-world application, to the generation of fundamental knowledge about how the physical universe is composed and behaves – the new Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies offers exciting potential.

Mikkel Andersen thumbnail image

Quantum leap

Otago physicists have used laser-cooling technology to slow a group of rubidium 85 atoms; then, by using a laser beam, or optical "tweezers", they have been able to isolate and capture one atom – and photograph it through a microscope.

Michael Winikoff thumbnail

Questions of trust

Questions of trust

Q-Berentson-thumb

Quinn Berentson

'Because zoology is non-professional you are not locked into a career path,' he says.  'You can steer it where you want to at varsity or go in a number of directions afterwards.  'Zoology is learning more about the things you see every day out of the window - especially in Dunedin

Rachael Dyche Thumb

Rachael Dyche

Rachael Dyche literally fell for physiotherapy in her last year at school. After a fall she had to have physiotherapy - and she realised that was the career for her.

Rachael Holloway

Distance learning meant I could study at night, and when my son had an afternoon nap I could get a little bit of reading done.

Rachael Lander thumbnail

Rachael Lander

“Human geography was the degree that offered the broad combination of economic, political and social issues that I was looking for.”

Rachael Marren Thumb

Rachael Marren

“I really like the way that all your papers overlap, and you can increasingly see how each one is relevant to all the others”

Rachel Malden - Economics thumbnail

Rachel Malden

For Rachel Malden, coming to the University of Otago wasn't the easiest choice, but it turned out to be the right one.

Rachel Piper thumbnail

Rachel Piper

Studying at Otago was a pivotal step for a young girl from Invercargill in becoming a partner in the multinational professional services firm…

Rajeshni Naidu thumbnail

Rajeshni Naidu

This area of practice is very challenging and always gives me opportunities to do further studies and research.

Rangimarie Mules thumbnail

Rangimarie Mules

"At the University of Otago they didn't put barriers or obstacles in the  way I thought. I really appreciated the way the people around me opened  my mind to affect change in a positive way."

Raphael Richter-Gravier

Raphael Richter-Gravier who studied for a DipGrad in Japanese and Māori Studies

Rapid response thumbnail

Rapid response

The University of Otago's “exceptional expertise” in infectious diseases has proven invaluable as New Zealand confronted a long-predicted pandemic, but one for which it was ill-prepared.

Raquel Hill thumbnail

Raquel Hill

"Language learners often feel self-conscious about baring their fledgling skills in front of their peers, but I was always made to feel relaxed and received plenty of encouragement."

Jo Stanton thumbnail

Ready results

Hand-held technology used to identify plant viruses in the field is informing the development of a new device to quickly detect COVID-19, delivering on-the-spot results and potentially transforming the diagnostic process.

Robert Thompson thumbnail

Real-world science fiction

Understanding what it would take to effectively cloak an object and make  it invisible may sound fanciful, but the lessons learned along the way  are likely to feed into other
areas of technology.

Rebecca Campbell thumb

Rebecca Campbell

Associate Professor Rebecca Campbell's work focuses on the neural circuits that control fertility. “We examine how these circuits work normally, and also try to define whether problems in these circuits contribute to infertility.”

Rebecca Lawrence thumbnail

Rebecca Lawrence

Rebecca Lawrence completed her final year of high school in Denmark on exchange. Before she went she had been undecided about what to study at university, but while she was away Rebecca realised that she really missed the outdoors of New Zealand, and was really interested in finding out more about the natural environment.

Rebecca Llewellyn tn

Rebecca Llewellyn

Having an undergraduate degree in neuroscience and psychology, Rebecca wanted to study and work at a level of greater influence than her original plans of being a clinical psychologist would allow.

Rebecca Brookland thumbnail

Rebecca McLean

“For me it is essential that my research has the potential for real  change—that it can influence policy and practice for better health  outcomes.”

Rebecca Thomson thumbnail

Rebecca Thomson

Following her passion to study Philosophy gave Rebecca Thomson an edge when it came to her career.

Rebekah Crake tn

Rebekah Crake

Rebekah Crake grew up in Christchurch and wanted to stay in her home town while she did postgraduate study.

Liz Franz thumbnail

Reflective responses

Reflective responses

Susan Houge MacKenzie - Tourism, University of Otago

Reframing adventure tourism

How can outdoor adventure and nature-based experiences be used to engage young people in science subjects as well as promote health and wellbeing?

James Higham thumbnail

Regenerative tourism

Tourism Professor James Higham argues that the COVID-ushered pause is the moment to reconceive the tourism industry.

Will Sweetman

Religious treasure rediscovered

Indiana Jones and the Da Vinci Code may be fictional, but academics really do have their moments in solving age-old mysteries in exotic locations.

Renee Heal thumbnail

Renee Heal

"The study of politics has given me a truly international worldview: many of my travel choices have been inspired by the content of my degree and the passion inspired by my lecturers."

placeholder-thumbnail

Renewable goals: 100%

How will the effects of climate change impact New Zealand's energy system? Dr Jen Purdie is heading a Deep South Science Challenge project to find out.

Brent Caldwell thumbnail image

Replacing replacements

In spite of years of education campaigns and steadily rising tobacco prices, 22 per cent of New Zealand's adult population continue to smoke.

Pearson thumbnail

Repositioning Nepal

After the earth moved: Dr Chris Pearson has been helping to create a new surveying computer model for Nepal.

Sian Halcrow thumbnail

Research awards

The University of Otago is committed to fostering and supporting the work of up-and-coming and early-career researchers.

Mann et al thumbnail

Research guides better health

Sugar, carbohydrate, sodium: nutrition research at Otago is influencing and informing World Health Organization guidelines.

placeholder-thumbnail

Researchers examine seaweed beds in the Otago harbour

Research into macroalgae or seaweed goes back 140 years at the University of Otago, but it has never been more relevant than it is now as a new generation of researchers examine the potential of these prolific marine plants in future food production, as a carbon sink and in mitigating intensive farming impacts in both the sea and on land.

