Surprise te reo Māori finding in pre-diabetes research
Source: University of Otago Monday 18 February 2019 2:27pmDr Andrea Teng.New research from the Healthier Lives National Science Challenge has found people who speak te reo Māori have a reduced risk of progressing from prediabetes to diabetes.The groundbreaking research, which has been published in the Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice journal, observed more than 14,000 […]
Read More →Clues in Otago research as to changes in babies’ brain formation in obese mothers
Source: University of Otago Monday 18 February 2019 9:54amAssociate Professor Christine Jasoni.University of Otago researchers have discovered a clue as to why there are changes in the way babies’ brains are formed in mothers who are obese during pregnancy, which can potentially lead to an elevated risk of mental illness, including autism spectrum disorders.Lead researcher […]
Read More →Student well-being paramount as year begins – Vice-Chancellor
Source: University of Otago Friday 15 February 2019 3:04pmVice-Chancellor Professor Harlene HayneAs the University of Otago welcomes students back for the 2019 academic year, Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne has some advice to ensure their experiences are both fun and safe.“Students come to Otago from across New Zealand and the world, to receive not only a […]
Read More →Improved access to greenspace for older adults needs to be considered – Otago study
Source: University of Otago Wednesday 13 February 2019 2:50pmContact with nature enhances people’s physical, mental and spiritual well-being – from reducing stress and blood pressure to enhancing mood and social interactions.Older people’s inability to engage in nature can leave them feeling sad, frustrated and angry, a University of Otago study has found.Associate Professor Yolanda van […]
Read More →Historic characters, local sports stars and musicians kick-off University of Otago’s 150th anniversary
Source: University of Otago Tuesday 12 February 2019 4:36pmThe Clocktower Lawn at the University of Otago.New students arriving in Dunedin are in for an extra special welcome this year, with the public launch of the University of Otago’s 150th anniversary celebrations kicking-off this Friday, 15 February.The Clocktower Lawn picnic, starting at 5.30pm, is a great […]
Read More →Pressing issues focus of inaugural Tourism Policy School
Source: University of Otago Tuesday 12 February 2019 3:30pmProfessor James Higham.The impact, value and sustainability of tourism is the focus of the inaugural tourism policy school, in Queenstown, next month.Convened by the University’s Department of Tourism, Tourism and Sustainability – Volume vs Value, runs over two days and boasts an international line-up of panellists and […]
Read More →Prestigious Law Chair for University of Otago
Source: University of Otago Tuesday 12 February 2019 3:15pmLeft to right: Dr Royden Somerville QC, Noel Carroll, and Professor Mark Henaghan at the signing of the deed to enable the initiative.The University of Otago Faculty of Law is honoured to announce the establishment of a new Chair of Jurisprudence, named after International scholar and Otago […]
Read More →Otago research reveals need to ensure drug trials for anxiety are carried out on appropriate patients
Source: University of Otago Tuesday 12 February 2019 1:26pmDr Chris Gale.University of Otago psychiatry experts are concerned some medications used to treat anxiety may appear ineffective because they are not being tested in appropriate patients.Dr Chris Gale, a consultant psychiatrist and Senior Lecturer in the Dunedin School of Medicine, and Hazel Buckland Professor of Psychiatry […]
Read More →Otago study proves value of teaching open water survival skills to children
Source: University of Otago Tuesday 12 February 2019 9:41amChildren take part in one of the skills sessions at Brighton Beach, Dunedin.Despite the majority of drownings occurring in open water, basic aquatic skills are typically taught in swimming pools.To address this disparity, a University of Otago study set out to determine the effectiveness of teaching children […]
Read More →New Zealand leads global effort to control rheumatic fever
Source: University of Otago Monday 11 February 2019 4:20pmProfessor Michael Baker.A three-year project aimed at pinpointing the most effective ways to prevent and control rheumatic fever and associated heart disease in New Zealand is being launched tomorrow (Tuesday 12 February) at the University of Otago, Wellington.The project was awarded a $1.2 million grant from the […]
