Wednesday 1 June 2022
A Festschrift was held on the Wellington campus on 29 May 2022 to celebrate the career of Professor Dawn Elder, on the occasion of her retirement from her roles as Deputy Dean and Head of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Otago, Wellington.
Wednesday 1 June 2022
Seventeen early and mid-career researchers (EMCR) have received a boost from the Division of Health Sciences with an Accelerator Grant.
Tuesday 31 May 2022
More than 2,300 people tuned into a day-long online symposium on Long COVID hosted by the University of Otago, Wellington.
Wednesday 25 May 2022
Fittingly, this year’s recipient of the Angela Allen Travelling Scholarship for top Bachelor of Radiation Therapy graduate, Emily Younger, is a “keen and avid” traveller.
Wednesday 25 May 2022
Funding will got towards research on endometrial cancer and heart attacks, as well as travel to present research in France.
Tuesday 17 May 2022
The shadow of lasting illness could be with us for decades once the acute phase of the COVID‑19 pandemic has passed, the convenor of a University of Otago symposium on Post-Acute COVID‑19 Syndrome (PACS) is warning.
Thursday 12 May 2022
An apple a day keeps the doctor away – so will 12 weeks of free, healthy food delivered to a patient’s door keep the cardiologist at bay?
Tuesday 10 May 2022
The University of Otago contributed $1.79 billion in total value added to the New Zealand economy last year, a new report has revealed.
Tuesday 3 May 2022
Regulatory loopholes are contributing to increases in the number of young New Zealanders exposed to nicotine through vaping, warns the winner of the 2022 Critic and Conscience of Society Award.
Tuesday 3 May 2022
Regulatory loopholes are contributing to increases in the number of young New Zealanders exposed to nicotine through vaping, warns the winner of the 2022 Critic and Conscience of Society Award.
Friday 22 April 2022
Welcome to the Autumn 2022 edition of He Kete Kōrero, with all the latest news from the Wellington campus.
Friday 22 April 2022
It was a summer filled with research for 51 students from across the University who took part in the Summer Studentship research programme on the Wellington campus this year.
Wednesday 13 April 2022
The University’s Wellington campus is taking up new spaces in the central city’s Harbour City Centre, and in Newtown close to the hospital precinct.
Thursday 7 April 2022
Tertiary students are more than twice as likely as the general population to be living in damp and mouldy homes, a study by researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington has found.
Monday 4 April 2022
Families have shared heartbreaking and poignant stories with researchers about the deaths of their loved ones in Wellington Hospital during the COVID‑19 Alert Level 3 and 4 lockdowns in 2020 when district health boards were restricting visitors to wards.
Wednesday 30 March 2022
The cost of heating a child’s bedroom through the night in a Wellington winter would run through 46 per cent of the government’s Winter Energy Payment, which is paid to qualifying beneficiaries and all superannuitants to help with heating costs, a study by researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington has found.
Friday 18 March 2022
The work of housing and health researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington is being showcased in a BBC mini-documentary.
Friday 18 March 2022
An Otago student is thrilled to win $160,000 to put towards her PhD research project.
Friday 4 March 2022
The formation of cancer-causing chemicals in the gut could be at the heart of understanding how high levels of nitrate in our drinking water contribute to increasing the risk of bowel (colorectal) cancer, New Zealand researchers say.
Friday 25 February 2022
New Zealand’s COVID-19 vaccine roll-out is failing to reach those with mental health and addiction issues, despite their inclusion in a priority group for vaccination, researchers have found.
Thursday 3 February 2022
Women are not being offered the mental health support they need after experiencing a miscarriage in the first trimester of pregnancy, despite healthcare workers recognising it as a significant loss, researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington, have found.
Friday 28 January 2022
Associate Professor Emma Wyeth has been appointed to the role of Manupiki Māori o Te Wāhanga Matua Mātau Hauora (Associate Dean Māori, Division of Health Sciences).
Thursday 27 January 2022
School uniforms need a radical redesign to better meet the needs of students, particularly for girls, who are often forced to wear uniforms that prevent them from being physically active in their lunch breaks and from cycling to and from school, a public health researcher says.
Friday 21 January 2022
Congratulations to all the University of Otago staff and alumni who have been recognised in the 2022 New Year Honours.