Professor Alan Musgrave thumbnail image

Researching science

“There's a big problem in academia and that's the problem of specialisation. People speak in their own esoteric tongues to specialised audiences - it's a real intellectual danger.”

Katharina Ruckstuhl thumbnail

Rethink for Māori economy

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the Māori economy, but has also presented it with opportunities, says Otago Business School's Associate Dean – Māori, Dr Katharina Ruckstuhl.

Ben Darlow thumbnail

Rethinking back pain

As many as 30 per cent of New Zealanders have back pain on any day, causing suffering, reduced quality of life and hundreds of millions of dollars spent in health care.

Susand Sandretto thumbnail

Rethinking literacy

Education in the digital world presents new challenges – and  opportunities. Otago researchers are looking at ways in which new  technologies can deliver the best results for young New Zealanders.

Reuben Steff thumbnail

Reuben Steff

"Studying Politics at Otago provided me with an insight into the diversity of the world that I would otherwise not have gained."

Richard Henry Thumb

Richard Henry

"That was the 'light bulb moment' – I knew there was a gap in the market"

Richard Lambie thumbnail

Richard Lambie

Richard Lambie, Global Head - TannerCTS (Tanner Pharma Group)

placeholder-thumbnail

Right amount Right place Right time

Pharmaceutical coating technologies are being developed to provide innovative and more efficient solutions for agriculture.

Whale thumbnail

Right on track

Southern right whales, once hunted to commercial extinction, are re-colonising New Zealand.

Fever thumbnail

Risks and rheumatic fever

A multidisciplinary team of Otago researchers is working to eliminate the scourge of rheumatic fever, a disease that persists in New Zealand particularly among Māori and Pacific children.

Roanne-Hurley-tn

Roanne Hurley

Lots of friends, a wide range of subjects, and  practical application of the knowledge aquired : Physical Education was definitely the right choice for Roanne!

Rob Aitken Thumb

Rob Aitken

Dr Rob Aitken brings the savvy eye of a media expert to his current work as a Marketing lecturer at the University of Otago.

Robert Mane thumb

Robert Mane

“It's a pretty intense course, but if you work hard you get the benefit from it."

Robert Patman Thumb

Robert Patman

“One of the key challenges of teaching is to communicate ideas and information clearly”

Robyn McLean thumb

Robyn McLean

"In Information Science you're looking at business rules and how to match them through information systems."

Dan Osland thumbnail

Roman review

A study of archaeological evidence from the Spanish city of Mérida by a University of Otago Classics lecturer, Dr Dan Osland, could rewrite the textbooks on Roman and medieval history.

Rosemary-Gibson-thumb

Rosemary Gibson

Are Colin McCahon's religious paintings akin to “graffiti on the walls of some celestial lavatory?” At Otago you can decide for yourself.

Ros Kemp_Immunology_Thumb

Roslyn Kemp

”I've tried to take the best ideas from my mentors and help students to learn not only the science but how to be scientists in the real world.”

Richard Porter thumbnail

Routine survey

Christchurch researchers are part of an international effort to understand how isolation and the disruption of routines associated with COVID-19 have affected people with mood disorders such as bipolar disorder and depression.

Lisa Stamp

Routing gout. Early Career Awards for Distinction in Research

Rheumatologist Dr Lisa Stamp could have been a professional musician – a cellist – but half way through a Bachelor of Music degree she decided to be a doctor instead.

Roy Britten thumbnail

Roy Britten

Increasing frustration over his desk-bound office job and a lack of people contact inspired Roy Britten to retrain as a nurse.

Julian Eaton Rye thumbnail

Running on pond scum

Otago scientists are manipulating the process of photosynthesis to find new and renewable sources of energy.

Russell Blakelock Thumb

Russell Blakelock

Russell Blakelock believes Otago's Distance Learning programme offers him the flexibility he needs, as well as a sense of community that he also believes to be important.

Russell Simpson thumbnail

Russell Simpson

“This qualification is professionally relevant, and because it is a clinical master's there is more weight added to its value”

Ruth Cunningham thumbnail

Ruth Cunningham

Ruth Cunningham's doctorate, with funding from an HRC clinical fellowship, is focusing on the unanswered question of what happens when someone with severe mental illness then develops cancer?

placeholder-thumbnail

Ryegrass re-imagined

A group of University of Otago biochemists is working to improve sustainability on New Zealand's beef, dairy and sheep farms, focusing not on the animals themselves, but on the food they eat: ryegrass.

Gillian Abel thumbnail image

Safer sex

There is compelling evidence that decriminalisation achieved the aim of addressing sex workers' human rights and had a positive effect on their health and safety.

Sam Harvey thumbnail

Sam Harvey

A horse riding accident changed Sam's life.

Sam-Orchard-thumb

Sam Orchard

My communication studies degree has had a huge influence on my professional life.

Sam Scott thumbnail

Sam Scott

Sam Scott says "I was surprised how easy it was to learn Chinese as I had previously written myself off as 'not being a languages person'"

Sam Trethewey thumbnail

Sam Trethewey

Originally from Christchurch, Sam Trethewey decided to study at Otago after hearing good things about the Otago Department of Finance and even better things about the Otago lifestyle.

Sara Esmay Sarah thumbnail

Samoan connections

From a new DBA programme to supporting a social enterprise initiative and supplying much-needed university textbooks, the efforts of several Otago Business School staff are set to make a difference in Samoa.

Santoria Utufua Leavai - Pharmacy Graduate thumbnail

Santoria Utufua-Leavai

Otago not only is the best place to experience being a student, but it  is also, in my own biased opinion, the best place to nurture some of the  most passionate people in the world.

