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Health research
Research projects
Some research projects from our broad range of research expertise in health at Massey.
An exploration of the effects of the built environment on depression in the Wellington Region
Rose's master's project explores the relationship of walkability and mental health amongst adolescents in the Wellington Region. The study demonstrated an association between walkability and symptoms of depression in adolescents. The study demonstrated an association between walkability and symptoms of depression in adolescents. It also showed that a walkable neighbourhood may help to reduce depressive symptoms.
The MINI Study - Mother and Infant Nutrition Investigation
After the birth of their baby, most women continue to see their health care professionals. However, the focus is often on the infant’s health. Only limited attention is given to the mother’s health. This study monitored the mothers’ health by assessing her nutrient status, thyroid function and mental health. The three nutrients studied were iodine, selenium, and iron.
Growing up healthy in families across the globe – Te ao whanau
This research brings together five of the most influential child development studies with relevance to Aotearoa: The Pacific Islands Family Study, Te Hoe Nuku Roa (Māori Families Longitudinal Study) and the triad of Growing Up studies (New Zealand, Ireland and Scotland). A new analysis aims to determine how and why child development environments change and which environments are supportive and which are not.
This is a research collaboration with Auckland University of Technology (New Zealand), University of Auckland (New Zealand), ScotCen Social Research (United Kingdom), and ESRI (Geographic information systems company).
Plant power protects young asthmatics
A study of almost 50,000 New Zealand children has found exposure to green natural environments, and especially diverse vegetation, may protect against asthma.
The effects of nitrate supplementation on performance, metabolism and cardiovascular function in older adults
With increasing rates of disease and age-related dysfunction, there is a growing interest in the use of food-based supplements and bioactive compounds to help improve or maintain one’s health and body functions. This has led to the interest in beetroot juice (which contains nitrate) as a health food, which has the potential to improve cognition, mood and cardiovascular function. However, further research is required to support this. The aim of this study, by PhD candidate Luke Stanaway, is to examine the effects of acute nitrate supplementation, from beetroot juice taken with breakfast, on cognition, mood and cardiovascular responses in older adults.
Student research
Akisi N Ravono's research for her PhD (Nursing) will explore patients’ expectations of their care and how closely it connects to the care that nurses plan to deliver for such patients in an iTaukei community setting.
Akisi N Ravono
Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing
Bolaji Lilian Ilesanmi-Oyelere's research project looks into the relationship between New Zealand diets, bone health and the gut microbiome. She believes that the dairy industries, the scientific community and women in general will benefit from the outcomes of this research. Her project is supervised by Professor Marlena Kruger, Professor Jane Coad and Professor Nicole Roy.
Bolaji Lilian Ilesanmi-Oyelere
Doctor of Philosophy
Working with an iwi provider in the health sector fuelled Dr Carole Fernandez's desire to make a positive contribution to health service delivery for Māori. Her research demonstrated the application of tikanga-based principles and values used in collaborative processes when working with Māori and whānau, and also when working at the interface with mainstream service providers.
Carole Fernandez
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr Claire Minton, a lecturer at Massey University’s School of Nursing, explored the experiences of patients, their families and healthcare professionals during the trajectory of a prolonged critical illness, for her PhD thesis. Her research provides insights into the complexity of care during prolonged critical illness, which can result in interventions, education and research targeted to improve outcomes and experiences.
Dr Claire Minton
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr Lana McCarthy’s thesis provides a historical insight into New Zealand’s national netball team, the Silver Ferns from 1960-2015, and investigates ways in which captains and coaches have constructed the evolving culture and leadership of the team.
Dr Lana McCarthy
Doctor of Philosophy
Wendy O’Brien's PhD research examined the physical activity profiles of Māori, Pacific and European women to understand ethnic differences in physical activity, and the implications of ethnic differences on body composition and metabolic health.