Friday 21 January 2022
Three Otago researchers have secured significant grants for research aimed at addressing the stark inequities in cancer care and survival for Māori and Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Thursday 20 January 2022
Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are able to diagnose prostate cancer biopsies with the same level of accuracy as specialist uropathologists, and better than many general pathologists, international research has found.
Wednesday 19 January 2022
Attaching cameras to children has revealed they are exposed to 554 brands a day through marketing, a new study from the University of Otago has found.
Thursday 13 January 2022
Bottled water is often perceived as clean and free of contaminants compared to tap water, but University of Otago researchers believe water quality results need to be printed on the label.
Tuesday 21 December 2021
Discrimination in the housing market, as well as structural issues such as poverty, racism and instability, are placing Takatāpui and LGBTIQ+ people at higher risk of homelessness, researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington, have found.
Monday 20 December 2021
University of Otago researchers have made a major breakthrough in further understanding acute rheumatic fever, showing that skin infections are likely to be a significant cause of the disease.
Friday 17 December 2021
In this issue we provide an update on our building situation and discuss our preparations for new ways of working across multiple sites in 2022.
Tuesday 14 December 2021
New Zealand’s go-to science communicator on COVID-19, Professor Michael Baker MNZM, has been awarded the New Zealand Association of Scientists (NZAS) Cranwell Medal for science communication for 2021.
Friday 10 December 2021
While most people might feel like they deserved a break after completing their PhD, Caroline Fyfe, who graduates in absentia in December with a PhD in Public Health from the University of Otago, Wellington, instead set off to do a 44 kilometre run with a friend up and over the capital city’s steep hills.
Thursday 9 December 2021
Researchers from the University of Otago’s ASPIRE 2025 Research Centre, which carries out research to support the Smokefree 2025 goal, warmly welcome the Smokefree Action Plan announced earlier today by Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall.
Thursday 2 December 2021
Wellington campus staff and students gathered together on 19 November for an end of year Hui Whakanui Tauira to celebrate the significant achievements of students over the past year.
Monday 29 November 2021
As the COVID-19 pandemic races towards a two-year milestone, Otago researchers are now better placed to understand its impact.
Monday 22 November 2021
Twenty-eight University of Otago academics are being promoted to the position of professor this year.
Thursday 18 November 2021
Distinguished Professor Philippa Howden-Chapman CNZM QSO FRSNZ and researchers at the He Kāinga Oranga – Housing and Health Research Programme at the University of Otago, Wellington, have been awarded the 2021 Rutherford Medal by the Royal Society Te Apārangi.
Tuesday 16 November 2021
Staff on many psychiatric wards are ignoring hospital smoke-free policies, believing mental health service users will be more aggressive and violent if they are not allowed to smoke, a study from the University of Otago, Wellington, has found.
Monday 15 November 2021
Two Otago researchers have been awarded prestigious Sir Charles Hercus Fellowships in this year’s Health Research Council Career Development Awards.
Monday 8 November 2021
Nitrate contamination of drinking water could cause up to 100 cases of bowel cancer in New Zealand every year, leading to 40 deaths, New Zealand research has estimated.
Monday 8 November 2021
Professor Brett Delahunt has been presented with a unique Gold Medal from the New Zealand Society of Pathologists in recognition of his 41 years of service.
Friday 22 October 2021
Creating large smokefree outdoor pedestrian spaces would aid the health sector’s efforts to help people quit smoking, researchers say.
Wednesday 20 October 2021
In August this year, 15 early and mid-career researchers received an Accelerator Grant from the Division of Health Sciences.
Monday 18 October 2021
More than a third of New Zealand high school students have tried vaping, with 10 per cent vaping regularly and six per cent vaping weekly or more often, researchers have found.
Wednesday 13 October 2021
In August this year, 15 early and mid-career researchers received an Accelerator Grant from the Division of Health Sciences.
Friday 8 October 2021
Māori adults who experience chronic pain are being prescribed painkillers at the expense of best practice treatments and are not being offered referrals to specialists, research from the Māori community health provider, Tu Kotahi Māori Asthma and Research Trust and the University of Otago, Wellington has found.
Thursday 30 September 2021
New Zealand needs to take urgent action to reduce smoking in Pacific adults and youth if the country is to achieve its goal of reducing the number of smokers to less than five per cent of the population by 2025 according to a new report.
