Tuesday 10 December 2019 5:09pm
Professor Richie Poulton with the University's top accolade for research, the Distinguished Research Medal, which he was presented with last week. Photos: Sharron Bennett.
"A sportsman who has mature qualities of reflection and compassion."
"Very mature boy. Excellent leader. Work average."
These two comments came from Professor Poulton’s sixth form school report and which he uses as examples of his gratitude for Auckland Grammar for instilling in him critical skills that have helped him in life.
Professor Richie Poulton, as Otago’s 2019 Distinguished Research Medal Award recipient and Director of The Dunedin Study, presented his public talk to a packed theatre last week.
Professor Richie Poulton delivers his Distinguished Research Medal lecture to a packed Castle 2 Lecture Theatre last week.
“The Dunedin Study has shown quite clearly that self-control in early life has a pervasive impact on later life outcomes. It will determine whether you end up as a healthy person physically, if you will be in good emotional shape, end up in a good employment situation, achieve academically at school and then afterwards, whether you are a good parent and display a warm sense of caring of parenting which is essential for human growth and development. It will predict a whole bunch of things.
“Schooling instilled this in me and for that I am really grateful.”
Professor Poulton’s first exposure to The Dunedin Study was in 1985 at Phase 13 when he was employed as a research assistant and interviewer by Professor Terrie Moffitt, and he subsequently joined permanently in 1995.
The Dunedin Study has recently completed Phase 45, it’s 94 per cent retention rate of the 1037 participants who joined the study from birth largely reflecting its foundation value of authentic trust that Professor Poulton stands by strongly.
Professor Poulton named many individuals who have mentored, influenced and shaped him through his journey, and says the following three things are what he is most proud of: “not screwing up” because of the sheer number of moving parts operating at any one time, growing the study, and honouring the study’s “faceless” members.
“The study members continue to be involved in the study because they feel it will help others.
“Their forbearance and reservoir of goodwill is extraordinary, and I don’t know if this would ever happen again in New Zealand’s history.”
Professor Richie Poulton with his wife Dr Sandhya Ramrakha (left), daughter Priyanka Poulton, and mother Jill Hume.
Professor Poulton regards a critical part of his role as part-time chief science adviser to the Ministry of Social Development, as well as to the Minister for Child Poverty Reduction Minister the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern.
“Through these roles I take knowledge from the research space into the policy making space where it may benefit people.
“I have never lost sight of that call which drives me, and that’s being able to say that whatever I’m doing has a goal in mind and a pathway to get there, and that’s to make peoples’ lives slightly better.”
Professor Poulton also says it’s the small moments he has shared with many study members that have taught him "basically everything there is to know about what it means to be human".
“Despite many of them experiencing extreme adversity, the fact that they can get through life is what I regard as true resilience and it’s these small exchanges that have given me insight into what the meaning of life is all about.
“That they come here and give so much of themselves both willingly and with grace, in the belief that by doing so will help others, continues to absolutely astound me.”