Santoria Utufua-Leavai, Pharmacy Graduate

Santoria Utufua-Leavai

BPharm (2009) and Postgraduate Diploma in Pharmacy (2014)

Sapere aude thumbnail

Sapere aude

Exhorted by the University's founders to “dare to be wise”, Otago alumni have, indeed, dared. They have questioned traditional norms, challenged us with new ideas and inspired us with their creative thought.

Sara Hanning_418

Sara Hanning

Bpharm (Otago 2006), PGDip PhysEd (Otago 2007), PhD (Otago 2013)

Sarah Humphreys image 2021 thumbnail

Sara Humphreys

From the beginning, Sara Humphreys has been keen to explore the world around her, in all sorts of ways.

Sara Walton thumbnail

Sara Walton

“Some of the ways global business is taking sustainability seriously is fascinating and quite inspiring.”

Sarah Adam thumb

Sarah Adam

It was the international quality of staff and facilities at the Department of Food Science that brought Sarah to Otago.

Sarah Baldwin thumbnail

Sarah Baldwin

Sarah Baldwin reckons Otago could gives job-seekers an edge even in tough times. She's hoping that the skills she's learned at Otago will make the difference when it comes to starting her career.

Sarah Borrie Thumb

Sarah Borrie

Sarah Borrie was keen to gain a qualification with an international outlook, but she didn't expect her studies to take her around the world before she'd even graduated.

Sarah Jodzyk thumbnail

Sarah Jodczyk

“If you think of a chromosome as a shoelace, the telomere is like the protective plastic cap on the end, '' says geneticist Sarah Jodczyk.

Sarah Maessen thumbnail

Sarah Maessen

Sarah has been in the Department of Women's and Children's Health since 2013 after completing her undergraduate studies in Psychology.

Sarah McKinnon Thumb

Sarah McKinnon

"...Otago has the lifestyle, its cheaper to live here and there's more financial support available than there is at home in Australia."

Sarah Meldrum_thumb

Sarah Meldrum

"I'm so pleased I settled on Information Science because it offers the best of both worlds, combining business and technology in the one degree."

Hugh Slotten

Satellite secrets

Fifty years ago the idea of instant communication with anyone, anywhere on the planet, was just a dream.

saving-te-reo-maori

Saving te reo Māori

Māori speakers in Dunedin and Otago face an uphill battle to keep their  language skills alive so they can pass them on to new generations. But  soon they could be getting help, following collaboration between local  families, Ngāi Tahu and a multidisciplinary team from the University of  Otago.

Sa ane Meki thumbnail

Sa'ane Meki

“Knowledge and discovery are led by reasearchers and it would be cool to contribute to new discoveries that lead to an improvement in health care”.

Scientists rise thumbnail

Scientists rise to the challenge

“Nature will eventually challenge mankind again with an equivalent of  the 1918 influenza virus. We need to be careful, but we also need to be  prepared.”

Michelle Glass thumbnail

Scientists target kauri dieback

A novel approach may hold the answer to fighting dieback disease in New Zealand's treasured kauri population.

Scott Cardwell thumbnail

Scott Cardwell

Scott says that Otago has a huge amount to offer people who want to succeed in the business world.

Scott-Hooson-tn

Scott Hooson

Scott is currently working for the Department of Conservation as Technical Advisor for Operation Ark, a South Island-wide project designed to protect three particular native bird species.

Scott Ransom Thumb

Scott Ransom

Scott Ransom discovered there's a place for students with a love of writing and a penchant for the absurd. It's called Theatre Studies at Otago.

Lake paringa banner thumbnail

Seismic shift

The bottom of a pristine West Coast lake has revealed secrets that have  huge implications for the way we plan for the effects of large  earthquakes along the South Island's Alpine Fault.

Mark Stirling thumbnail

Seismic shifts

Seismic shifts

Lynette Sadlier thumbnail

Seizing answers

Spectacular advances in molecular genetics hold great promise for the  discovery of genetic mutations that cause diseases, such as epilepsy,  and for consequent understanding of developmental biology.

Mei Peng thumbnail

Sensing COVID

Dr Mei Peng has joined an international group of researchers looking at smell and taste as early warning signs of COVID-19 infection.

Steve Wing thumbnail

Sentinels of change

Sentinels of change

SP-Serra-Kilduff-thumbnail

Serra Kilduff

Serra Kilduff completed a BSc in Botany with a minor in Geology in 2008. Since then she's been working at Plant Variety Research, a very small offshoot of Intellectual Property New Zealand.

Seti Afoa thumbnail

Seti Afoa

I don't have a degree so for me this is less of a career choice than a desire to achieve a personal goal.

Lyn Tribble thumbnail

Shakespeare: memory and modern cognitive science

Shakespeare: memory and modern cognitive science

Quake road thumbnail

Shaky effects

A serendipitous twist of fate has given the Christchurch Health and Development Study an unprecendented opportunity to accurately measure the effects of earthquakes on mental

Shalini Kennedy thumbnail

Shalini Kennedy

“Studying classics allowed me to think outside the box and gave me the confidence to do anything.”

Shane Wohlers thumbnail

Shane Wohlers

'My job requires creative adaptability, the ability to come to creative solutions and exceptional communication'

ShannonClarke-tn

Shannon Clarke

Shannon explored a range of subjects when she started Uni, She completed her degree and PhD in plant biotechnology. She has now changed tack again and is a scientist with the Animal Genomics group at AgResearch in Dunedin. “Although I began my science career in plant biotechnology, the wide ranges of skills that you learn are applicable to all areas of science.”

Shannon Netball, Pharmacy Graduate

Shannon Francois

BPharm (Otago 2012)

placeholder-thumbnail

Shaping our cities

A multidisciplinary cross-agency research project, led by Otago's Sesquicentennial Distinguished Professor Philippa Howden-Chapman, sets out to measure the impact of quality public housing on the well-being of families and communities.