Tuesday 21 September 2021
The pocket-sized Pōneke Puka Mahi passport offers students the chance to tick off 32 of the capital’s best attractions.
Friday 17 September 2021
Researchers have developed a road map to accelerate the removal of light diesel vehicles, including cars, utes and vans, from New Zealand roads in a quest to clear the air.
Thursday 9 September 2021
New Zealand needs more innovative stop-smoking measures if it is to achieve its 2025 smoke-free goal, a University of Otago study says.
Wednesday 8 September 2021
Welcome to the Spring 2021 edition of He Kete Kōrero with the latest news from the Wellington campus.
Monday 6 September 2021
The University of Otago’s staff and students continue to serve on the front lines of New Zealand’s COVID-19 response.
Friday 3 September 2021
When it comes to reducing the country’s carbon emissions, most of us will be looking to the energy and transport sectors, or to agriculture.
Friday 20 August 2021
For Brodie Fraser the hardest part of completing their PhD was how personal their topic was to their lived experience.
Tuesday 10 August 2021
Eradicating COVID-19 across the globe is theoretically more feasible than for polio but much less so than it was for smallpox, according to an analysis by New Zealand researchers.
Monday 9 August 2021
Fifteen early and mid-career researchers (EMCR) have received a boost from the Division of Health Sciences after being awarded their share of about $53,000.
Monday 2 August 2021
He might have “lost” a year of living abroad but for PhD candidate Renan Lyra starting his studies in a “safe spot” turned out to be more important.
Tuesday 27 July 2021
Investigating the impact of diabetes on access to cancer services, improving the health of Māori affected by psychosis, and a new stomach cancer drug delivery system are just some of the areas of University of Otago research to receive new Health Research Council funding.
Friday 23 July 2021
For more than a year Dr Alice Rogan has been conducting a pilot study for her PhD with the University of Otago, Wellington seeking to answer whether blood biomarkers can be used as a test to rule out severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and the data is available imminently.
Friday 23 July 2021
Eight University of Otago researchers are sharing more than $230,000 from the first round of the Health Research Council (HRC)’s Health Delivery Research Activation Grants.
Wednesday 21 July 2021
A University of Otago researcher is using a kaupapa Māori approach to break down barriers surrounding access to gastric and colon cancer screening for Māori.
Monday 12 July 2021
Dr Jenny Visser has led the postgraduate interdisciplinary travel medicine programme from the Wellington campus since 1999.
Friday 9 July 2021
The University of Otago has once again topped the key Government indicators that measure the educational performance of students at New Zealand’s universities.
Thursday 1 July 2021
The University of Otago announced this morning that Professor David Murdoch will be its next Vice-Chancellor. Professor Murdoch, a distinguished academic and recognised world-leader in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, particularly pneumonia and other respiratory infections, is currently Dean and Head of Campus, University of Otago, Christchurch.
Thursday 17 June 2021
If you ask a young person what their dream career is, it’s not often that you’ll hear the response “Radiation Therapist”.
Wednesday 16 June 2021
A series published by news and current affairs website Newsroom highlights the findings of a major research project led by Director of the Suicide and Mental Health Research Group Dr Gabrielle Jenkin into the architectural design and social environment of New Zealand’s acute mental health facilities.
Friday 11 June 2021
Dr Joanne Choi’s research will fill holes – in the market and in children’s teeth.
Wednesday 9 June 2021
An inspirational group of 21 University of Otago alumni and staff received Queen’s Birthday Honours at the weekend.
Tuesday 8 June 2021
Pacific nations are leading the way regionally with taxes on sugary drinks in a bid to battle obesity and related diseases, new University of Otago-led research reveals.
Tuesday 1 June 2021
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) Professor Richard Blaikie says Otago is grateful for HRC’s ongoing support which enables the University to continue its world-leading research.
Monday 31 May 2021
Better outcomes for women suffering from New Zealand’s most common gynaecological cancer and a bioactive toothpaste that will mean fewer visits to the dentist are just two University of Otago projects funded by the Health Research Council this week.
Monday 31 May 2021
Dr Dianne Sika-Paotonu, the Associate Dean (Pacific) at the University of Otago, Wellington, has won the New Zealand Association of Scientists (NZAS) Cranwell Medal for science communication for 2020.
Tuesday 25 May 2021
A lack of understanding about the aims of New Zealand’s Smokefree 2025 goal – 10 years after it was announced – could be an obstacle in making the target a reality, a recent University of Otago-led study shows.
