University of Otago
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As New Zealand's first university, founded in 1869, Otago has earned an international reputation for the quality of its research and teaching. In 2007 Otago will have over 20,000 students enrolled and has a presence in each of the four main cities of New Zealand - Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. The academic and administrative centre of the University continues to be located in Dunedin, where the majority of students live and work.
New funding from the Health Research Council has continued support for the Centre for Free Radical Research at the University of Otago, Christchurch with a grant of $4.2 million over the next three years.
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World-class research at the University of Otago aimed at improving New Zealanders’ health and wellbeing has gained significant backing in the Health Research Council’s latest annual funding round.
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Internationally recognised poetry scholar Dr Jacob Edmond is the latest recipient of the University of Otago's Carl Smith Medal and Rowheath Trust Award.
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The University of Otago is closing its Aquarium facility to the public from today (Friday June 1) following a recent assessment showing the 1960s-built structure is earthquake prone.
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A report representing the first-ever attempt to comprehensively detail how the population-based funding formula (PBFF) for District Health Boards (DHBs) operates has just been released by University of Otago researchers.
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New Zealand is one of the countries critically examined in a major report on the planning of cities and their impact on population health, released this week.
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An analysis of hundreds of print media stories on the death of Auckland resident, Mrs Folole Muliaga, after her power was cut off by Mercury Energy in 2007 has found that the wider issue of ‘fuel poverty’ was largely ignored.
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DUNEDIN — A variety of medical disorders which all appear to originate in the gut will be the focus of the first annual symposium of the recently formed Gut Health Network which take places at the University of Otago this Friday.
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Early-Career Awards for Distinction in Research have been made to four highly promising University of Otago staff members.
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The University of Otago has appointed Tuari Potiki as its new Director of Maori Development.
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The nature of changes wrought in the Middle East by the Arab uprisings and their implications for the region and its role in the wider world are among topics being explored at next month's Otago Foreign Policy School.
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A world-leading team of ocean chemistry scientists has been selected as the inaugural recipients of the University of Otago’s Research Group Award.
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Just published research has found strong support from New Zealand smokers for much greater regulation of the tobacco industry.
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Ministry of Primary Industries data on self-reporting of sea lion deaths by those involved in the arrow squid fishery paint a grim picture of more than a decade of non-compliance with New Zealand law designed to protect marine mammal populations, new University of Otago research suggests.
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Short term changes in household income have only small effects on health, but have more significant impacts if income is affected by unemployment or chronic health conditions, new research from the University of Otago, Wellington shows.
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A major new study will examine whether Coroners’ recommendations are being acted on and helping save lives.
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A major new study will examine whether Coroners’ recommendations are being acted on and helping to save lives.
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The Government’s announcement that it will increase the co-payment for a prescription from $3 to $5 per item, for up to a maximum of 20 items per year, represents a questionable trade-off, says a University of Otago public health researcher.
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University of Otago, Wellington researchers have just published a study that estimates for the first time the average cost of producing a new law in New Zealand.
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A new study by the University of Otago, Wellington shows how the problem of chronic low income for a significant number of New Zealand households co-exists with high income mobility for the rest.
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University of Otago researchers working in remote Cambodian mountains are shedding new light on the lost history of an unidentified people by studying their enigmatic burial rituals.
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Inheriting gene variants that increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease does not necessarily mean an individual is going to have reduced life expectancy if he or she suffers a heart attack.
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A study from the University of Otago’s long-running Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS) throws new light on a current issue; links between family income and other outcomes later in life such as health and educational achievement.
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OTAGO — Following the completion of his home detention sentence for the assisted suicide of his mother, South Africa-based scientist Professor Sean Davison will be one of five panellists to speak at an open public forum on Thursday examining the issues of euthanasia and assisted suicide.
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Front-of-pack (FOP) labelling of food in New Zealand has support from industry, policy-makers and NGOs according to new research from the Universities of Otago and Auckland.
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People who donate their bodies to science are more likely to be blue collar workers who also regularly give blood, are registered organ donors, and give frequently to charity, according to an international study led by the University of Otago.
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Cancer survival is significantly improving in New Zealand, but inequalities in survival remain stark according to a new report released today by the University of Otago and the Ministry of Health.
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A major study by researchers from the Universities of Otago and Oxford has found that overweight and obese middle-aged women are at much higher risk of developing potentially fatal blood clots than women who are a healthy weight.
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A review by Professor Michael Ardagh and colleagues from the University of Otago, Christchurch and the Canterbury District Health Board, shows emergency health services coped well with the major earthquake in Christchurch on February 22 last year, despite being placed under enormous pressure.
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University of Otago researchers have gained $1.04M in new funding from the Lottery Grants Board to pursue research projects aimed at improving the health status of New Zealanders.
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New University of Otago research suggests that when non-religious people think about their own death they become more consciously skeptical about religion, but unconsciously grow more receptive to religious belief.
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Professor Hamish Spencer of the University of Otago will be the new Director of the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, a New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence hosted at Massey University, its Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey announced today.
