With her research into goat milk and its impact on brain processes, Dr Anica Klockars is traversing new ground in nutritional research. When breastfeeding is not possible or practical, formula feeding is the alternative. Cow-milk products are the usual choice but rising popularity of goat milk options revealed a research gap. Dr Klockars examined the…
Dr. Etuini Ma’u’s leadership and research is improving our understanding of dementia care needs, particularly in relation to Pacific people. As our population ages, the number of people with dementia is rapidly increasing. An academic psychiatrist specialising in mental health services for older people, Dr. Ma’u is currently undertaking a PhD looking at dementia prevention,…
Associate Professor Leandro Bolzoni is a world leader in the realm of titanium alloys and economic, environmentally-friendly ways to produce them. Strong, light, corrosion-resistant and biocompatible, titanium and titanium alloys are invaluable to the aerospace, land transport and biomedical industries. However, use has been limited by high extraction and manufacturing costs compared to other materials.…
By building a ‘bot to crack a back-breaking task, Dr Shen Hin Lim gives hope to our asparagus industry. Our horticulture sector is facing a labour crunch and asparagus growers are particularly hard hit. Workers must walk fields daily to spot spears of the required height and then stoop to pick them, making it one…
Fiona Wolff is committed to increasing interest, access and participation in science within her classroom and beyond. At Morrinsville College, Fiona teaches the Year 9 learning support class where she thrives on helping students who have struggled with achievement to develop strong skills in specialist subjects. She has reshaped the school’s junior courses to increase…
As scrutiny increases on the environmental impact of food production, AgResearch is providing vital support for our dairy and meat industries. Over the last decade, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) team at AgResearch has consistently delivered impactful research on the environmental sustainability of our pastoral farming systems. This includes examinations of our agricultural products to…
As the perils of plastic production and pollution rise, Scion/AgriSea spies a solution in seaweed. Nanocellulose is considered to be a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics and can be used in a vast range of products including adhesives, batteries, biomedical supplies and cosmetics. It’s widely available, biodegradable and biocompatible but the bulk of the world’s…
Professor Matt Littlejohn’s research for LIC has identified key genetic variants that have a significant impact on production and health in our national herd. Over the last 25 years, LIC has made a number of discoveries about genes that affect production, fertility and survival among dairy and beef animals. Professor Littlejohn has advanced this work…
Paul Champion’s work tackles the wicked problem of weedy waterways. Aquatic weeds can easily grow rampant, affecting recreation, interfering with hydro-generation, hindering restoration efforts and driving native species onto endangered lists. One of our leading authorities on aquatic and wetland plants, NIWA’s Paul Champion’s guides, toolkits and advice have helped organisations throughout New Zealand to…
Chris Duggan’s bi-lingual science kits for primary schools have grown from a one-city wonder to a nationwide phenomenon. Observing a downward trend in our primary level science results and knowing that a lack of teacher confidence was part of the problem, accomplished science educator Chris quit her teaching job to start ‘House of Science’, a…