OHA Co-director Professor David Murdoch has become a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology – only the fourth New Zealander to receive the honour. The Academy is the leadership group of the American Society for Microbiology, the world’s oldest and largest life science organisation. Professor Murdoch is also the head of the University of…

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 Health Research Council of New Zealand last year. The…

One Health Aotearoa Management Group member Professor Russell Death from Massey University was awarded the New Zealand Freshwater Sciences Society Medal at their annual meeting last week. The medal is the Society’s highest honour and recognises Russell’s outstanding services and contribution to freshwater science through his commitments to research, scientific publishing, teaching and communicating his…

Professors from the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington are calling on the government to set up a research fund to help prevent pandemics and increase New Zealand’s preparedness to deal with such disasters. Professors Michael Baker and Nick Wilson are the co-authors of a study reviewing the 1918 pandemic, which…

A Massey University team has developed new ways of predicting disease-hot spots, created by humans changing the environment, to help identify where and how society can mitigate the risk of infectious disease emergence, such as Ebola Virus Disease in Africa. The paper, Habitat fragmentation, biodiversity loss and the risk of novel infectious disease emergence, details the…

Our Spring 2018 newsletter features the latest information about the 4th One Health Aotearoa Symposium, reports on the inaugural Oceania Planetary Health Forum held recently in Fiji and reflects on what we have learnt from the 1918 influenza pandemic 100 years on. View the One Health Aotearoa Spring 2018 newsletter.

Associate Professor Peter Fineran, a molecular microbiologist at the University of Otago, has been awarded the United Kingdom Microbiology Society’s 2019 Fleming Prize. The prize is awarded to an early career researcher who has achieved an outstanding research record and is named after Nobel Prize winning scientist, Sir Alexander Fleming. Dr Fineran, Department of Microbiology…

The ESR-led international SHIVERS project, which has contributed a raft of new insights into influenza and vaccine effectiveness, has won the team award in this year’s Science New Zealand Awards, announced last last. The Southern Hemisphere Influenza and Vaccine Effectiveness Research and Surveillance project resulted from a successful NZ$9 million application to the US department…

The programme for the 2019 Public Health Summer School at the University of Otago, Wellington campus has been released. There are 30 short courses on offer from 11 February-1 March, including 16 new ones. Courses include: Introduction to health economics; Planetary health: values, law and governance; and Update on Rheumatic Fever prevention and control. Learn…

Members of One Health Aotearoa have featured in Radio New Zealand’s Insight documentary series on 4 November 2018. The documentary entitled, The next pandemic – are we ready? includes insights into the 1918 pandemic which killed 9000 New Zealanders, and discusses our preparedness for another pandemic with Professor Michael Baker from the University of Otago,…