Dr Wendy O’Brien
Doctor of Philosophy
Taste preferences start to develop early in life and can influence food choices in the future. PhD candidate and registered dietitian, Jeanette Rapson is investigating how exposing babies to a variety of fruit and vegetables when they first move to solids, could help form better eating habits in the future. Visit https://www.vegesfirststudy.co.nz/
Jeanette Rapson
Doctor of Philosophy
PhD student Katie Schraders is investigating the long-term effects of coeliac disease. Her thesis is being supervised by Professor Marlena Kruger.
Katie Schraders
Doctor of Philosophy
Kyle Southward's PhD research is investigating the effects of key genes on how individuals respond to caffeine during exercise. His research aims to better understand individual responses to caffeine so that tailor-made supplementation programmes can be made for individual athletes rather than simply using generic guidelines. His PhD is supervised by Associate Professor Ajmol Ali, Dr Kay Rutherfurd-Markiwick and Dr Claire Badenhorst.
Kyle Southward
Doctor of Philosophy
Beetroot juice contains nitrate and has the potential to improve cognition, mood and cardiovascular function. Luke Stanaway's PhD examines the effects of a single dose and prolonged intake of nitrate supplementation, of beetroot juice, on cognition, mood and cardiovascular responses in younger (18-30 years) and older adults (50-70 years). His project is supervised by Associate Professor Ajmol Ali, Associate Professor Kay Rutherfurd-Markwick and Associate Professor Rachel Page.
Luke Stanaway
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr Matt Miller invented the Brake Power Meter, which automatically measures braking power and time spent braking while you ride. For his PhD, Dr Miller and his supervisor Dr Phil Fink spent more than four years researching the importance of braking on mountain bike race performance and rider fatigue.
Matt Miller
Doctor of Philosophy
Parkpoom Siriarchavatana's PhD research is looking for the bioactive substances from green shell mussels to prevent osteoarthritis. To achieve this, he is conducting an osteoclast culture for screening the promising chemical fraction in mussels. Later, he will evaluate his findings with animal studies. His PhD is supervised by Dr Fran Wolber.
Parkpoom Siriarchavatana
Doctor of Philosophy
Dr Paulé Ruwhiu's PhD research project focused on the decolonisation of social work education in Aotearoa New Zealand. Dr Ruwhiu says current programmes focus on western models, with Māori content as a curriculum add-on.
Paulé Ruwhiu
Doctor of Philosophy
The focus of Saima Rizwan's research is to understand complex pathogenic mechanisms in osteoarthritis and to identify potential targets for GLM (green-lipped mussel) therapy in osteoarthritis. Her project is supervised by Dr Fran Wolber.
Saima Rizwan
Doctor of Philosophy
Umani Shanika Walallawita’s PhD project compares the bioavailability and health benefits of heritage golden-orange tomatoes to conventional red tomatoes on protecting against bone loss in postmenopausal osteoporosis. Her project is supervised by Professor Julian Heyes, Professor Marlena Kruger, Dr Fran Wolber and Dr Ayelet Ziv-Gal, and is supported by the Heritage Food Crops Research Trust and a Massey University College of Health doctoral scholarship.
Umani Shanika Walallawita
Doctor of Philosophy
Janice Lim's PhD project investigates the hypoglycaemic potential of several plant extracts easily accessible in New Zealand that may help in improving blood glucose homeostasis, particularly in people diagnosed with prediabetes. She also studies the underlying mechanism of action of plant extracts in improving blood glucose response. Her project is supervised by Associate Professor Rachel Page.
Wen Xin Janice Lim
Doctor of Philosophy
Awards and recognition
Massey University graduate Dushanka Hettige has been awarded the 2018 Bernice Kelly Award from Dietitians NZ for the most improved full-time dietetic student, from either Massey University, University of Otago or University of Auckland.
Dietitians NZ
2018 Bernice Kelly Award
Rose Mwipiko is the winner of the 2019 NZ Esri Young Scholar Award which recognises the very best GIS students around the globe. Rose's project uses ArcGIS to explore the effects of the built environment on depression in the Wellington Region.
