University of Otago announces academic promotions
Friday, 15 December 2017 12:25pm
The University of Otago will this year promote 23 academics to the position of Professor across its Dunedin, Christchurch, and Wellington campuses.
Sex advice and Siri? To Google or not to Google? These are the questions
Thursday, 14 December 2017 9:31am
In an article published today in the Christmas issue of the British Medical Journal, New Zealand researchers found that Google laptop searches performed better at finding online sexual health advice than the digital assistants on smartphones.
How do firearms, floods and flu impact public health?
Wednesday, 13 December 2017 8:24am
Firearms and public health, impacts of New Zealand’s most common natural hazard - flooding, and lessons from the 1918 flu pandemic are just some of the courses and seminar talks being offered by the University of Otago, Wellington’s Public Health Summer School.
Students scoop awards in Wellington ceremony
Monday, 11 December 2017 2:47pm
Top-ranking medical and radiation therapy students enjoyed their own version of the red carpet at the University’s Wellington campus 2017 Awards Ceremony at the Roxy Theatre last month.
Giving cash without strings attached can improve health
Thursday, 23 November 2017 12:05pm
New research has shown governments can help improve health in low and middle income countries, simply by providing cash to people living in poverty.
Kids in Space Study: Where do our children go?
Thursday, 9 November 2017 9:04am
New Zealand children stick close to home, innovative research from Otago, Auckland and Harvard Universities has revealed.
He Kete Kōrero – Spring 2017
Tuesday, 7 November 2017 1:30pm
The Spring 2017 edition of the University of Otago, Wellington newsletter
Otago health researchers gain career development awards
Tuesday, 31 October 2017 11:53am
Four up–and–coming University of Otago researchers have each been awarded around $500,000 from the Health Research Council (HRC) to pursue world-class projects aimed at improving New Zealander’s health and wellbeing and contributing to international progress in these areas.
Study shows NZers who cycle and walk for transport are more physically active
Tuesday, 31 October 2017 11:37am
New Zealanders who walk and cycle for transport are much more likely to have adequate levels of physical activity than those who drive cars.
No smokefree signs at New Zealand racecourses, study shows
Friday, 27 October 2017 12:25pm
A survey of New Zealand racecourses and sports grounds with stands has found no smokefree signs at the racecourses and signage at less than half the sports grounds.
Provide more water fountains at playgrounds, say researchers
Thursday, 19 October 2017 11:14am
A new study from the University of Otago, Wellington, has found that only six per cent of Wellington City children’s playgrounds have drinking water fountains.
NZ kids can’t escape alcohol marketing next to bread and milk
Tuesday, 10 October 2017 4:19pm
New Zealand children are exposed to alcohol marketing on nearly every visit to the supermarket, innovative camera research from Otago and Auckland Universities reveals.
New research shows NZ children are surrounded by junk food ads
Monday, 9 October 2017 5:25pm
New Zealand children are exposed to around 27 unhealthy food advertisements per day, innovative camera research from Otago and Auckland Universities reveals.
Improving assessment of acute abdominal pain
Friday, 6 October 2017 3:08pm
Surgical admissions for people with abdominal pain to Wellington Hospital’s department of general surgery have nearly doubled over the past decade, a University of Otago, Wellington (UOW) study has found.
New Zealand teens’ risky behaviour rates reduced since the 1990s
Wednesday, 4 October 2017 11:38am
Overall today’s adolescents are ‘better behaved’ than teens in the 1990s, says a University of Otago, Wellington researcher.
New study shows General Practices at health training capacity
Friday, 22 September 2017 10:17am
A comprehensive survey in the lower North Island and South Island has revealed that general practices, although crucial for teaching our future health professionals, are at training capacity.
New research shows surge in outdoor smokefree action around NZ
Friday, 22 September 2017 9:42am
Local outdoor smokefree action is rapidly growing around New Zealand, according to new research from the University of Otago, Wellington.
Book shines spotlight on our cities
Tuesday, 19 September 2017 12:02pm
A new book sets out important ideas for helping New Zealand cities resolve the challenges of providing quality, affordable housing, designing healthy transport systems and dealing with climate change.