Wednesday 19 May 2021
Having spent the past year trying not to focus too much on her grades, Nadia Kahan was taken by surprise when she heard she’d been awarded the Angela Allen Travelling Scholarship for top Bachelor of Radiation Therapy graduate.
Thursday 13 May 2021
Five per cent of New Zealand houses lack at least one of six basic amenities including drinkable tap water, electricity, a toilet, and a kitchen sink, a new report from the He Kāinga Oranga Housing and Health Research Programme at the University of Otago, Wellington has found.
Wednesday 12 May 2021
A new University of Otago, Wellington article has shone a light on the risks and difficulties faced by tāngata whaikaha, the disabled Māori community, during COVID-19.
Friday 7 May 2021
After starting University not knowing what he wanted to do, Adam Faatoese is leaving as a doctor.
Wednesday 5 May 2021
Understanding the reasons behind the higher burden of epilepsy experienced by Māori children is the focus of a Health Research Council (HRC) funded research project at the University of Otago, Wellington, led by PhD student and paediatric registrar Dr Ngaire Keenan.
Tuesday 4 May 2021
More research is urgently needed into the impact that attending suicide events is having on paramedics and other first responders, a researcher at the University of Otago, Wellington, says.
Tuesday 4 May 2021
International PhD students Grace Duke and Jessica Valisa say the support they received from Otago’s Pūtea Tautoko fund has made it possible for them to finish their degrees.
Wednesday 28 April 2021
Do you know a young graduate who is making a positive impact in their community, in their field of work, or in a wider arena, through their leadership, innovation, determination or research?
Tuesday 27 April 2021
Forty-five students from across the University have taken part in research projects on the Wellington campus over summer, tacking a wide range of projects, from researching green transport solutions to working with the Ministry of Health contributing to research on the COVID-19 response.
Tuesday 27 April 2021
Welcome to the Autumn 2021 edition of He Kete Kōrero with the latest news from the Wellington campus.
Tuesday 20 April 2021
Kōkiri Marae is hosting an all-day hui on Tuesday to launch the SYMBIOTIC Programme, a five-year research programme that focuses on finding ways of reducing the burden of infectious diseases, long-term conditions, and poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Thursday 15 April 2021
Researchers from the University of Otago’s ASPIRE 2025 Research Centre, which carries out research to support the Smokefree 2025 goal, have welcomed and endorsed the action plan for achieving a Smokefree Aotearoa by 2025 released by Associate Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall today.
Wednesday 14 April 2021
Professor Michael Baker MNZM, from the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington has won the 2020 Prime Minister’s Science Communication Prize.
Friday 9 April 2021
The University's Travel Survey is open for submissions from 13 April.
Wednesday 7 April 2021
Two thirds of New Zealanders believed there were ‘silver linings’ to the country’s Alert Level 4 COVID-19 lockdown imposed in March last year, a University of Otago survey has found.
Monday 29 March 2021
Te Tai o Poutini is to benefit from an interprofessional learning programme set up by the University of Otago and funded by the Ministry of Health which will bring about 50 senior students in a variety of health professions each year to the Coast.
Tuesday 23 March 2021
Clear, honest communication and a good rapport with doctors are key factors in the high levels of satisfaction reported by patients with high risk pregnancies following consultation with specialist obstetricians, researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington, have found.
Tuesday 23 March 2021
A group of early to mid-career researchers within the Division of Health Sciences is helping to support their peers to achieve research excellence.
Monday 22 March 2021
Public Health Professor Michael Baker has been selected as Wellingtonian of the Year for 2020 at The Dominion Post newspaper’s annual ‘Welly Awards’.
Thursday 18 March 2021
For outgoing Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne leaving Otago after spending half of her life here is bittersweet.
Friday 12 March 2021
Increasing the amount of time schools devote to physical education each week could dramatically reduce the number of children who are doing only minimal levels of exercise, researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington and Sport New Zealand have found.
Wednesday 10 March 2021
Aotearoa New Zealand’s next pandemic plan needs a completely different approach to our previous plan that was focussed on influenza, say researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington in a new article that identifies key lessons from the COVID-19 response for managing future major outbreaks and pandemics.
