Pūranga karere
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.
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.
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.
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.
Friday 22 October 2021
Creating large smokefree outdoor pedestrian spaces would aid the health sector’s efforts to help people quit smoking, researchers say.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Tuesday 17 November 2020
Designated outdoor smoking areas in bars are facilitating experimentation and tobacco use among young adults, a new study has found.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Wednesday 18 December 2019
Welcome to the Summer 2019–2020 edition of He Kete Kōrero, with recent highlights from the Wellington campus.
Tuesday 17 December 2019
Governments worldwide need to create non-profit supply systems for tobacco and nicotine products because of their potential to cause significant and avoidable harm, researchers from the University of Otago say.
Monday 16 December 2019
The 1918 influenza pandemic in New Zealand resulted in thousands of fewer births, particularly in the 1919 year, largely because of miscarriages from influenza infection during pregnancy, researchers have found.
Tuesday 10 December 2019
Thirty University of Otago academics have been promoted to the position of professor this year.
Friday 6 December 2019
A swathe of the University of Otago Division of Health Science’s finest staff have been promoted to Associate Professor.
Friday 29 November 2019
Only 10 per cent of New Zealand websites selling vaping products require proof of age before purchase, researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington, have found.
Tuesday 26 November 2019
The convenor of refreshed postgraduate qualifications in primary health care at the University of Otago, Wellington, has brought years of experience working as a field medic for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in such global hotspots as Afghanistan and Sierra Leone – as well as on-the-ground work in rural and urban New Zealand - to the task.
Thursday 21 November 2019
A symposium being held at the University of Otago, Wellington on Monday 25 November offers a chance to tackle some of life’s most fundamental questions, including the nature of reality and the meaning of life.
Thursday 14 November 2019
Increasing pressure on both public hospitals and hospices is resulting in more patients being “admitted-to-die” into aged residential care facilities (rest homes), which are not typically set up to provide specialist palliative care services.
Tuesday 5 November 2019
University of Otago researchers are the recipients of an inaugural Marsden Fund Council Award worth $3 million to investigate genetic predisposition to metabolic diseases like diabetes and gout among Pacific people.
Thursday 31 October 2019
The Health Research Council has awarded 23 University of Otago researchers $3.8 million in Career Development Awards.
Tuesday 29 October 2019
A shift towards the use of long-acting reversible contraceptives, particularly by young women, is associated with declining abortion rates in New Zealand, new research has found.
Tuesday 8 October 2019
A prominent neuroradiologist and nuclear medicine physician with a wealth of international experience has been named the new Dean of the University of Otago medical school.
Friday 4 October 2019
All academic staff in the Division of Health Sciences are eligible to apply for the Translational Research Grant.
Wednesday 2 October 2019
A cannabidiol gel has been shown to reduce epileptic seizures in children in a clinical trial conducted in New Zealand and Australia.
Tuesday 1 October 2019
New Zealand, Australia and Iceland could act as island refuges to save humanity from extinction in the event of a catastrophic global pandemic, researchers have found.
Monday 30 September 2019
In a new initiative, the University is celebrating its internationally acclaimed scholars by creating a prestigious new role - the Sesquicentennial Distinguished Chair (Poutoko Taiea).
Monday 23 September 2019
Patrons and workers continue to be exposed to hazardous tobacco smoke in bars, restaurants and cafés, despite legislation designed to protect them, researchers have found.
Monday 16 September 2019
New Zealand smokers overwhelmingly support removing the nicotine from cigarettes to make them less addictive, a national survey has found.
Tuesday 10 September 2019
Smokers are less likely to display packs of cigarettes and tobacco on tables at cafés and bars now that standardised packs with larger graphic health warnings have been introduced, according to a new study.
Monday 9 September 2019
The Spring 2019 edition of the University of Otago, Wellington newsletter
Monday 2 September 2019
The new interim National Director of Cancer Control, University of Otago academic Professor Diana Sarfati, believes lives will be saved as a result of the new National Cancer Action Plan.
Tuesday 20 August 2019
University of Otago cancer researchers are coming together in a new collaboration awarded a $2 million grant by the Cancer Society in a bid to better tackle a leading cause of death in New Zealand.
Friday 16 August 2019
New research from the University of Otago, Wellington, has shed light on the declining use of cannabis use by teens.
Thursday 15 August 2019
Almost 20 per cent of hospital admissions of young children with acute respiratory infections could be prevented if their houses were free from damp and mould, researchers have found.
Tuesday 13 August 2019
Moving house is linked with increases in emotional and behavioural difficulties in four-year-olds, with the problems compounding each time a family moves, researchers have found.
Friday 19 July 2019
New research about an old vaccine – one that has been in use for nearly 100 years – has not only shown how effective it is but also suggests it improves our immune response to a wider range of bacteria than originally intended.