New medical device for brain monitoring at the bedside
Monday, 18 September 2017 10:26am
A University of Otago, Wellington (UOW) team has been awarded an MBIE Endeavour grant this week to develop a non-invasive and cost-effective device to diagnose and treat stroke and other brain injuries.
Professor Tony Dowell interviewed for RNZ Documentary on Mental Health
Wednesday, 13 September 2017 2:22pm
Professor Tony Dowell from the Department of Primary Health Care & General Practice was recently interviewed as part of the RNZ Insight Programme, entitled "NZ’s Mental Health at Breaking Point?"
Canterbury quake damage increased risk of cardiovascular disease
Friday, 8 September 2017 3:32pm
A Healthier Lives National Science Challenge study using New Zealand linked datasets reveals the impact of residential housing damage from the 2010/11 Canterbury earthquakes on hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease.
Study shows mould in bedrooms causes asthma in young children
Thursday, 7 September 2017 11:02am
Researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington (UOW) have shown that leaking and mouldy homes may lead to the development of a first attack of asthma in young children living in them.
Helping healthcare practitioners to work with language interpreters
Monday, 28 August 2017 11:44am
A team of researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington has just launched a unique on-line eLearning module to provide realistic and practical guidance for clinicians working with spoken language interpreters in primary health care.
Study shows most NZ playgrounds lack smokefree signs
Thursday, 24 August 2017 3:48pm
A new study of the smokefree signs at 63 New Zealand playgrounds has found that less than half of the playgrounds (44 per cent) had any such signs. Even when present, many of the signs were small and poorly designed, with some being only postcard sized.
Quitline is good value-for-money - new study
Monday, 21 August 2017 10:52am
A new study from the University of Otago, Wellington has found New Zealand’s Quitline service is a highly cost-effective way to improve health and even saves the health system money.
'Big data' study shows high impact of childhood respiratory illnesses on primary care practices
Friday, 11 August 2017 2:48pm
A study using ‘big data’ has found that childhood respiratory illnesses, especially during the first two years of life, have a big impact on New Zealand primary care general practice (GP) workloads.
Obstetric providers need greater support for new prenatal screening test
Friday, 4 August 2017 2:47pm
A new study shows most New Zealand obstetric providers need more support when providing a revolutionary genetic prenatal screening test because of its complexity and because it is not publicly funded.
New Zealand is falling far short of its Smokefree 2025 goal
Wednesday, 2 August 2017 12:02pm
Smokefree 2025 will be Smokefree 2065 unless urgent government action is taken.
New Centre for Translational Physiology launched in Wellington
Monday, 31 July 2017 4:08pm
A unique centre that will forge new links between health researchers and clinicians, working on solutions for complex diseases such as diabetes, obesity and stroke, is being launched at the University of Otago, Wellington (UOW) this week.
He Kete Kōrero – Winter 2017
Wednesday, 26 July 2017 1:42pm
The Winter 2017 edition of the University of Otago, Wellington newsletter
Bowel-cancer screening cost-effective but does not reduce health inequalities
Thursday, 20 July 2017 9:13am
Bowel-cancer screening in New Zealand will improve health cost effectively, according to University of Otago research just published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.
Research to help patients with acute abdominal pain
Monday, 17 July 2017 2:49pm
A PhD candidate at the University’s Wellington campus believes the way acute abdominal pain is diagnosed can be improved, and that the process for patients who need surgery can be sped up.
Wellington’s new direction in postgraduate support
Thursday, 13 July 2017 2:26pm
A multi-skilled team of Wellington staff has worked together to produce a fantastic new Study Skills programme for distance taught postgraduate students.
Thousands of NZ children continue to be exposed to second-hand smoke in cars
Friday, 7 July 2017 11:28am
New evidence shows one in five children continue to be exposed to smoking in cars, and that exposure even increased in 2015.
Men of different ethnicities needed for Wellington weight loss study
Thursday, 29 June 2017 2:33pm
Researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington (UOW) are seeking 20 men from different ethnic backgrounds for a study to find out how well people of different body shapes and different ethnicities respond to a weight loss diet.