Hallie Buckley thumbnail

Sharing history

Worldwide collaborations are helping to piece together stories from ancient settlements across Asia and the Pacific.

Sharleen-Irvine-tn

Sharleen Irvine

Sharleen Irvine came to Hands-On Science at the start of year 13 and found out heaps about health sciences, getting into the professional courses and how Health Science First Year feeds into all of those.

Sharnee Diamond tn

Sharnee Diamond

Sharnee Diamond is looking forward to applying her knowledge to  research in minority health.

S-Teare-tn

Sheldon Teare

Aspects of what I learnt studying Classics, such as ancient manufacturing methods and materials, are useful to my work as a Conservator as we have to understand how an object was made and from what before we can treat it.

Shelley MacDonell thumbnail

Shelley MacDonell

Shelley believes that she could not have done her research in any other department.

Ting Wang thumbnail

Shocking behaviour

Identifying the foreshock phases of an earthquake sequence could lead to more accurate forecasting of main shocks, says Dr Ting Wang (Department of Mathematics and Statistics).

Ninya Maubach thumbnail

Shopping strategies

The healthiest food choices are not always the easiest ones to make, says Dr Ninya Maubach, of the University of Otago's Department of Marketing.

SP-Sian-Barris-thumbnail

Sian Barris

I chose Otago because of its reputation for being the best physical education school in the country.

Simone Colson thumbnail

Simone Colson

“I have absolutely no regrets about studying biochemistry and encourage you to take it on.”

Stephen Sowerby thumbnail

Simple solution

Worms cause more than one billion cases of gastrointestinal infections  every year. A simple new device could potentially revolutionise the way  in which these parasites can be identified and treated.

Heart banner thumbnail

Simple tests

With a suite of novel protein biomarkers patented in areas of unmet clinical need, the Christchurch Heart Institute is helping to save lives, time and money.

Simran Maggo profile thumbnail

Simran Maggo

To better understand the side-effects of cholesterol-reducing drugs, Pharmacology PhD student Simran Maggo is teaching guinea pigs to swim.

Mark Richards thumbnail

Singapore collaboration

A well-established research connection between the Christchurch Heart Institute and the National University of Singapore is enabling innovative work with significant global implications, changing the way heart failure is viewed from one art of the world to another.

Skye Kimura Thumbnail

Skye Kimura

“I always knew I wanted to work in advocacy or something in the area of creating change and I started working in public health early on.”

Carla Meladandri thumbnail

Small applications

Nanoparticles may be very small, but they are also immensely powerful as  the basis of new tools for a wide range of uses – from improving  current technology to inventing new ways of doing things.

Janet Hoek

Smoking gun

Professor Janet Hoek uses the "David and Goliath" analogy to describe the battle between "social marketers" who take on the challenge of promoting public health measures and the corporations that market harmful products to consumers.

Sneha George tn

Sneha George

My research helped me stand out from the others

placeholder-thumbnail

Snow models water flows

With advances in state-of-the-art remote sensing technologies, this Deep South National Science Challenge project aims to provide policymakers with a more robust model of seasonal snow accumulation and the implications for catchment processes.

Sherlock Licorish thumbnail

Software studies

Dr Sherlock Licorish (Information Science) studies software systems and the people who develop them, to try to reduce the incidence of failures – such as the notorious Novopay payroll system for New Zealand schools.

placeholder-thumbnail

Solar particles at play

Solar particles expelled from the Sun are responsible for spectacular polar auroras – and a lot more. Otago scientists are examining their role in regional climate variability as well.

Sophie-Dempster tn

Sophie Dempster

Sophie Dempster started her journey at Otago studying Management and  Marketing, but as she got to know the staff and talk to them about her  passions the idea of her majoring in Human Resource Management (HRM)  became apparent.

Sophie Gilmore Thumbnail

Sophie Gilmore

"Employers value what they call visual  literacy, and you'll definitely get that from art history (and visual  culture).”

Franz Ombler and Paul Hansen thumbnail image

Spoilt for choice

"We have a generic solution to any problem that involves ranking or allocating resources."

placeholder-thumbnail

Spreading the mats of welcome and belonging

The Falafolaloa project will draw on the experiences of local Pacific communities to help welcome Pacific climate change refugees to Aotearoa New Zealand.

Stacey Edwards thumb

Stacey Edwards

Stacey's message to students with impairments who are either thinking  about attending University or currently studying is please don't be  afraid to ask for help.

Stacey Gullen-Reynolds thumbnail

Stacey Gullen-Reynolds

When Stacey Gullen-Reynolds left school at 15 having passed only one School Certificate subject, it was hard to imagine that one day she would be handing out education and career advice to others.

Sir Alan Mark thumbnail

Standing up for the environment

Long before the importance of nature conservation was a mainstream concern, Emeritus Professor Sir Alan Mark was leading the way.

Jackson Chris Chanel Terina thumbnail

Stemming the tide

A water safety programme drawing on Māori cultural knowledge is being developed to help combat the high number of Māori who drown each year.

Stephanie Moran thumbnail

Stephanie Moran

I initially trained as a nurse, but after a few years I wanted to know more about what caused illnesses in people.

Stephanie Rigter thumb

Stephanie Rigter

Stephanie Rigter, Entomophagy: Understanding Consumers' Discourses towards Eating Insects in New Zealand

Stephanie Workman tn

Stephanie Workman

After graduating with a BBiomedSc degree in REGD in 2016, Stephanie is  now enrolled in a BBiomedSc(Hons) degree, where she is discovering just  how much she loves learning new techniques and how much fun it is to  have the opportunity to contribute to research discoveries in  embryology.

