LIC The Body Condition Score (BCS) of a dairy cow is a critical measure of its productive and reproductive potential. Currently, BCS scores are assigned by a trained assessor. These human judgements can be subjective or perceived as such by the farmer. With large herds, stamina and time become factors and a sample may…
Antahi Innovations, Cambridge Aware of the benefits and fears associated with tube feeding, veterinarian Ursula Haywood launched into a two-year research and development programme that resulted in Antahi Tubers. The flexible tube and distinctively shaped tip make the Tubers easy for calves to swallow, without pain or risk of tissue trauma. Studies showed a…
Waikato Regional Council Dr Hill led development of a framework which uses data from a variety of existing sources – including land use capability models, biodiversity information and sediment and water quality monitoring data – to identify priority areas for soil conservation. The framework can be applied at a variety of scales to compare…
LIC Dr Spelman’s leadership qualities surfaced early in his career through his development of LIC’s fledgling Biotechnology Research Programme into a multimillion-dollar dairy genetics research collaboration with Fonterra. In 2007, Dr Spelman became LIC’s R&D Science Leader, responsible for a multimillion-dollar budget, a staff that has approximately doubled to more than 40 in 2016…
University of Waikato Understanding the consumer experience of health care is important to ensure the benefits of the system are fully realised in an equitable way. Dr Brown’s recent work focuses on the experience of Pasifica women managing breast cancer. The initial studies have developed into two new projects to translate the research findings…
University of Waikato Professor Arcus’s work focused on a multi-decade outbreak of the Rangipo tuberculosis strain in New Zealand, comparing TB replication and mutation rates in recently transmitted cases versus cases that developed after a long latency period. The study concluded that tuberculosis bacterium grew and changed much more slowly in humans than indicated…
LIC Associate Professor Starkey was instrumental in a world-first, large-scale statistical study, which discovered that the incidence of traumatic brain injury in the Waikato (especially mild injury) was higher than expected. It also highlighted the large proportion of children affected – concerning as it is generally accepted that a brain injury during childhood (including concussion)…
University of Waikato Vitamin K2 (also known as MK-7) can substantially improve bone and cardiovascular health but is extremely expensive to produce. Dr Berenjian sought to resolve the problem by simplifying the methods used to ferment, extract and purify MK-7. His patented biochemical reactor design merges several operations into one efficient and environmentally friendly…
A cost-effective, MRI-safe design for neural implant leads. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a valuable diagnostic tool, which generates images and information without using radiation as with X-rays and CT scans. Unfortunately it cannot be used on patients who have a spinal-cord stimulator (SCS) or deep-brain stimulator (DBS) as the electrical leads of SCS and…
A significant contribution to the conservation of one of our rarest taonga species. New Zealand’s native lamprey, Geotria australis (a.k.a. piharau or kanakana) is classified as a “Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable” freshwater fish species. It is also a very elusive research subject. Tracking technology was either too big for the petite fish or, in the…