Tuesday 9 March 2021
Professor Harlene Hayne, the out-going Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago, will be recognised for her contribution to the institution with the conferring of an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree.
Tuesday 9 March 2021
The University of Otago is currently on track to record solid overall enrolment growth in 2021, with a surge in domestic enrolments more than offsetting the decline in international enrolments.
Friday 26 February 2021
Congratulations to the winners of our inaugural poster showcase last Friday. The event was a great success with 31 students presenting their posters to our judging panel.
Thursday 25 February 2021
Ben Gray retired from general practice late last year, after 35 years.
Thursday 25 February 2021
The World of Difference service user education and research group is the recipient of a Lived Experience Leadership Award.
Thursday 18 February 2021
When Dr Kim O’Sullivan returned to her high school to speak with students as part of her post-doctoral research; it was the beginning of a new chapter for (then) high school student Isobel Harris Clark.
Thursday 11 February 2021
On average, 12-year-old children snack on unhealthy food and beverages five times a day, according to new research from the University of Otago.
Wednesday 10 February 2021
The University of Otago is launching a formal inquiry into sixth year Medical Degree electives following failure to meet attendance requirements for overseas electives by a significant number of students in the 2019 MB ChB Trainee Intern Class.
Thursday 4 February 2021
New Zealand’s COVID-19 lockdown had mixed effects on smoking behaviours, a University of Otago study reveals.
Thursday 4 February 2021
Four Otago students are working on COVID-19 research projects at the Ministry of Health Manatū Hauora as part of the summer studentship programme.
Monday 1 February 2021
Consumer NZ has used the full-body DXA X-ray scanner at the University’s Wellington campus as the gold standard against which to measure the accuracy of body fat bathroom scales and body composition scans.
Wednesday 27 January 2021
Health authorities should develop targeted health messages for vaping product and e-liquid packaging to encourage smokers to switch from cigarettes to e-cigarettes and to prevent non-smokers from taking up vaping, a researcher at the University of Otago, Wellington says.
Wednesday 27 January 2021
“I’ve known for a long time that I want to do something that helps people and I decided law was a way of helping many people at once.”
Tuesday 26 January 2021
One year on from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Otago Wellington has assembled a world-leading line-up of expert speakers for its annual Public Health Summer School in February.
Thursday 21 January 2021
A new six-week placement is giving Otago medical students hands-on experience in LGBTQIA+ healthcare.
Monday 18 January 2021
An inspirational group of University of Otago alumni, staff and friends have been recognised in the 2021 New Year Honours.
Wednesday 23 December 2020
A goal of eliminating community transmission of the pandemic virus causing COVID-19 is achievable and sustainable as a response strategy for COVID-19 and other emerging pandemic diseases, new research suggests.
Monday 21 December 2020
Professor Helen Nicholson will take up the role of Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago in 2021.
Wednesday 16 December 2020
Welcome to the Summer 2020 edition of He Kete Kōrero, with the latest news from the Wellington campus.
Monday 14 December 2020
Three researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington, have received grants from the Marsden Fund to conduct research into topics ranging from tissue grafting to youth substance use to energy use in a warming world.
Monday 14 December 2020
The first thing Jesse Miller did when he found out he’d received the 2019 Angela Allen Travelling Scholarship for top Bachelor of Radiation Therapy graduate was call his mum.
Monday 14 December 2020
The arrival of a new state-of-the-art $400,000 spectral flow cytometer on the Wellington campus will significantly enhance the University’s capacity to do biomedical research.
Friday 11 December 2020
A researcher at the University of Otago, Wellington, will begin an epic 3,000 kilometre cycle ride from Cape Reinga to Bluff in December.
Tuesday 8 December 2020
Twenty-six University of Otago academics have been promoted to the position of professor this year.
Friday 4 December 2020
Despite being considered a form of torture, and policies to reduce or abolish it in place, the use of mechanical restraints in psychiatric settings continues, a University of Otago-led study shows.
Friday 4 December 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic-induced recession and rising unemployment may increase the occurrence of heart disease in New Zealand, particularly in middle-aged men.
Thursday 3 December 2020
With COVID-19 vaccines now on the horizon, a travel doctor and convenor of the travel medicine programme at the University of Otago, Wellington, is urging general practice staff to undertake further study to upgrade their travel medicine skills.
Friday 27 November 2020
New Zealand jewellers have put their hands together to create medals for three researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington, as a thanks for their work on New Zealand’s COVID-19 response.