Stephen Clarke_thumb

Stephen Clarke

“The Biochemistry staff were really enthusiastic and willing to take time out to talk. The labs and courses were well organised and the subjects were interesting and diverse, setting me up for many potential directions later on.”

Moller Campbell A alt banner thumbnail

Stepping up sustainability

When the food miles debate erupted in 2007, it took soundly researched data from the Agriculture Research Group on Sustainability (ARGOS) to debunk a myth that was threatening to derail New Zealand's food export industry.

StevePThumb

Steve Price

An interest in entrepreneurship and having his own start-up business  underway (atFax) brought Steve Price to the University of Otago for its  Master of Entrepreneurship degree.

Stevie TeHau-Fergusson Thumbnail

Stevie TeHau-Fergusson

At Te Tumu – School of Māori, Pacific and Indigenous Studies,  “the  staff are so  passionate about what they do, they have lived and breathed what they  are teaching and that makes it easier to connect with students.”

Ivan Diaz Rainey thumbnail

Stranded research?

Stranded research?

strategising

Strategising hauora Māori

In  August 2013, Associate Professor Suzanne Pitama (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti  Whare) became the first person to complete a PhD with a focus on  indigenous medical health education.

Alex Macmillan thumbnail

Street smart

Street smart

Sandy Mandic thumbnail

Student movement

A collaborative project looking at how Dunedin high school pupils get to and from school has produced some concerning preliminary findings about young people's levels of physical activity, nutrition and daily screen time.

Su-Yong-Hu-tn

Su Yong Hu

Su Yong Hu is the Business Development Manager for StemLife, a cord blood and adult stem cell banking and therapeutics company.

Squid gel banner thumbnail

Super gel potential

A revolutionary super gel, found to reduce the post-operative  complications of sinus surgery, was last year commercialised in a  significant collaborative deal for the University of Otago.

Trotman thumbnail

Super nomads

A solution to one person's computer problem is likely to have much wider benefits for computer users. Associate Professor Andrew Trotman (Computer Science) devised the idea of building a portable,  high-performance, personal supercomputer to solve his problem of trying  to manage large amounts of data on a limited budget.

Tony Walls thumbnail

Survey highlights parents' concerns

Christchurch researchers used social media and a network of school principals to fast-track research and provide timely advice to government on how best to communicate with parents about COVID-19.

placeholder-thumbnail

Sustainable accountability

From individuals to industry, sustainability considerations are featuring increasingly in financial decision-making here and internationally. Otago researchers are working at the forefront of this emerging field.

Professor James Higham thumbnail image

Sustaining tourism

Growing concern about the carbon dioxide emissions associated with long-haul air travel may not stop UK and European tourists coming here, but it might bring about a rethink on how itineraries are planned and the way the experience is marketed.

Pat Silcock

Sweet!

Test-tasting chocolate doesn't sound like a tough task, but it's more
difficult than it might seem.

Professor Rob Lawson thumbnail image

Switching on to cultural change

"New Zealand lags behind most developed countries in adopting energy-efficient behaviours and technologies, and we have been slow to set vigorous standards for energy efficiency in comparison to the rest of the world"

Anita Nolan thumbnail image

Symptoms of things to come

Imagine if the early signs of Crohn's disease were noticed up to 10 years before the illness began to ravage the bowel.

Anaru Waa thumbnail

TAKING action

TAKING action

Emma Wade thumbnail

Tackling Cancer with a No. 8 wire Mentality and 21st Century Technology

PhD student Chris Hakkaart describes his journey from the biology class of a small river town to the University of Otago's renowned Centre for Translational Cancer Research.

James Higham thumbnail

Taking flight

Global tourism behaviours are expected to change as concerns about aviation carbon emissions continue to grow.

Pacific Edge banner thumbnail

Taking on the big C

Pacific Edge is a biotechnology success story in a clinical field where there is high demand around the world: the early detection and management of cancer.

Tana Wuliji thumbnail

Tana Wuliji

BPharm (Otago 2002), PhD (University of London 2010)

Parry Guilford Rob Day thumbnail

Targeted therapies

The more we learn about cancer, the more complex it appears to be – but  now new techniques offer hope for more effective diagnosis and  treatment.

Tarucilla Tatui thumbnail

Tarucilla Tatui

Studying Medicine at the University of Otago had always been Tarucilla's ambition.

Tawini White thumbnail

Tawini White

Tawini White is studying regional language variations for her Master's degree.

Taylor Davies Colley thumbnail

Taylor Davies-Colley

From a young age Taylor Davies-Colley was intrigued by the natural world.

Te Awanui Waaka thumbnail

Te Awanui Waaka

The University of Otago was a long way from home for Te Awanui Waaka  when he was looking at his options to study health sciences five years  ago.

Te Hau White thumbnail

Te Hau White

“I gained a range of transferable skills during my time at university –  the ability to read, analyse and interpret information in a meaningful  way is really valuable in my day-to-day working life.”

Teagan Hoskin tn

Teagan Hoskin

A Summer Studentship project at the University of Otago,  Christchurch, opened up a world of opportunity for Teagan Hoskin –  including a research job in London and a clinically-focused PhD.

Tecwyn King_thumb

Tecwyn King

"Whether I was composing a four-part harmony or playing shredding guitar solos, the expertise of the teaching staff was the reason for my success as a musician."

David Clccoricco thumbnail

Telling technology

Dr David Ciccoricco, who has been researching what happens when  narrative fiction meets digital technology, says that rather than  threatening the existence of story-telling, digital technology is  changing the way we are able to write and read narrative fiction.

Teri Higgins Thumb

Teri Higgins

Teri Higgins' past year at Otago has been one big horror film - her major project was an honours dissertation on the "psychoanalytical failure of the remake of Psycho".

Terrence O'Brien Thumb

Terrence O'Brien

Terrence O'Brien enrolled in Otago's Bachelor of Teaching (Primary). The experience, he says, was outstanding.