Associate Professor Kieran O’Donoghue was awarded a Certificate of Excellence for research by Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW). As well as receiving this Quality and Innovation Award, he shared the overall ANZASW trophy.
Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW)
ANZASW Quality and Innovation Awards
Associate Professor Dennis Slade, from the School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition, received the rare distinction of being made a Fellow of Physical Education New Zealand, at the recent annual conference in Wellington.
Physical Education New Zealand
Associate Professor Dennis Slade made a Fellow of Physical Education New Zealand
The prestigious Dietitians NZ Award of Excellence has been awarded to Professor Carol Wham from Massey University’s School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition in the category of Outstanding Achievement in Dietetics.
Dietitians NZ
Dietitians NZ Award of Excellence
Professor Mark Henrickson is a staunch advocate for the rights of sexual and gender minorities. He was the first New Zealand social worker from New Zealand to deliver the prestigious Eileen Younghusband Memorial Lecture at the 2016 World Social Work Conference in Korea.
Dr Rosie Gibson from Massey’s Sleep/Wake Research Centre has been awarded nearly one-quarter of a million dollars by the Health Research Council of New Zealand to investigate sleep and its relationship to the health and wellbeing of older New Zealanders, highlighting both the personal, sociological, and economical impact of sleep problems.
Health Research Council of New Zealand
Emerging Researcher First Grant for sleep research
Dr Geoff Kira, Ngā Puhi, from Massey University’s School of Health Sciences has been awarded nearly quarter of a million dollars to carry out a feasibility study focusing on the tools used to measure fruit and vegetable consumption among Māori. The study, entitled He Pātaka Marohi - the feasibility of novel and conventional instruments, will be carried out over two years, and is funded by a Feasibility Study grant from the Health Research Council of New Zealand.
Health Research Council of New Zealand
Feasibility study to investigate fruit and vegetable consumption among Māori
Dr Marta Rychert from Massey University’s Social and Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation and Whāriki Research Centre has been awarded almost $250,000 from the Health Research Council (HRC) of New Zealand to explore medicinal cannabis use in New Zealand.
Health Research Council (HRC) of New Zealand
HRC Funding for medicinal cannabis research
Professor Helen Moewaka Barnes, Te Kapotai, Ngapuhi-nui-tonu, from Massey University’s SHORE & Whāriki Research Centre, has been awarded nearly $5 million to investigate environmental and kaupapa Māori initiatives aimed at providing much needed gains in Māori health outcomes.
Health Research Council of New Zealand
HRC funding for Māori health research
Dr Octavia Calder-Dawe from Massey University’s SHORE and Whāriki Research Centre, has been awarded nearly $250,000 from the Health Research Council of New Zealand to investigate what wellbeing means to New Zealand youth.
Health Research Council of New Zealand
HRC funding for New Zealand youth wellbeing research
Professor Sally Casswell, Co-Director of the SHORE and Whāriki Research Centre in Auckland, has been awarded a project grant of $1,188,701 over 36 months by the Health Research Council of New Zealand. Her project is entitled Assessing and comparing national policy to reduce harmful use of alcohol.
Health Research Council of New Zealand
HRC funding for alcohol control research
Professor Jeroen Douwes has been awarded nearly $1.2 million from the Health Research Council of New Zealand, to assess why biodiversity may reduce allergy and asthma risks in New Zealand children.
Health Research Council of New Zealand
HRC funding for for allergy and asthma prevention research
Dr Jamie de Seymour has been awarded nearly $100,000 from the Health Research Council of New Zealand and the National Natural Science Foundation of China to investigate the relationship between dietary patterns and exposure to environmental pollutants during pregnancy, and the infant’s brain development at 12 months of age.
Health Research Council of New Zealand
HRC funding for maternal exposures and neurodevelopment research
Professor Jeroen Douwes, Director of Wellington’s Centre for Public Health Research, has been awarded nearly $5 million by the Health Research Council of New Zealand to investigate work-related disease.