Friday 20 November 2020
New Zealanders who live outside the major urban centres are significantly more likely to experience adverse long-term health outcomes after a stroke than those managed in urban hospitals, research from the University of Otago, Wellington has found.
Friday 20 November 2020
The annual University of Otago Staff Awards took place on 20 November, with an expanded list of awards to mark a truly remarkable year.
Thursday 19 November 2020
The Otago Staff Values were launched by Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne this week.
Tuesday 17 November 2020
Designated outdoor smoking areas in bars are facilitating experimentation and tobacco use among young adults, a new study has found.
Monday 16 November 2020
University of Otago researcher Professor Mark Weatherall has been jointly awarded the prestigious Health Research Council’s Liley Medal, awarded annually for outstanding contributions to the health and medical sciences.
Wednesday 11 November 2020
University of Otago researchers have secured $17.5 million in Marsden funding for 30 world-class research projects.
Tuesday 10 November 2020
University of Otago researchers have secured $17.5 million in Marsden funding for 30 world-class research projects.
Thursday 5 November 2020
Research published today has confirmed the nationwide Alert Level 4 COVID-19 lockdown had a significant toll on New Zealanders’ well-being, especially for younger people – but the results were not all negative.
Thursday 5 November 2020
Ten University of Otago researchers carrying out Māori-specific research have received HRC funding.
Friday 30 October 2020
A University of Otago researcher has been awarded a grant to undertake vital research on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) which she says disproportionately affects Māori in epidemic proportions.
Thursday 29 October 2020
The work of 22 University of Otago researchers has been recognised with Career Development Awards from the Health Research Council.
Thursday 22 October 2020
Both Taiwan and New Zealand have successfully eliminated COVID-19 with world-leading pandemic responses. By taking a particularly proactive approach, Taiwan’s response was probably the most effective and least disruptive of any country’s, researchers say.
Wednesday 14 October 2020
Leading historian Professor Tony Ballantyne, FRSNZ, has accepted a new role at the University of Otago as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Engagement), effective from next year.
Wednesday 14 October 2020
Third-year medical students have been given a unique opportunity to become field assistants for a COVID-19 research project, conducting virtual interviews with community groups about the impact of the pandemic on their organisations.
Monday 12 October 2020
If effective school zoning policies were widely applied, more adolescents would get valuable exercise walking or cycling to their nearest school, an Otago researcher says.
Friday 9 October 2020
Leading specialists in addiction treatment, public health, health promotion and epidemiology are calling on New Zealanders to vote for cannabis law reform in the current referendum.
Thursday 8 October 2020
The University of Otago announced this afternoon that Professor Harlene Hayne is leaving her role as Vice-Chancellor in April 2021. Professor Hayne has been appointed to the role of Vice-Chancellor at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia.
Monday 5 October 2020
Even before she came to Otago Gisela Kristono always knew she wanted to help people.
Monday 5 October 2020
Even before she came to Otago Gisela Kristono always knew she wanted to help people.
Thursday 1 October 2020
University of Otago academics and alumnae have been named as finalists in the Women of Influence awards.
Wednesday 23 September 2020
Instagram users who post self-harm content online are choosing ambiguous hashtags in an attempt to circumvent the social media platform’s ban on harmful content, a researcher at the University of Otago, Wellington, has found.
Friday 18 September 2020
People who smoke are increasingly using e-cigarettes to try to quit smoking, a study by researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington, has found.
Tuesday 15 September 2020
Much has been said of late about Medical School admissions at the University of Otago and our Mirror on Society Policy.
Tuesday 15 September 2020
Ten University of Otago proposals have been awarded funding through the Health Research Council’s (HRC) new Health Delivery Research Investment round. The 32 research grants are the first of two funding announcements for the HRC’s new Health Delivery Research portfolio.
Tuesday 15 September 2020
Ten Otago proposals awarded funding from the Health Research Council’s new Health Delivery Research Investment round.
Friday 11 September 2020
Two University of Otago proposals have been awarded over NZ$27 million in the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) Endeavour Fund 2020 grants.
Thursday 27 August 2020
This week marks six months since New Zealand’s first COVID-19 case was identified on February 26.
Monday 24 August 2020
Welcome to the Spring 2020 edition of He Kete Kōrero with the latest news from the Wellington campus.