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The bones of a giant penguin fossilised in a Waimate cliff have been reconstructed at the University of Otago's Geology Department, giving researchers new insights into the prehistoric creature.
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New University of Otago research suggests that a stronger focus is needed on preventing accidental nerve injury during medical treatments in New Zealand.
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Clear goals and detailed planning are critical to achieve the government’s aim of making New Zealand ‘smoke-free’ by 2025, according to health researchers from the University of Otago, Wellington.
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Population-based screening for often fatal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) should be given serious consideration, according to a new study from the University of Otago, Wellington.
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Researchers at the University of Otago, Christchurch have developed a new list of 49 ‘NEEDNT’ foods as part of a treatment research programme for obesity.
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A top international influenza researcher, educated at the University of Otago, warns that public health officials responsible for the surveillance of influenza viruses should not be complacent about the development of new viruses that may spread from the animal world to humans.
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AUCKLAND CITY — In an unprecedented move, the University of Otago's Hocken Library will take works by 2012 Frances Hodgkins Fellow Kushana Bush on a national tour that will include the Pah Homestead TSB Wallace Arts Centre in Auckland.
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Smoking and drinking often go hand in hand.
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Admissions to New Zealand hospitals from infectious diseases have jumped dramatically over the last two decades according to just published research from the University of Otago, Wellington.
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DUNEDIN — Otago Museum Reserve, Wednesday 22 February The University of Otago and the Otago University Students Association in collaboration with the Dunedin City Council will host a memorial gathering at the Otago Museum Reserve on Wednesday 22 February to mark the anniversary of the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
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Recent research by the University of Otago, Wellington has shown that giving brain cancer cells high dose vitamin C makes them much more susceptible to radiation therapy.
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OTAGO — In a major break from tradition, the University of Otago and its Students’ Association have created a new partnership for Orientation.
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Research by the University of Otago in Christchurch and Wellington has shown that breastfeeding of infants has a clear protective effect against children developing asthma or wheezing up to six years of age.
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While New Zealand primary school students are benefiting from improved sun protection efforts over recent years, our schools still lag behind those of Australia in the ‘sun smart’ stakes, according to latest University of Otago research.
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A recent large decrease in campylobacter infection from fresh poultry in New Zealand has also resulted in a significant drop in a neurological condition which can result in paralysis or death.
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Overweight or obese people with type 2 diabetes are more likely to reduce weight if they focus on cutting back on total calorie intake, rather than specific high protein/high carbohydrate diets according to a new study from the University of Otago, Wellington.
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New University of Otago research suggests that 6.5% of gay and bisexual men in Auckland have HIV, with a fifth (21%) of these unaware of their infection.
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OTAGO — The University of Otago Business School has maintained its business accreditation by AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
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An early-career rheumatology researcher who has already made significant contributions to improving the treatment of arthritis and gout is the University of Otago’s latest Rowheath Trust Award and Carl Smith Medal recipient.
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A new study published by researchers from University of Otago, Wellington has found that smoking rates have declined rapidly amongst many occupational groups over the last 25 years.
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A University of Otago expert on rare New Zealand Sea Lions says the Government’s proposed radical policy change which he is certain will endanger the species comes despite two of its own departments producing conflicting advice on the issue.
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The national nutrition policy formulated by Labour and National-led Governments favours the food industry over public health according to new research from the University of Otago, Wellington.
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Pigeons are on par with primates in their numerical abilities, according to new University of Otago research appearing in the leading international journal Science.
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Most adults can’t recall events that took place before they were 3 or 4 years old—a phenomenon called childhood amnesia.
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OTAGO — Fourteen of the University of Otago’s leading academics are being promoted to full professorships.
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Upgrading playgrounds does not appear to be sufficient to help children become more active.
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One of New Zealand’s highest honours, the Prime Minister’s Science Prize, has been awarded to Otago’s Centre for Chemical and Physical Oceanography.
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New research from the University of Otago shows that New Zealanders are highly supportive of local authority policies that restrict the availability and promotion of alcohol.
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The University of Otago has appointed Philip Kearney as its next Director of Development and Alumni Relations.
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New Zealand is named in a major international study involving the University of Otago as one of six states and countries which have no clear evidence of a decrease in child maltreatment over the past two decades.
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A University of Otago zoologist is urging the Government to take another look at its proposal not to set a fishing industry limit on sea lion by-catch, saying MAF’s science behind its recommendation is flawed and could hasten the species towards extinction.
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Children from a lower socio-economic area in Wellington, Wainuiomata, are 11 times more likely to be exposed to cigarette smoking in cars than in the wealthier suburb of Karori, according to recent research.
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Nearly two-thirds (65%) of adult New Zealanders are consuming more sodium than current nutrition guidelines recommend, according to analysis of urine samples taken from 3000 people who took part in the latest New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey.
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University of Otago Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne will today launch a new Pacific Research protocol.
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Earlier this week the University of Otago Council agreed to increase the value of Otago’s doctoral scholarships from $20,000 plus fees to $25,000 plus fees per annum.
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Professor Christine Winterbourn of the University of Otago is the 2011 recipient of New Zealand’s top science and technology honour, the Rutherford Medal.