Health Research Council of New Zealand
HRC funding for work related disease research
Professor John Potter, from Massey University’s Centre for Public Health Research, has been named in the top one per cent of most cited scientists in the world. Professor Potter’s career has focused on nutrition, other environmental and host factors, and genetics in the aetiology (cause of disease or condition), pathobiology (the biology of disease), and early detection of cancers and other chronic diseases.
Clarivate Analytics
Highly Cited Researchers 2018
Associate Professor Chris Wilkins has been invited to join the Prime Minister’s Scientific Advisors Expert Committee on cannabis law reform, alongside 10 other New Zealand academics. Dr Wilkins is the leader of the drug research team at Massey’s SHORE & Whariki Research Centre.
Prime Minister’s Scientific Advisors Expert Committee
Leading drug researcher appointed to Prime Minister’s advisory group on cannabis reform
Dr Marta Rychert from the SHORE and Whāriki Research Centre was awarded a Marsden fast-start grant worth $300,000 for her research project titled 'Legal cannabis for sale: home-grown or supermarket?'
Royal Society Te Apārangi
Marsden fast-start grant for cannabis sales research
Dr Octavia Calder-Dawe from the SHORE and Whāriki Research Centre was awarded a Marsden fast-start grant worth $300,000 for her research project titled 'Relentlessly positive? Exploring the imprint of positivity imperatives on the affective lives of young women.'
Royal Society Te Apārangi
Marsden fast-start grant for positivity research
Associate Professor Chris Wilkins has been awarded $836,000 to lead a research project titled 'Dark side of the Net: Exploring and modelling the impact of online illegal drug markets', alongside Dr Monica Barratt, University of New South Wales, Professor Jochen Mueller, University of Queensland and Dr Marta Rychert, SHORE and Whāriki Research Centre. The team will analyse the way illegal drugs are sold online, using encrypted websites on the ‘darknet’.
Royal Society Te Apārangi
Marsden funding for illegal drugs sold on the darknet research
The second edition of Pharmacology in Nursing: Australian and New Zealand won the Tertiary (Adaptations): Student Resource Category at the Educational Publishing Awards Australia. Head of the School of Health Sciences, Associate Professor Rachel Page wrote 17 chapters.
Educational Publishing Awards Australia
Massey academic’s book wins Educational Publishing Award
Dr Collette Bromhead was appointed chief executive of the New Zealand Organisation of Rare Diseases (NZORD). The health advocacy organisation represents the interests of New Zealanders affected by rare disorders by promoting research and partnering with clinicians to improve diagnostics, treatments and support.
New Zealand Organisation of Rare Diseases
Massey lecturer appointed head of rare diseases organisation
Centre for Public Health director Professor Jeroen Douwes has been awarded nearly $1.2 million from the Health Research Council of New Zealand, to assess why biodiversity may reduce allergy and asthma risks in New Zealand children.
Health Research Council of New Zealand
Massey professor awarded asthma research funding
Professor Bill Glass from the Centre for Public Health Research has been named Metlifecare Senior New Zealander of the Year in the 2019 Kiwibank New Zealanders of the Year awards.
Professor Glass has, throughout his long and distinguished career, considerably advanced occupational medicine, workers’ health, and policy development in New Zealand, through original research, his work as an occupational physician, and his long involvement with WorkSafe.
Kiwibank New Zealanders of the Year awards
Metlifecare Senior New Zealander of the Year
New research from Massey University’s College of Health shows overwhelming support for sustainability characteristics to be included in the Eating and Activity Guidelines for New Zealand Adults, set out by the Ministry of Health.
Ministry of Health
Professor Carol Wham's study is first to assess sustainability characteristics in national dietary guidelines.