Tuesday 18 August 2020
An increased level of fructose intake during pregnancy can cause significant changes in maternal metabolic function and milk composition and alter the metabolism of their offspring, researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington, have found.
Thursday 6 August 2020
Eight University of Otago graduates from across the University have been named Fulbright New Zealand award winners.
Monday 3 August 2020
For the first time, the Gama Foundation has recognised two people at once for their efforts in being the ‘Critic and Conscience of Society’ – both University of Otago academic staff members.
Tuesday 28 July 2020
Media coverage of the March 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings contributed to an increase in public support for gun control, a study by researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington has found.
Wednesday 8 July 2020
Most people who smoke or have recently quit smoking support New Zealand’s goal of becoming a smokefree nation by 2025, researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington have found.
Wednesday 1 July 2020
A consumer tax on the saturated fat, salt and sugar content of food, accompanied by a 20 per cent subsidy on fruit and vegetables, would bring major benefits for the health sector, researchers from Otago, Auckland and Melbourne Universities say.
Tuesday 30 June 2020
The University of Otago’s housing and health research programme He Kāinga Oranga will receive just under $5 million from the Health Research Council of New Zealand to continue research to maximise the health and wellbeing gains from housing.
Tuesday 30 June 2020
University of Otago, Wellington infectious diseases expert Professor Michael Baker has received almost $5 million from the Health Research Council for a programme investigating the connection between infectious diseases and long-term conditions, something he was planning well prior to the outbreak of Covid-19.
Tuesday 30 June 2020
The creator of New Zealand’s bubble concept, introduced early on in the COVID-19 response to ensure Kiwis maintained social distancing, has been surprised and delighted by the take up of his idea.
Tuesday 16 June 2020
Controversy over public statues is nothing new, with protestors taking to New Zealand’s statues with a range of weapons including an axe, a concrete cutter and a hammer over recent decades, a study by researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington, has found.
Tuesday 16 June 2020
In an opinion piece first published on newsroom.co.nz, Otago’s Dr Caroline Shaw explores the differences between men's and women’s approaches to sustainable travel – and how to get both genders out of their cars.
Friday 12 June 2020
Walking and cycling have many benefits and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but researchers say we need to think about what people eat to fuel their walking and cycling.
Thursday 11 June 2020
Just a few weeks since it was launched, the University of Otago student financial relief fund Pūtea Tautoko has provided NZD$659,156 in grants to support students facing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wednesday 10 June 2020
Women use more diverse modes of travel and generate lower greenhouse gas emissions than men, despite men being more than twice as likely to travel by bike, a New Zealand study has found.
Tuesday 9 June 2020
Otago staff members and alumni were prominent in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
Monday 8 June 2020
Today, for the first time since February 28, New Zealand has no active cases of COVID-19.
Friday 5 June 2020
A post-graduate course on refugee and migrant health being run by the University of Otago, Wellington is offering primary health care professionals the opportunity to improve their training in the area, ahead of a likely increase in the number of refugees coming to the country.
Friday 5 June 2020
A campaign highlighting the role Otago’s academics and medical experts have played in shaping New Zealand’s response to COVID-19 will be released this weekend.
Friday 29 May 2020
The tobacco industry is targeting a new generation of smokers with sophisticated marketing designed to associate smoking with rebellion, social prestige and attractiveness, researchers from the tobacco control research centre ASPIRE 2025, at the University of Otago, say.
Monday 25 May 2020
Māori and Pasifika who have not been able to quit smoking may need more support to move from smoking to vaping, researchers from the University of Otago and Māori public health collective Hāpai Te Hauora have found.
Friday 22 May 2020
As the University re-opens under Alert Level 2, and life takes on a new normal following the COVID-19 lockdown, Communications Adviser (Projects) Sean Flaherty takes a closer look at Otago's ongoing response to the global pandemic.
Tuesday 19 May 2020
Teenagers interviewed about their views on the suicide portrayed in the controversial Netflix series 13 Reasons Why report being shocked by the graphic detail of the scene, which they saw as excessive, researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington, have found.
Friday 15 May 2020
The University of Otago is delighted to welcome back students to all its campuses and colleges after they played a major role, and made their own sacrifices, when the nation united against COVID-19.