Terri Caulcutt thumbnail

Terri Caulcutt

“This programme allows social workers to undertake further studies with a distinctly social work emphasis”

Tessa Cameron Thumbnail

Tessa Cameron

For Tessa Cameron a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in finance and economics helped her develop into the entrepreneurial business women she is today.

Diana Sarfati thumbnail image

Testicular cancer disparities

The occurrence of testicular cancer in New Zealand appears to be different to other parts of the developed world, particularly in relation to ethnicity and socio-economic status.

Raechel Laing

Textile tests for the real world

What do you wear when you venture into the great outdoors?

Ceridwen Fraser thumbnail

The Antarctic isolation 'myth'

Once considered too distant to reach, Antarctica may not be immune to the arrival of foreign species and other floating objects, with as-yet-unknown consequences.

he-kitenga-cover-2016

The BRCA code

Angelina Jolie drew worldwide attention to the familial risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Otago's Dr Logan Walker is now working to develop screening tools to identify those most at risk of these cancers.

Vicky Cameron thumbnail

The DNA code

Professor Vicky Cameron and her team at the Christchurch Heart Institute  are looking at the role of non-coding DNA – or "junk DNA" – as a risk  factor for heart disease.

Paterson Wanhalla thumbnail

The Māori home front: an untold story

By March 1943, 29,000 Māori  – or one third of the Māori  population – were contributing to World War II, many of them civilians. A new study will provide the first sustained examination of the Māori home front from the perspectives of women, young people, whānau and communities who experienced the war at home.

Ruwhiu thumbnail

The business of success

The business of success

OCC 1 thumbnail

The climate change challenge

Otago researchers from across the academic disciplines are working  together to help tackle the ever-growing threat climate change poses for  New Zealand and beyond.

Paul Tapsell

The marae and its place

"The marae represents modern-day New Zealand's unique social and cultural point of difference. Can we afford to lose it?"

Professor Robert Patman thumbnail image

The march to 9/11

"America's post-Somalia approach was supposed to be about putting the interests of national security first. Instead it came back to bite them."

Shieak Tzeng

The rhythms of life

Dr Shieak Tzeng (Department of Surgery and Anaesthesia, Wellington) is fascinated by the big unanswered questions in the murky depths of the body's physiology.

Sian Halcrow thumbnail

The secret life of bones

The work of bioarchaeologist Dr Sian Halcrow can be likened to that of a modern-day detective – except her clues are ancient, locked inside the bones and teeth of people who lived thousands of years ago.

Steve Jackson

The sports trinity

Sport, beer advertising and alcohol could be said to form a "trinity" that is having an increasingly powerful influence on society.

placeholder-thumbnail

The sustainability crisis and the role of research

As the sustainability crisis deepens, business-as-usual is no longer an option, says Professor Janet Stephenson. She argues that we have to radically change how we produce and consume ¬¬– and that integrated research must play a key role in that.

the-value-of-te-reo-maori

The value of te reo Māori

Based at Otago's Te Tumu - School of Māori, Pacific and Indigenous  Studies, Associate Professor Poia Rewi (Tūhoe, Ngāti Manawa, Te Arawa)  works on a regional and national level in multiple areas of Te Reo  promotion, teaching and research, and his current projects highlight his  unwavering focus.

Karen Reader, Dr Jenny Juengel, Jo Ann Stanton thumbnail

Thesis aims to find out why younger ewes are less fertile

Mysterious and little-studied structures within sheep oocytes have caught PhD student Karen Reader's eye through the microscope.

Professor Jennie Connor thumbnail image

Thinking about drinking

Preventive and Social Medicine Professor Jennie Connor believes we're in a state of denial about just how harmful our national drinking habits really are.

Craig Rodger halo thumbnail

Thinking big

Professor Craig Rodger is achieving internationally significant results in the ultimate global arena – space.

Tom Mulder thumb

Thomas van Florenstein Mulder

Tom Mulder's career as an economic analyst at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand had its origins in his Christchurch school days.

Tianyu Ying thumbnail

Tianyu Ying

Dunedin's climate is not usually cited as one of the attractions of coming to the University of Otago, but it's a plus for Tourism lecturer Dr Tianyu Ying.

Tiffany_Somes_Edgar_thumb

Tiffany Somers-Edgar

"I really liked chemistry at school and I'd always been interested in medical research."

Tili Matangi Puloka thumbnail

Tili Matangi Puloka

I love helping people and making sure they are getting as much benefit from their medicines as possible.

Tilman Davies_Statistics_Thumb

Tilman Davies

“There are all sorts of jobs these days for people who can interpret and analyse data.”

Tim Friedlander tn

Tim Friedlander

The knowledge I have gained through the course has been immediately applicable in practice and has served to both deepen my understanding of pain and pain management.

TimNThumb

Tim Nixon

Tim Nixon has had a colourful career since completing the Master of  Entrepreneurship. He heads up Runaway, the  computer games division of Natural History New Zealand.

Tira Phillipson-Puna

Tira Phillipson-Puna

Tira Phillipson-Puna is turning his love of sport into a promising career.

Richman Mark John thumbnail

Tissue transparency

The development of strategies to future-proof human tissue research  throughout New Zealand is the aim of a virtual biobank initiative being  driven by the Centre for Society, Governance and Science

Thomas Brew_thumb

Tom Brew

"My time at Otago fostered my interest in cancer genetics research."

Tom Mottershead thumb

Tom Mottershead

In Tom Mottershead's first year at Otago he was able to study his  twin passions of music and maths, but he was limited to majoring in only  one for an arts or science degree. But then Otago developed the Bachelor of Arts and Science degree  (BASc) to allow students with diverse interests to combine both  disciplines.

Tom Scott thumbnail

Tom Scott

When Tom Scott graduated from the University of Otago he found himself heading in quite a different direction than he had initially planned.