Professor Helen Moewaka Barnes, Te Kapotai, Ngapuhi-nui-tonu, from Massey University’s SHORE & Whāriki Research Centre, has been awarded nearly $5 million to investigate environmental and kaupapa Māori initiatives aimed at providing much needed gains in Māori health outcomes.
Health Research Council of New Zealand
Professor Helen Moewaka Barnes awarded $5m HRC programme grant
The Esri Young Scholar Award recognizes students for excellence in relation to a GIS project. Rose's project uses ArcGIS to explore the effects of the built environment on depression in the Wellington Region. As the winner of this award, Rose will be attending the Esri Education Summit and Esri User Conference in San Diego in July 2019.
NZ Esri Young Scholar Award
Rose Mwipiko announced as Winner of the 2019 NZ Esri Young Scholar Award
Associate Professor David Rowlands from the School of Sport and Exercise was honoured as the winner of the 2017 Gatorade Sport Science Institute (GSSI) - American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Sport Nutrition Award for his study entitled, Multiple-Transportable Carbohydrate Effect on Long-Distance Triathlon Performance.
Gatorade Sport Science Institute (GSSI) - American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
Sport Nutrition Award
Dr Dennis Slade has been given the extremely rare and prestigious endorsement of his research in physical education and sport, through a special supplement publication of his research. This is the first time in the 65-year history of the New Zealand Physical Educator journal that a special supplement has been published, with all the articles written by the same first author.
New Zealand Physical Educator journal
Sport education researcher honoured in special journal
Associate Professor Kathryn Hay was awarded a Sustained Excellence in Tertiary Teaching Award for 2018. This places her among the country’s top 10 tertiary teachers awarded. Awards are presented to those who demonstrate years of commitment and support for learners that go far beyond good teaching practice.
Ako Aotearoa
Watch video
Professor Andy Martin was awarded a Sustained Excellence in Tertiary Teaching Award for 2018. This places him among the country’s top 10 tertiary teachers awarded. Awards are presented to those who demonstrate years of commitment and support for learners that go far beyond good teaching practice.
Ako Aotearoa
Watch video
Associate Professor Kathryn Hay was presented with the Australia New Zealand Social Work and Welfare Education and Research Field Placement Recognition Award for her significant contribution to field work learning, including introducing innovations to field work placements.
Australia New Zealand Social Work and Welfare Education and Research Field Placement Recognition Award
Work-integrated learning award for social work
School of Health Sciences senior tutor and PhD candidate Ying Jin has been awarded a Zonta grant, sponsored by Graduate Women Manawatū Charitable Trust, to attend and present her research at the 13th European Nutrition Conference in Ireland in October.
Zonta
Zonta grant allows Ying Jin to present research in Ireland
Research centres
Massey has a number of research centres in our areas of health expertise.
Centre for Public Health Research
The Centre for Public Health Research covers all aspects of public health, including non-communicable diseases (respiratory disease, cancer, diabetes), occupational health, environmental health, socio-economic determinants of health, Māori health and Pacific health research.
Research Centre for Māori Health and Development | Te Pūmanawa Hauora
The Research Centre for Māori Health and Development focuses on public health research from a Māori development perspective.
Riddet Institute
The Riddet Institute is a premier centre for fundamental and strategic scientific research. Its area of expertise is at the intersection of food material science, novel food processing, human nutrition and gastrointestinal biology.
SHORE and Whāriki Research Centre
The SHORE and Whāriki Research Centre is funded through external research grants and contracts to undertake public-good research of relevance to the health and social sectors. The centre consists of two multidisciplinary research groups working in a Treaty of Waitangi partnership model to produce excellent research with the aim of improving health and wellbeing in Aotearoa, New Zealand and globally.
Sleep/Wake Research Centre
The Sleep/Wake Research Centre is New Zealand’s first laboratory dedicated to research and education in circadian physiology, sleep science, and their applications. We are motivated to find science-based solutions to the challenges created by the restricted sleep and circadian disruption that are endemic in our 24/7 society.