Monday 11 May 2020
COVID-19 may well be the catalyst for significant change in how general practice operates in New Zealand in future, according to University of Otago general practice experts.
Friday 8 May 2020
Two of Otago’s Medical Trainee Interns describe their time spent in COVID-19 lockdown in Peru and their anxious wait to come home.
Thursday 7 May 2020
Professional footballers are used to having their fitness assessed, so when three first team players from the Wellington Phoenix visit the University of Otago, Wellington (pre-lockdown) for a state-of-the-art full body scan, they are unfazed.
Tuesday 5 May 2020
Welcome to the Autumn 2020 edition of He Kete Kōrero, with recent highlights from the Wellington campus.
Friday 24 April 2020
The University of Otago is committing $1.5 million as an initial investment to support Otago students facing financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 global outbreak.
Wednesday 22 April 2020
Much laughter and camaraderie was shared when a team of 20 staff and students from the University of Otago, Wellington banded together to compete in the Dragon Boat Festival on Wellington Harbour on 7 March.
Tuesday 21 April 2020
Dr Rachelle Martin, a researcher and lecturer in the University of Otago Wellington’s Department of Medicine was one of two people to share their COVID-19 story with New Zealand Doctor. We re-publish this article with permission.
Friday 17 April 2020
A University of Otago molecular biologist has received new Government funding of $235,746 for Covid-19 related research to develop an effective point-of-care test for the infectious disease.
Wednesday 15 April 2020
Plain packaging is making tobacco products less appealing and warning labels more noticeable, researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington, have found.
Wednesday 15 April 2020
The Government must impose tougher regulations on indoor firing ranges to keep shooters and their families safe from lead poisoning, says a public health researcher at the University of Otago, Wellington.
Tuesday 7 April 2020
Concerned about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic University of Otago medical school alumnus Dr Zeid Abussuud decided to spread the word on staying safe. With a little help from his friends, many of them also graduates of Otago, Dr Abussuud has made a moving YouTube video, ‘Do it for the whole world: Stay at home’.
Friday 27 March 2020
In less than 48 hours, all people in New Zealand will have to self-isolate, unless they are essential service workers. This is our best chance to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Tuesday 24 March 2020
Professor Michael Baker on New Zealand’s coronavirus shutdown, and the challenging weeks ahead
Tuesday 24 March 2020
New Zealand must urgently build its capacity for COVID-19 case identification and contact tracing capacity, as the country goes into ‘lockdown’, Dr Ayesha Verrall, an infectious diseases doctor and epidemiologist at the University of Otago, Wellington, says.
Friday 20 March 2020
With some of the toughest border restrictions and a newly-announced NZ$500 million boost to health services, New Zealand is among a small number of countries with a strategy to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
Friday 13 March 2020
New Zealand should follow the UK and more than 30 other countries in introducing a tax on sugary drinks to tackle obesity and reduce deaths from chronic diseases, leading researchers say.
Wednesday 11 March 2020
Parents researching childhood vaccinations online are likely to encounter significant levels of negative information, researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington, have found.
Monday 9 March 2020
While the world has been focused on Covid-19’s spread to new countries many might not have noticed that the outbreak in China is slowly being brought under control.
Thursday 13 February 2020
Two University of Otago staff have received 2020 Scholar Awards from Fulbright New Zealand, allowing them to travel to the United States to pursue research and form international connections.
Thursday 30 January 2020
Damp and mouldy housing has been included as an indicator of socioeconomic deprivation in New Zealand by University of Otago researchers developing the latest version of the New Zealand Index of Socioeconomic Deprivation (NZDep2018).
Wednesday 29 January 2020
Unlike armed conflict, here we are fighting an external threat to global health where collaboration and sharing of information benefits all nations.
Wednesday 29 January 2020
People who cycle to work have a lower risk of dying, a New Zealand study has found.
Monday 20 January 2020
Māori have poorer access to early diagnosis for some key cancers including breast and colorectal cancers though, this is not the case for all cancers and is not necessarily why more Māori are dying of cancer, new University of Otago research shows.
Friday 17 January 2020
Media reports on chronic pain are focusing on treatments involving opioids and cannabis at the expense of best practice non-drug treatments, researchers have found.
Monday 13 January 2020
Development of an innovative dietary supplement to combat diabetes with a natural extract derived from the dahlia plant has reached a second round of human trials, with volunteers required in the Wellington region.