Tom Wiggins image 2021 thumb

Tom Wiggins

Tom Wiggins has discovered that a postgraduate degree in biochemistry opens up career opportunities in amazing places around the world.

placeholder-thumbnail

Tourism and te ao Māori

Māori cultural values need to be front and centre of tourism planning and management, says Associate Professor Anna Carr.

Juergen Gnoth thumbnail

Tourism reset

A focus on volume over value has not been good for New Zealand's tourism industry, says Professor Juergen Gnoth. He suggests that Kiwis' own holiday experiences should be the blueprint for future development.

placeholder-thumbnail

Tourism's new destination

“Regenerative”, “holistic” and “sustainable” are words being used to describe the future for New Zealand tourism, with greater emphasis on the well-being of host communities. University of Otago researchers are at the forefront of this thinking.

placeholder-thumbnail

Towards a greener transport future

University of Otago, Wellington researchers are reimagining land transport options, looking at how different scenarios might impact health and equity.

Tracey Daysh-Andrew thumbnail

Tracey Daysh-Andrew

“The RTRU is a fabulous community of both academics and students. Your study is well supported and is an achievable goal for students who want to extend their knowledge in a specific area”.

Rob Middag thumbnail

Tracing metals

Dr Rob Middag is on a quest to find out more about oceanic trace metals – essential nutrients for all organisms – and how these are affected by changes in the environment.

CTP GROUP thumbnail

Translating research to clinical solutions

Translating research to clinical solutions

Sarah Young

Tricks of the trade. Early Career Awards for Distinction in Research.

Otago researchers are at the forefront of international collaborations to use vaccines to tackle specific cancers.

Truc Nguyen, Pharmacy Graduate

Truc Nguyen

BPharm (2003)

Tuatara close up head shot

Tuatara return south

It may not be as internationally recognisable as the kiwi, but the tuatara is well known in the scientific world as the last survivor of a prehistoric group of reptiles called rhynchocephalians.

Tulua Sekone-Fraser_thumb

Tulua Sekone-Fraser

“I wanted to be a change-maker; helping young people find the right path to a better future."

Turoa_Gallagher_thumbnail

Turoa Gallagher

We would like to encourage Māori students to apply for Dentistry as more Māori dental graduates are needed.

Tyson Tautari thumbnail

Tyson Tautari

“What I enjoyed most about studying through Te Tumu was the whānau  feeling. The teaching support was incredible; they were approachable and  welcoming, and all genuinely wanted to see their students succeed."

titi-traditions

Tītī traditions

Modern science combines with mātauranga to protect muttonbird harvesting for future generations.

Lei flowers tn

Ulalei Aiono

They offer the best student support—especially for Pacific students.

Damian-Scarf-thumbnail

Under control

How young children exert self-control is central to work being carried out by Dr Damian Scarf of the Department of Psychology.

Pascal and Richard thumbnail

Underground collaboration

Underground collaboration

health-inequities

Understanding Māori health inequities

"I  oversee a number of programmes supporting young Māori into health  professional degrees at Otago and ultimately growing the Māori health  workforce in New Zealand."

Professor Tony Blakely and Dr Kristie Carter thumbnail image

Unequal playing fields

New Zealanders like to believe their country is a place of relative equality; however, recent reports have shown that New Zealand is among the top 10 “most unequal” countries in the developed world in terms of income differentials.

Beyer Hennig thumbnail

Universal insights

Universal insights

Jeremy Krebs thumbnail

Unravelling differences

Unravelling differences

placeholder-thumbnail

Upcycled food: doing more and better

Otago's new Upcycled Food Lab is promoting the development of new, high-quality foods from products that would otherwise be wasted.

Wayne Stephenson thumbnail

Uplifting Kaikoura

Uplifting Kaikoura

James Ussher thumbnail

Vaccine development

The University of Otago is part of a nationwide team-approach to vaccine development, working with a range of research groups, institutions and companies around the country, including the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, Victoria University of Wellington, AgResearch, Avalia Immunotherapies, ESR and South Pacific Sera.

Vanessa-Cave-tn

Vanessa Cave

Vanessa Cave came to Otago planning to study Biochemistry. She took a couple of Mathematics and statistics papers in her first year, and was hooked! She graduated in 2002 with a BSc Honours in Statistics.

Vanessa Lattimore thumbnail

Vanessa Lattimore

“I wanted to do postgraduate study in genetics and especially in the field of health so my work could help people.''

Vanessa Lattimore thumbnail

Vanessa Lattimore

Christchurch PhD candidate Vanessa Lattimore has a strong history of breast cancer in her family. Three of five sisters in her family tree either suffered from or died of breast cancer.

Harlene Hayne thumbnail

Vice-Chancellor's introduction

2020 has been an extraordinary year in the life of the University of Otago – for our students, for our staff, for their families and loved ones, and for the communities that our research and scholarship support.

Vickie Saunders thumbnail

Vickie Saunders

"The communication and analytical skills that I developed during my Linguistics studies, combined with an acquired learning aptitude and enthusiasm for learning new languages, are invaluable tools in my present role."

Bremer thumbnail

Vintage science


Cutting-edge techniques are being used to inform the future of  Central Otago wines, helping identify what makes a truly great pinot  noir.

Holger Regenbrecht thumbnail

Virtual connection

The University of Otago is collaborating in the leading-edge Ātea project to enable Māori to remain connected via a virtual 3D marae.

Waiana Mulligan Thumbnail

Waiana Mulligan

“Policy is about identifying problems and coming up with solutions. The  critical thinking skills gained in a Humanities degree allow you to  think more laterally, to think outside the box. The writing and verbal  communication skills you get are also very useful in a policy context."

Warrick Low Thumb

Warrick Low

"I'm very passionate about tourism and I'm very passionate about beer. So it's come together very nicely."