Thursday 18 July 2019
Swapping short car trips for walking or biking could achieve as much health gain as ongoing tobacco tax increases, according to a study from the University of Otago, Wellington.
Monday 15 July 2019
Around one in six New Zealand adults have tried e-cigarettes but only 2 per cent are using them currently, a national survey has found.
Thursday 4 July 2019
Eliminating waiting times for cataract surgery would be a cost-effective health system intervention, largely driven by the falls prevention benefits related to improved vision, a just-published New Zealand study has found.
Thursday 27 June 2019
Beta blockers, smoking cessation, stress suppression in motherhood and synthetic cannabinoid signalling are just a few of the areas of University of Otago Division of Health Sciences research to receive a total of almost $35 million in funding this year from the Health Research Council.
Wednesday 26 June 2019
Climate change and its impact on people’s health and using DNA to help predict who may suffer heart failure are just two of many University of Otago-led research projects being funded this year by the Health Research Council to the tune of more than $40 million.
Tuesday 25 June 2019
A 10 per cent tax on sugary drinks has cut the purchase and consumption of sugary drinks by an average of 10 per cent in places it has been introduced, a just published major review shows.
Tuesday 18 June 2019
Smartphone apps and pain management websites could fill a significant gap in helping to support the one in five New Zealanders living with chronic or persistent pain, a pain researcher from the University of Otago, Wellington says.
Friday 14 June 2019
Requiring cigarettes to contain biodegradable filters, fining smokers who litter cigarette butts and expanding smoke free outdoor areas are measures the public considers are most likely to reduce tobacco product waste, new University of Otago research reveals.
Tuesday 11 June 2019
Researchers are warning that lead-based ammunition is posing a risk to firearms’ users and their families, with a culture of denial about the issue among the firearms community.
Friday 7 June 2019
A large quantitative research study has found using the terms ‘weight’ or ‘high BMI (body mass index)’ to describe excess fatness was rated as less stigmatising and less blaming than commonly used medical terms, such as ‘fat’ or ‘obese’.
Wednesday 22 May 2019
OPINION: Online comment from some local gun lobbyists after the Christchurch shooting bypassed sympathy and jumped straight to worries about government "taking our guns away". Despite such attitudes, firearm owners are happy for the rest of us to subsidise them through our taxes.
Friday 17 May 2019
Cats and farm animals are making their presence felt in classrooms, with allergens rubbing off children’s clothes and on to classroom carpets, researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington have found.
Thursday 16 May 2019
An occupational therapist who aims to improve the quality of life for children with disabilities is one of several University of Otago early-stage researchers who have together been awarded more than $1.7 million in Health Research Council funding.
Thursday 9 May 2019
When Dr Kate Amore began researching homelessness for her PhD at the University of Otago, Wellington, the country was in denial that the issue was even a problem, she says.
Wednesday 1 May 2019
An Otago alumna has led a study into spinal surgery for children with cerebral palsy in the UK, which has proven it helps them walk and reduces pain, triggering the UK Government to fund the procedure.
Monday 29 April 2019
The authors of a University of Otago report on active transport say urgent steps must be taken to encourage New Zealanders to walk, cycle or take public transport, with our use of cars harming both our health and our environment.
Tuesday 23 April 2019
The Autumn 2019 edition of the University of Otago, Wellington newsletter
Tuesday 16 April 2019
New research has found that only three per cent of deaths in the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake occurred in people’s homes, almost all of which were at that time constructed from wood.
Tuesday 9 April 2019
Alongside funding and regulatory support, understanding how housing affects health and safety can spur owners to make improvements to their properties, researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington and WISE Better Homes have found.
Monday 8 April 2019
You can view an introduction to a paper where Professor Louise Signal is a lead author. Her research used cameras on children to study their exposure to food marketing.
Wednesday 3 April 2019
University of Otago firearms researchers are encouraging New Zealanders who are not gun owners to support MPs and political parties with the Arms Amendment Bill.
Sunday 17 March 2019
Firearms law changes promised by the Prime Minister are long overdue, according to experts in the Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, Dr Marie Russell and Dr Hera Cook.
Friday 15 March 2019
The University of Otago community stands shoulder to shoulder with the Muslim community. Following the tragic events in Christchurch last Friday, several events are being held on the Dunedin campus on Thursday, 21 March.
Tuesday 12 March 2019
New Zealand’s approach of allowing wide access to e-cigarettes is likely to be bringing overall health gains and cost savings for the health system, researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington have found.
Friday 8 March 2019
Kiwi men who were veterans of World War II appear to have had a shorter lifespan than other New Zealand men who were born at the same time, new research shows.
Monday 25 February 2019
Preventable injuries and hospitalisations due solely to poor housing conditions in New Zealand could be costing more than $145 million annually in ACC claims and hospitalisation costs, according to new research.
