Greetings from the Mana Whakahaere
Teenaa koutou katoa,
We hope you all took a well-deserved break and time with your whaanau over the long Kings Birthday weekend. While the break was positively received on our end - it did however meddle with our update timing. Heoi anoo, we've prevailed and in this update provide a light touch to begin our month of June.
Matariki
As we draw closer to the rise of Matariki (Pleaides) maa Puanga (Rigel) we are reminded that it is a time to reflect, celebrate and prepare. Across the country will be celebrations, events, workshops and a great deal of sharing on Matariki and Puanga. Pop over to www.matariki.com for more information or check out your local council, iwi, marae or community pages.
Farewell Professor Blaikie
Te Niwha farewelled Professor Richard Blaikie at the end of May who retired from Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka - the University of Otago as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Enterprise. Richard has been a valued support to our Te Niwha team as the University of Otago Co-Host of the research platform. Earning his PhD in Physics in 1992 from the University of Cambridge, Richard spent time in the Hitachi Cambridge Laboratory investigating single-electron transport effects in semiconductor nanostructures. He held roles within the University of Canterbury’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and as the inaugural Deputy Director and later Director of the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology.
Richard was a Fulbright Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Richard has been the well-deserved recipient of many awards including the T. K. Sidey Medal for outstanding scientific research concerning electromagnetic radiation, the Hector Memorial Medal for his “fundamental and wide-ranging contributions to the field of nano-optics”, and the Thomson Medal for science leadership. Just before his retirement, one more accolade was added to his impressive line of achievements: Doctor of Science.
One might have wondered just exactly what guidance and advice a Nanoscientist would provide to an Infectious Diseases and Pandemic Preparedness Research Platform. The answer is simply: People and Science Leadership (mixed in with Cycling stories and tips). E te rangatira Richard, nei raa anoo maatou e mihi ana ki a koe.
Support for Summit attendance
In the coming days, Te Niwha will open the registrations and abstract submissions for the 2025 summit. Our last two meetings and particularly our 2024 Summit - it has been a joy and real honour to meet everyone, especially those teams that came in full force. To acknowledge and support your team attendance we have incorporated a group discount. Tied into abstract submission and to support research excellence and impact - Te Niwha have opened our consideration for summit attendance support.
Global Sharing
I would like to acknowledge our researchers that have held the global stage sharing their expertise and research innovation at the Lancefield International Symposium on Streptococci and Streptococcal Diseases (Brisbane), 11th International Symposium on Avian Influenza (St Johns, Newfoundland), Gordon Biology of Mycobacteria Conference (Pomona, California), Communicable Diseases and Immunisation Conference 2025 (Adelaide) and Pediatric Academic Societies meeting (Honolulu, Hawaii). We look forward to hearing more about your strengthened relationships and networks and insights for innovation.
June is an eventful month here in the Waikato kicking off with a deep foggy start to our National Fieldays today and starting Friday our secondary school Kapa Haka regional competition commence. As the force of winter is upon us, take care of yourself, your whaanau and friends - stay warm and dry. Again, I acknowledge the times that are upon us, reach out if there something we can help with. A winter cup of tea and bickie goes a long way.
Ngaa mihi
Te Pora
Update: Rapid Response Research Fund:
Thank you to those who responded to the call in our previous e-mail, asking for alerts about urgent and/or emerging health issues related to infectious diseases and related gaps in knowledge or tools for prevention or management of these issues. Outcomes will be communicated to the submitters shortly.
Update: Kia Tupu Community Development Grants:
Te Niwha Kia Tupu/ Community Development Grants support capability and capacity building in infectious diseases and/or pandemic preparedness of community groups, non-profit organisations, iwi, marae, hapū, kura/schools. Thank you for the registrations of interest to the call in our previous e-mail. The Te Niwha team has now invited applications from those selected for further consideration.
Māori Studentships available
Keep your eyes out for our call for Studentships - applications will open shortly and applications will be reviewed as they are received.
Registrations and abstract submissions opening soon:
Aotearoa, New Zealand Pandemic Preparedness & Infectious Diseases Summit 2025
We are excited to share that Te Niwha will return to Turangawaewae Marae for the Infectious Diseases & Pandemic Preparedness Summit 2025.
📅 10 - 13 November 2025
📍 Turangawaewae Marae, Ngāruawāhia (~ 20 km from Hamilton)
The portal for registrations and abstract submissions later this week, you will receive an e-mail with the relevant links. Te Niwha will support the attendance of students presenting their research. Click here if you wanted to check out last year's programme.
Publications:
Follow Te Niwha’s Google Scholar page to keep up to date with new publications from our researchers.
Here the latest from May 2025:
High dose, subcutaneous injections of benzathine penicillin G (SCIP) to prevent rheumatic fever: a single arm, phase IIa trial of safety and pharmacokinetics
J Bennett et al., Journal of Infection, 106506
Upcoming conferences and workshops in New Zealand relevant to infectious diseases:
Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa - 5 June 2025, Fale Pasifika
Kai Conference – 29-30 June 2025, Whakatāne, convened by Ngā Āhuatanga o te Kai (an institute preserving culture through food) and NZFSSRC
Antimicrobial Resistance Satellite, QRW – 2-3 September 2025, Christchurch
Aotearoa New Zealand Immunisation Conference 2025 and pre-conference workshop – 3-5 September 2025, Hamilton
Pacific Islands Health Research Symposium 2025 - 10-12 September 2025, Suva, Fiji. We are encouraging Te Niwha-funded researchers working on relevant projects to apply for travel grants to attend this Symposium. Applications from other New Zealand-based infectious diseases/pandemic preparedness researchers working on relevant projects to attend this specific event will also be considered. More information on travel grant applications can be found here.