Read More →Otago research links deprivation, inequality to poorer blood thinner outcomes
Source: University of Otago Friday 8 February 2019 10:11amBryan SimpsonNew University of Otago research is warning doctors to be wary of potential health risks for Māori and Pacific patients taking a common blood thinner.The breakthrough study published in the Journal of Primary Health Care has revealed Māori and Pacific peoples are more likely to be […]
Read More →Otago nutrition experts call for updated national survey to see what NZ’ers are eating
Source: University of Otago Thursday 7 February 2019 12:19pmProfessor Jim MannAs dietary factors and obesity have taken over as the key causes of the global burden of disease, University of Otago nutrition experts say there’s a desperate need for a national nutrition survey to see what New Zealanders are eating, with the most recent survey […]
Read More →DNA provides insights into penguin evolution and reveals two new extinct penguins
Source: University of Otago Thursday 7 February 2019 9:31amPenguins. Artist: Sean Murtha. The painting, created to mark this research, shows Eudyptes warhami in the foreground, with Megadyptes antipodes richdalei in the background.New research has improved our understanding of when and why penguins evolved, and has identified two recently extinct penguins from New Zealand’s remote Chatham Islands.In […]
Read More →New Woolshed Bay property name honours courageous tipuna
Source: University of Otago Tuesday 5 February 2019 10:05amA carving from artist Riki Ngamoki reveals the new name of the University’s Central Otago property, Hākitekura.The University’s newest property based in Central Otago will have a name honoring a local tipuna whose life was filled with courage and bravery.The stunning four-hectare Woolshed Bay property was donated […]
Read More →Otago academics question whether it is timely to salary GPs and abolish patient fees
Source: University of Otago Friday 1 February 2019 9:39amProfessor Robin Gauld.University of Otago academic health and business leaders consider it timely for a debate about funding primary healthcare services including the possibility of the Government salarying all GPs and abolishing patient fees.In an editorial in the latest issue of the New Zealand Medical Journal today, […]
Read More →Cancer Society calls for an end to DHB-led cancer care
Source: University of Otago Thursday 31 January 2019 10:43amDr Chris JacksonNew Zealand is at a major crossroads in cancer care and the Cancer Society are calling on government to back a nationally-led, coordinated approach to cancer.“All New Zealanders should have access to the best care wherever they live – but currently each district health board […]
Read More →Glimpse of the future of the south from last summer’s heatwave
Source: University of Otago Tuesday 29 January 2019 8:51amDr Robert SmithFish normally seen in sub-tropical waters arrived; the kelp that provides habitat for other fish and marine species died off; farmed salmon failed to thrive – even surfers could wear board shorts instead of wetsuits.These were some effects seen on the coastal waters around Dunedin […]
Read More →Otago bioethicists call for more robust system of ethical governance in human gene-editing
Source: University of Otago Monday 28 January 2019 12:59pmJing-ru Li, a PhD candidate in the Bioethics Centre is the lead author of the article, gathering information while carrying out field work in China for her postdoctoral thesis.University of Otago bioethicists are calling for a more robust system of ethical governance in human gene-editing in the […]
Read More →Otago researcher contributes piece to the puzzle of baleen whales’ evolution
Source: University of Otago Wednesday 23 January 2019 12:06pm Dr Carolina Loch,Faculty of Dentistry An Otago researcher has added another piece to the puzzle of the evolution of modern baleen whales with a world-first study examining the teeth and enamel of baleen whales’ ancestors. Modern baleen whales have no teeth when adults, instead they use […]
Read More →‘Choosing Wisely’ reduces unnecessary tests and antibiotic use, study finds
Source: University of Otago Tuesday 22 January 2019 11:35am Dr Lynn McBain A Hutt Valley District Health Board campaign to cut the number of urine tests being carried out on hospital patients not only significantly reduced the number of unnecessary tests being ordered but also lowered the level of antibiotic prescribing, a study published in […]
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