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Four leading University of Otago researchers have been recognised for their outstanding contributions through the presentation of prestigious medals at the Royal Society of New Zealand 2011 Research Honours event.
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DUNEDIN — The National Research Centre for Growth and Development (NRCGD) is holding its annual symposium in Dunedin for the first time this week (15-17 November), with around 80 researchers attending.
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A University of Otago study has offered a working definition of spirituality to help healthcare professionals better understand its importance for those faced with illness and death in an age when fatal illnesses are often prolonged.
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A big difference to the mental health of New Zealanders could be achieved by introducing a promising brief guided self-help intervention programme administered by GPs.
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William Shakespeare unequivocally wrote the famous plays to which his name is attached, despite a growing attack on this “settled issue” demonstrated in a film just released in New Zealand, according to a University of Otago Shakespearean expert of international standing.
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The University of Otago announced today that it will receive funding through Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative created by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that enables researchers worldwide to test unorthodox ideas that address persistent health and development challenges.
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Mr Reuben Johnson has been appointed as a senior lecturer in neurosurgery at the Dunedin School of Medicine and consultant neurosurgeon at Dunedin Hospital, the University of Otago announced today.
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A review of Government policy and action on climate change by researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington and Victoria University shows they fall well short of what is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet even weak targets.
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A leading University of Otago microbiologist and its incoming Research Deputy Vice-Chancellor are among 13 new Fellows elected to the Royal Society of New Zealand.
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At the end of November the University of Otago hosts New Zealand’s first major conference focused on Disability Studies, Every Body In.
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He tāonga, he koha, he kura pounamu The Mana Pounamu Young Achievers’ Awards celebrates its 11th anniversary today with a ceremony tonight to recognise the achievements and potential of rakatahi Māori (Māori youth) in secondary schools across Otago.
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Chlorine bleach is a common item in the household cleaning cupboard.
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Three leading University of Otago researchers have received Fulbright awards to undertake three to five months of study in their fields of interest at institutions in the United States.
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Vaccinating young children in Africa against pneumococcus may help protect their entire communities from deadly infections this bacterium can cause, a new study coauthored by a University of Otago researcher suggests.
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Infestations of house dust mites on children’s soft toys can be eradicated by freezing, hot tumble drying or washing with eucalyptus oil and detergent according to new research by the University of Otago, Wellington.
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Potatoes and other reportedly high-GI foods might not be the dietary villains that recent publicity, books and health-based programmes would claim them to be, a new University of Otago study suggests.
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A recent study by the University of Otago, Wellington into internet pro-suicide and support sites indicates that significant improvements need to be made in this area to help prevent suicidal behaviour.
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University of Otago researchers have gained $17.8 million to undertake 26 leading-edge projects in the Marsden Fund annual round announced today.
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University of Otago microbiologist Professor Greg Cook has been awarded a prestigious James Cook Research Fellowship to pursue research involving bacteria that thrive in extreme environments.
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A visitor from Wellington who stayed at Cumberland College last weekend was infectious with measles during their short visit.
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An internationally eminent researcher into how the brain controls fertility, Professor Allan Herbison, is this year’s recipient of the University of Otago’s highest research honour, the Distinguished Research Medal.
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Researchers from the University of Otago, Christchurch, have been a critical part of a world-wide study into treating newborns with infections, which will potentially save the New Zealand health system $200,000 a year.
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Health researchers collaborating to support a tobacco-free New Zealand under the banner of ASPIRE 2025 are holding an inaugural seminar this week to learn how Australian States have handled the removal of tobacco retail displays, and to consider the next steps against the tobacco epidemic in this country.
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University of Otago researchers have received a Health Research Council of New Zealand and Ministry of Health partnership research grant to conduct an epidemiological study of the former Fruitgrowers Chemical Company site in Mapua.
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There has been a significant increase in necrotising fasciitis (NF) or ‘flesh-eating disease’ in New Zealand between 1990 and 2006 according to the first ever nation-wide assessment of the incidence of this disease.
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An examination of ancient and modern DNA by the University of Otago has confirmed that the New Zealand storm-petrel, once thought to be extinct, is a bird which continues to fly our southern skies.
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At a time when many New Zealanders are increasingly turning to the Salvation Army for help in their lives, the Army has turned to the University of Otago to ensure their social services are based on the best possible national and international research.
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OTAGO — About 2000 University of Otago final-year students have just been approached to take part in a world-first study of graduates.
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A pilot University of Otago study investigating factors that contribute to birth satisfaction for first time New Zealand mothers has led to a bigger nationwide study examining how birth preparation impacts on birth satisfaction.
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The University of Otago continues its tradition of strong support for the arts in New Zealand with today’s announcement of four prestigious arts fellowships for 2012.
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CHRISTCHURCH — Staff and medical students from the University of Otago, Christchurch, are offering free health checks to the Māori community this weekend in the hope it will improve wellbeing in what has been a tough year for most Cantabrians.
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In a country besotted with its rugby and rural heroes, use of cosmetic grooming products has become widely accepted by young New Zealand males, according to a University of Otago Marketing Department study.
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