Neil Gemmell thumbnail

Wastewater detection

Testing sewage for the presence of COVID-19 could be an additional safeguard in the fight against the virus.

Wang Wei Thumb

Wei Wang

What really interests Wei Wang, who is studying for his master's degree in Computer Science, is the evolution of multi-core processors.

Professor Barry Taylor thumbnail image

Weight of responsibility

He may be one of New Zealand's most esteemed experts on childhood obesity, but Professor Barry Taylor has all but given up trying to enable overweight children to slim down.

Richard Blaikie thumbnail

Welcome

Welcome to He Kitenga, an annual research highlights book published by the University of Otago to showcase research of topical importance.

Richard Blackie thumbnail

Welcome to "He Kitenga Global"

Welcome to "He Kitenga Global"

Richard Blaikie thumbnail

Welcome to He Kitenga

Welcome to He Kitenga, showcasing research from the University of Otago

Richard Blakie thumbnail

Welcome to He Kitenga

Welcome to He Kitenga

Richard Blaikie thumbnail

Welcome to He Kitenga 2020

The dominating event of 2020 is the COVID-19 global pandemic, which will  leave indelible memories in the minds of everyone on the planet.

04 Richard Blaikie Thumbnail

Welcome to He Kitenga: people, place, planet

What are the most important things? Not possessions or prizes, peer  esteem or profile.  But, simply, they are people, place and planet.

Richard Blaikie thumbnail

Welcome to this, the 150th edition of He Kitenga

Welcome to this, the 150th edition of He Kitenga. No, this is not the 150th volume of outstanding research highlights from the University of Otago, but rather this edition is timed to celebrate 150 years of scholarship, learning and research at our beautiful university.

BenWooliscroftProfileThumb

What constitutes a successful business?

Associate Professor Ben Wooliscroft is keen to change the conversation about what constitutes a successful business.

CoKaneprofileThumb

What drives or hinders the commercialisation of research?

Research is changing, and translating core research into usage in the marketplace and in society is increasingly important.

HolgerVirtualThumb

What is reality really?

Professor Holger Regenbrecht is using augmented reality to challenge the brains of stroke patients to work out what makes reality a reality.

BrianSThumb

What makes a good leader

Good leadership is crucial for business success, but just what makes a good leader, and what does evolution have to do with it?

What next thumbnail

What next?

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted how we live our lives, how we work, how we do business.

RAitkenThumb

What prompts consumers to act sustainably?

Why is there disparity between what consumers say they would like to do  and what they actually do when it comes to sustainable consumption?

Jim Flynn

What you need to know

There are a few things you need in this life, believes Emeritus Professor Jim Flynn, if you are to function usefully in the modern world.

CharityThumb

Which charities do you support and why?

Do New Zealanders prefer to support charities with a local or global  focus? And what reasons do people give for supporting different types of  charity?

Albatross big banner thumbnail

Wildlife tracking takes flight

“Putting new things, in new places, with new technology” is the off-the-cuff mantra from Dr Tim Molteno (Physics) as he talks about the electronic animal-tracking tags he is developing in association with Associate Professor Phil Seddon (Zoology).

Will Flavell-thumb

Will Flavell

The flexibility of Otago's distance learning programme was a strong drawcard for Doctor of  Education candidate Will Flavell.

Will Harvey thumbnail

Will Harvey

Beyond the written and verbal skills a Classics degree endows you with,  it makes you open-minded and able to interact freely, courteously and  civilly with all types of different people.

Will Sweetman Thumb

Will Sweetman

"I'm keen to explore how we, as Westerners, understand people from another culture."

Willow McKay Thumb

Willow McKay

I enjoyed history at school and university and became really interested in medical anthropology - the interaction between people and medicine.

Janet Stephenson

Wind farm perceptions blow hot and cold

There's a lot of energy being expended on the subject of wind farms. Should we love their renewable energy or hate their skyline silhouettes?

Henry jacob thumbnail

Words and music

Two Otago academics share a special interest in the influence of Asia on contemporary Kiwi culture.

AgOtago thumbnail

Working for the land

Working for the land

Sara Walton-Diane Ruwhiu-Paula OKane thumbnail

Working past crisis

When New Zealand went into lockdown this year, organisations and employees had to adapt rapidly to new ways of working. The Work Futures Otago team asks if these new ways of working will become a permanent reality for some or if being back in business simply means a return to the status quo.

Patrick Vakaoti thumbnail

Young at heart

The desire to explore the issues facing young people in the Pacific is at the heart of one Otago researcher's work in Fiji.

Z-Morris-Trainor-tn

Zara Morris-Trainor

Zara is passionate about wildlife management and conservation, combining Psychology and Zoology as a double major allowed her to explore animal behaviour. She is now completing a masters in science in the UK.

Zeid Abussuud Thumb

Zeid Abussuud

Foundation Year prepared me for Health Sciences at the University of Otago.

Zipporah Lagaluga Thumbnail

Zipporah Lagaluga

In her third year Zipporah tutored for Te Tumu - School of Māori,  Pacific and Indigenous Studies. “I remember in my first year hiding in  the corner, and now I was in front of the classroom myself. Te Tumu gave  me a great opportunity for personal growth, I learned a lot and was  able to give back too.”

Zoe Linsell thumbnail

Zoe Linsell

"Theatre Studies taught me a variety of skills, and not just what you learn in lectures, but a positive attitude as well- to get out there and do it!"

Zoe Quinn tn

Zoe Quinn

I have found the Diploma invaluable in terms of what was taught on the  course, but also in approaches to continuing my own education.

Knapp Gemmell thumbnail

eDNA's species snapshot

The waters of Aramoana and Doubtful Sound have been used to test the potential of environmental DNA as a quick and efficient monitoring tool.

Back to top