Scientist at NIWA Brian is an aquatic entomologist, who’s research over the last two decades has produced a comprehensive identification guide to our caddisfly fauna. His identification guide provides a major taxonomic resource for the identification of New Zealand caddisflies, an important and unique component of our freshwater fauna. Brian Smith NIWA Back to…
Sacred Heart Girls’ College Michael is Head of Science at Sacred Heart Girls’ College and has developed a free learning hub called www.passbiology. co.nz, an interactive online learning platform for senior secondary biology teachers and students. It allows resource sharing and encourages social media interaction. Originally developed for teachers of the Waikato region, it is…
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…
Spreading a love of science within and beyond the classroom. Nataliia Kravchenko is the creator of “Magic Science” an interactive science show for primary and intermediate students. After seeing the show, Te Awamutu Primary School initiated a class on the nature of science and science discoveries using a plan developed by Kravchenko. Through her science…
Creating opportunities for science success in a low-decile environment. Kamal Nair is HoD science for a decile 2 school in rural Tokoroa with a 54% Maori, and 7% Pasifika roll. He models a student-centered classroom, fostering critical thinking skills, collaboration, communication, creativity and innovation. Nair sees students at risk of falling behind on a weekly…
An innovative decision-support tool to support soil conservation. 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…
Health care that better meets the needs of Maori patients is the focus of Dr. Jacquie Kidd’s work. One of Dr. Kidd’s early projects explored the whanau ora health experiences of over 50 Maori men who had a chronic disease or cancer and led to the development of a unique evaluation framework – Te Korowai…
Renowned dermatologist, Amanda Oakley has dedicated her career to life-saving, early detection of melanoma. Melanoma accounts for 80% of skin cancer deaths. Over 4,000 people are diagnosed with a form of melanoma every year in New Zealand and around 350 a year die from it. Our rates are the world’s highest and would be higher…
An easily implemented water purification system can help dairy farmers achieve production goals and anticipate water quality regulation. Many New Zealand farms obtain water directly from groundwater sources. This water can vary in quality. Minerals, metals and microbes may have to be removed to avoid animal and human health issues, reduce impacts on milk production…