Source: Liggins Institute, University of Auckland (UoA)
The Liggins Institute at the University of Auckland has launched a $25 million fundraising campaign to accelerate a new generation of health breakthroughs, building on 25 years of research that has transformed the lives of millions of babies and families worldwide.
‘In our hands: A healthy start for a healthy life’ will support six ambitious ‘moonshots’: ensuring healthy beginnings for every family; delivering personalised nutrition for babies born too soon; giving every child a path to treatment; developing new “living medicines”; nurturing tomorrow’s clinician‑scientists; and building the digital future of healthcare.
The campaign launches with $12 million already committed by philanthropic supporters.
Liggins Institute director Professor Justin O’Sullivan says the campaign builds on a legacy of scientists, clinicians, patients, families, communities and donors working together.
Research pioneered by Professor Sir Graham (‘Mont’) Liggins and by researchers at the Institute has saved millions of babies. Landmark achievements include research that led to steroids being given to women at risk of preterm birth, boosting lung development in their babies, and the ‘sugar babies’ study, which showed that oral dextrose gel can reduce the risk of brain damage in newborns with dangerously low blood sugar.
“These and other developments have revolutionised pregnancy and neonatal care,” says O’Sullivan. “But this campaign is about taking discoveries further – from the laboratory to families and into clinical practice. The treatments we develop matter because they can change the course of a person’s life.”
One of the goals focuses on giving every family the best possible start. Each year, one in 13 babies in New Zealand is born prematurely, affecting around 4,500 whānau. The Liggins‑hosted Carosika Collaborative is working with clinicians nationwide to translate scientific discoveries into world‑leading care and reduce preterm birth rates.
For babies born too soon, the Institute aims to deliver personalised nutrition rather than a one‑size‑fits‑all approach. Researchers are developing non‑invasive biomarkers that could allow clinicians to understand in real time how an individual baby is growing and responding to nutrition. They are also pioneering breast‑milk‑derived cell therapies and investigating whether donor milk retains protective effects after pasteurisation.
Another moonshot aims to give children with genetic and rare diseases a path from diagnosis to treatment. The Institute’s rapid genetic diagnosis programme has achieved success rates of around 70 percent in critically ill children. In one case, identifying a rare mutation directly informed treatment and led to a successful bone‑marrow transplant that cured a child. The ambition now is to move from precision diagnosis to precision treatment, using genomic medicine, artificial intelligence and advanced laboratory science to identify the right therapy as quickly as possible.
The Institute is also developing a new generation of ‘living medicines’ that work with the body’s own biology. Research into the gut microbiome has identified bacteria associated with reduced metabolic syndrome, with researchers now working to develop these strains as probiotic treatments.
Another priority is investing in the people who will deliver future breakthroughs. The Clinical Research Internship Programme introduces medical students to research early in their training, creating a pipeline of clinician‑scientists who can identify important clinical questions and turn them into research.
The final goal looks further ahead, using artificial intelligence and advanced data science to transform healthcare. Researchers are developing AI‑powered digital twins that could allow clinicians to test “what if” scenarios before making real‑world decisions. The first platform will create a digital twin of Starship Children’s Hospital, allowing emergency teams to simulate crises such as earthquakes, pandemics and mass‑casualty events. Researchers are also exploring digital twins of children that combine physiological monitoring, AI and computational modelling to predict illness and guide personalised treatment.
O’Sullivan says the goals are deliberately ambitious.
“We have the opportunity to do something remarkable – to change what is possible for a premature baby, for a child waiting for a diagnosis or treatment, for a family wondering what the future holds, and ultimately, for generations of New Zealanders yet to be born.”
Philanthropic support will help researchers pursue high‑risk, high‑reward ideas, respond rapidly to emerging health challenges, generate evidence needed to secure major funding and translate discoveries into better care, he says.
For further information visit: Liggins Institute
RESEARCH GOALS IN A NUTSHELL
The campaign will drive six major ‘moonshots’ over the next quarter‑century:
- Healthy beginnings: reducing New Zealand’s preterm birth rate through nationwide clinical collaboration and research into climate‑related pregnancy risks.
- Personalised nutrition: developing real‑time biomarkers and breast milk‑derived therapies for babies born too soon.
- Pathways to treatment: expanding rapid genetic diagnosis and moving toward precision therapies for children with rare and complex diseases.
- Living medicines: advancing microbiome‑based treatments targeting metabolic disease.
- Clinician‑scientists: growing a pipeline of medical students trained to turn clinical problems into research breakthroughs.
- Digital healthcare: building AI‑powered digital twins of hospitals and children to simulate crises, predict illness and guide personalised care.