Friday 22 February 2019
More than 20 per cent of the 54 railway stations in the lower North Island have no smokefree signs at all and many others have signs of poor quality, researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington have found.
Thursday 21 February 2019
Listen to Professor Louise Signal, Director of the Health Promotion and Policy Research Unit, participate in a radio panel interview considering progress in addressing health inequities.
Monday 18 February 2019
New research from the Healthier Lives National Science Challenge has found people who speak te reo Māori have a reduced risk of progressing from pre-diabetes to diabetes.
Monday 11 February 2019
A three-year project aimed at pinpointing the most effective ways to prevent and control rheumatic fever and associated heart disease in New Zealand is being launched tomorrow (Tuesday 12 February) at the University of Otago, Wellington.
Thursday 31 January 2019
New Zealand is at a major crossroads in cancer care and the Cancer Society are calling on government to back a nationally-led, coordinated approach to cancer.
Tuesday 22 January 2019
A Hutt Valley District Health Board campaign to cut the number of urine tests being carried out on hospital patients not only significantly reduced the number of unnecessary tests being ordered but also lowered the level of antibiotic prescribing, a study published in the New Zealand Medical Journal has found.
Wednesday 9 January 2019
Caring for patients with two or more chronic diseases costs the health system more than it would to treat each disease in isolation, a new study has shown.
Tuesday 18 December 2018
The Summer 2018 edition of the University of Otago, Wellington newsletter
Monday 17 December 2018
Giving a probiotic supplement to pregnant mothers and their infants significantly reduces the chances of a child developing eczema for the first 11 years of their life, researchers have shown.
Friday 14 December 2018
Professors from the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington are calling on the government to set up a research fund to help prevent pandemics and increase New Zealand’s preparedness to deal with such disasters.
Monday 10 December 2018
He may be licensed to kill but fictional British secret service agent James Bond has a severe alcohol use disorder, according to an analysis of his drinking behaviour published in the Medical Journal of Australia’s Christmas issue.
Monday 3 December 2018
Researchers have shown for the first time that investing in cycle lanes and walkways encourages people to drive less and cuts carbon emissions.
Tuesday 20 November 2018
A University of Otago Christchurch engineer is developing a ‘lego’ system to 3D-bioprint bone; a solution that could one day replace the billions-of-dollars-worth of ceramic and titanium implants required by New Zealand patients annually.
Monday 19 November 2018
The Healthier Lives – He Oranga Hauora National Science Challenge, hosted by the University of Otago, welcomes the announcement from the Minister of Research, Science and Innovation Hon Megan Woods, confirming funding for its 2019-2024 research strategy
Thursday 1 November 2018
Innovative camera research has revealed that New Zealand children are exposed to alcohol marketing in their residential and school neighbourhoods. The collaborative research by the Universities of Otago and Auckland, found children’s exposure to alcohol marketing was higher in neighbourhoods with greater numbers of alcohol outlets and for Māori participants.
Tuesday 30 October 2018
World War I cast such a long shadow over New Zealand that the health and social impacts continued through to the next generation, public health researchers say.
Monday 29 October 2018
Increasing the excise tax on alcohol would likely result in fewer people dying or being injured in vehicle crashes – and generate savings for society, according to a just-published New Zealand study.
Friday 26 October 2018
An alarming proportion of New Zealanders are neither wearing hats nor seeking shade to protect themselves from the sun, University of Otago research reveals.
Tuesday 23 October 2018
New research from ASPIRE2025, a University of Otago research theme, challenges tobacco companies’ claims they are working towards a smokefree world and suggests young people are vulnerable to tobacco companies’ product innovations.
Thursday 18 October 2018
University of Otago Research Fellow Helen Taylor’s science communication around conservation genetics and threatened species has earned her recognition at this year’s New Zealand Research Honours.
Friday 12 October 2018
A new University of Otago study is aiming to tackle why Māori men have abnormally higher rates of testicular cancer compared to their non-Māori counterparts.
Thursday 11 October 2018
Researchers are using World Obesity Day today to call for an end to the stigma which fat people experience in their daily lives.
Wednesday 3 October 2018
Primary school is the correct place to educate girls about periods and provide sanitary bins and pads, say University of Otago researchers.
Monday 17 September 2018
Otago scientists secure almost $1.6 million for heart research
Monday 3 September 2018
Unhealthy diet is the leading preventable risk for poor health in New Zealand. Diet-related diseases (and how we manage them) is becoming a pressing issue for the country.
Wednesday 29 August 2018
A University of Otago doctor and scientist is calling on New Zealand to be the first country in the world to eliminate tuberculosis (TB), the top infectious disease killer in the world.
Friday 24 August 2018
University of Otago researchers believe Government actions may be inconsistent with its tobacco treaty obligations by employing a consulting firm that has worked globally for the tobacco industry, to advise on tobacco taxation.