Pathways to achieve Smokefree NZ – new study
Thursday, 29 June 2017 9:04am
New modelling research has shown the major ways for reducing smoking on the path to New Zealand’s smokefree goal by 2025. University of Otago, Wellington researchers are calling for these new measures to be considered by the New Zealand Government.
Closing the border in extreme pandemics worthwhile – Study
Monday, 26 June 2017 1:07pm
It may sometimes make sense for island nations like New Zealand to temporarily close their borders in extreme pandemic situations, a new study by Wellington researchers suggests.
Stomach cancer programme part of HRC funding haul
Wednesday, 21 June 2017 4:31pm
A five-year programme to examine ways of reducing the burden of stomach cancer in New Zealand has received support in the latest Health Research Council (HRC) funding round announced last week, along with 18 other Otago projects.
Updated guidance urgently needed for antipsychotic drug clozapine
Tuesday, 20 June 2017 11:04am
Drug-safety regulators and manufacturers need to take urgent action over serious adverse effects of the valuable antipsychotic drug clozapine, a new study shows.
Major funding for innovative University of Otago health research
Thursday, 15 June 2017 9:30am
University of Otago researchers have been awarded more than $24M in new health research funding to support their world-class studies aimed at improving New Zealanders’ health and well-being.
Research finds flu is a major killer in New Zealand with Māori, Pasifika and low-income earners most vulnerable
Friday, 9 June 2017 12:27pm
New research from the University of Otago, Wellington, shows that influenza kills about 500 New Zealanders each year, and the risk of premature death is much higher for Māori, Pasifika, men and those living in relative poverty.
Setting the world on a course toward sustainable development
Tuesday, 6 June 2017 12:26pm
Not all good policies, in isolation, lead to an overall good outcome. Interactions and linkages between policies are what will lead us towards a more sustainable world, according to a new International Council for Science (ICSU) report.
Cannabidiol shown to be effective for a severe form of Epilepsy
Thursday, 25 May 2017 4:48pm
The first ever Class 1 clinical trial of the drug cannabidiol has shown it is effective at reducing convulsive seizures in a severe type of epilepsy in children.
Do Community Treatment Orders violate human rights?
Wednesday, 24 May 2017 9:54am
Researchers from New Zealand and Australia have claimed that a standard practice used in psychiatry may be ineffective and violate international human rights conventions.
He Kete Kōrero – Autumn 2017
Thursday, 18 May 2017 1:50pm
The Autumn 2017 edition of the University of Otago, Wellington newsletter.
Improvements to healthcare system needed to manage multimorbidity
Friday, 12 May 2017 9:06am
Living with multiple health conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, is a challenge for increasing numbers of New Zealanders. New research led by the University of Otago, Wellington, has identified issues and improvements needed in the health care system to help patients with multimorbidity (multiple health conditions), their supporters and health care providers.
Turning healthcare around: Health professionals learning together makes for better healthcare
Thursday, 13 April 2017 8:41am
Poor communication between clinicians can turn health care into a bad experience. The University of Otago, Wellington (UOW) is turning this around through an interprofessional education (IPE) programme introduced in recent years for students across the disciplines – dietetics, medicine, physiotherapy, and radiation therapy.
Otago diabetes study seeks participants of different ethnicities
Wednesday, 12 April 2017 12:37pm
A University of Otago research study which will examine how well people of different body shapes and different ethnicities respond to a weight loss diet is looking for 20 men to participate.
Probiotics may reduce risk of gestational diabetes
Tuesday, 4 April 2017 2:06pm
Research led by the University of Otago, Wellington has found that a ‘home-grown’ naturally occurring probiotic reduces the risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) and lowers fasting blood sugar.
Health Research Council supports Otago researchers
Thursday, 30 March 2017 8:18am
Several University of Otago researchers have gained feasibility grants from the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) in its latest funding round. The HRC yesterday announced a combined total of $2 million worth of these grants, up from $1.05 million in 2016.
