News and Media

Our latest and archived media releases and news articles.

Great minds come together to help set New Zealand's health research priorities

Media Release

Some of New Zealand’s leading health researchers, innovators, advisors and health delivery experts have been brought together to help establish New Zealand’s first set of national health research priorities.

This independent ‘Development Group’ will assess the input from stakeholders across the health, science and innovation sectors, to help ensure the process of setting priorities is inclusive and serves the needs of New Zealand’s diverse population and communities.

Until now, New Zealand has never had a unified set of health research priorities at a national level, and therefore not seen the full potential of coordinating its research efforts across the sector.

But since the introduction of the New Zealand Health Research Strategy (2017–2027), the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) has been working with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Ministry of Health to ensure health research addresses the needs of all New Zealanders. Key to that success is identifying priorities for government investment to target.

The Steering Group for the Strategy, made up of the three forementioned government organisations and representatives from Callaghan Innovation, Universities NZ and District Health Boards, says the purpose of setting priorities is to gain a shared understanding of where to focus effort and resources, in order to get the greatest benefit and value from New Zealand’s investment in health research.

Over the course of 2018 and 2019, the Development Group will consult widely and develop a broad set of Strategic Investment Areas, which will be announced in early 2019 and are expected to guide investment activity through to 2027. The Group will continue to refine the priorities, working closely with experts to agree shorter-term research objectives, which will be announced by the Minister of Research, Science and Innovation and the Minister of Health at the end of 2019.

The Group’s members have been selected for their mana, knowledge, expertise in health services or research and different world views and experience, as well as their ability to think strategically for the benefit of all New Zealanders.

The group comprises 13 people, representing a wide range of experience:

·         Fepulea'i Margie Apa

·         Professor Michael Baker

·         Emeritus Professor Richard Bedford

·         Dr Dale Bramley

·         Professor Vicky Cameron

·         Dr Kyle Eggleton

·         Dr James Hutchinson

·         Professor Margaret Hyland

·         Ms Rose Kahaki

·         Mr Philip Patston

·         Professor John Potter

·         Professor Stephen Robertson

·         Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith

The Group will have two Co-Chairs, at least one of whom is Māori.

“This is not just about how the Health Research Council allocates its funding, but how the HRC, Ministry of Health, MBIE and other government agencies will work together to form a better and more integrated health research system” says the HRC’s chief executive, Professor Kath McPherson.

“There is no end of things to do, but the reality is there are limited resources and a need to make some choices,” she says.

“What are the biggest issues that face New Zealanders where research could make a difference? Do we have areas where, in fact, New Zealand could and should lead the world? What sort of skills do we need our researchers and health professionals to have, and to develop, so they can address the problems that are just around the corner?”

Dr Andy Simpson, chief medical officer at the Ministry of Health and member of the Steering Group for the Strategy, says all New Zealanders will be able to contribute to identifying the most important issues for health research to tackle.

“This group will help guide that process and so it is great to have such a range of expertise and experience,” he says.

For more on the process of setting priorities, visit our Consultation page.
$24.6m in programme funding announced

Media Release

Do Health Star Rating labels on packaged foods really affect our food choices, and can supermarket practices change our buying behaviour? The Health Research Council of New Zealand is investing nearly $5 million into a research programme that will assess what does or doesn’t help New Zealanders in following a healthier diet.

The research led by Professor Cliona Ni Mhurchu from the University of Auckland and a team of leading nutrition researchers from New Zealand and Australia, will look at strategies to support healthier diets across four different domains; at an individual level, government level, food industry level and public health level.

At an industry level, researchers will work with Progressive Enterprises NZ to co-design and test interventions that not only promote healthier food purchases but are also commercially sustainable. They will identify up to three different approaches and test their influence on buying behaviour in six Countdown supermarkets, with full access to store sales data to evaluate the impact.

Researchers will also measure the impact of front-of-pack Health Star Rating labels, looking at their impact on consumer behaviour as well as on the industry’s reformulation of products.

The voluntary front-of-pack nutrition labelling system that rates the content of packaged food in half-star increments has been used in New Zealand and Australia since 2014.

“Findings will be of significant interest and value to national and international policy-makers and governments, particularly in identifying if the current non-regulatory (voluntary) approach to nutrition labelling is effective,” says Professor Ni Mhurchu.

“We know there’s an increasing preference by government for non-regulatory approaches to improve diet, but there isn’t a lot of evidence that voluntary strategies are effective. With this research, we’ll be able to inform the debate very effectively.”

Professor Ni Mhurchu says the four areas covered by the research programme will address major gaps in evidence identified by her team. She adds that years of work leading up to this has prepared her team for the task.

The research will draw heavily on the unique database that the research team has been compiling since 2013, thanks to previous support from the Health Research Council (HRC) for their Dietary Interventions: Evidence & Translation (DIET) programme. The new grant will build on this programme of work over the next five years.

“We’ve been collecting information on the composition, labelling and ingredients of packaged foods in New Zealand for the past five years, and linking that with Nielsen’s household food purchasing data,” says Professor Ni Mhurchu.

The data produced has already been used to power smartphone apps like FoodSwitch, which support people in making healthier food choices, and it allows researchers to advocate for a healthier food supply by evaluating and rating the nutritional quality of foods and companies.

“We’re constantly looking at ways to translate our research into policy, and with this next phase of research that is the explicit emphasis,” she says.

“We’ve weaved in a lot more co-design (working closely with non-research end-users) than has been traditionally the case for this kind of research. We’re working with supermarkets and with government to understand their priorities, because only by working across all these domains will we be able to make a meaningful change for New Zealanders. And that’s what we want – we want the research to make a difference to the lives of New Zealanders.”

HRC chief executive Professor Kath McPherson says the HRC is pleased to support the continued effort to address dietary health in New Zealand.

“Cliona Ni Mhurchu has successfully won HRC funding for her dietary research since 2007 and has built a really strong team, with New Zealand now recognised for its work in this field internationally,” she says.

“This latest world-class programme of research has multiple components but all are built on the understanding that multiple factors impact on diet, including linkages between people and their environments. The integrative approach to tackling the problem is a wise way forward.”

The HRC has just announced funding for five research programmes to the tune of $24.61 million. These highly sought-after grants go towards programmes with a strategic long-term vision that will contribute to improving health outcomes for New Zealanders.

See below for the full list of 2018 HRC programme grant recipients, and to read lay summaries of the research projects, click here.

2018 HRC programme grants – full list

Associate Professor Rebecca Campbell, University of Otago, Dunedin

Untangling PCOS: Understanding androgen excess and the female brain

60 months, $4,999,604

Professor Jackie Cumming, Victoria University of Wellington

Enhancing primary health care services to improve health in Aotearoa/New Zealand

60 months, $4,779,445

Professor Cliona Ni Mhurchu, The University of Auckland

Dietary Interventions: Evidence & Translation (DIET) programme

60 months, $4,879,689

Associate Professor Gregory O'Grady, The University of Auckland

Translational advances in gastrointestinal surgical recovery and motility disorders

60 months, $4,953,846

Professor Peter Shepherd, The University of Auckland

Understanding genetic risk factors for metabolic disease in Maori and Pacific

60 months, $4,997,081
Funding boost helps NZ researchers protect our minds and memories

Media Release

Keeping our brains sharp and memories alive is the focus of at least two research projects that have just received a significant funding boost from the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC).

As part of its annual funding round, the government body has just awarded $55.56 million to 49 projects with the potential to vastly improve the health of New Zealanders.

Among the projects is a one-of-a-kind study to identify the earliest signs of dementia, long before clinical diagnosis.

“Imagine you have been diagnosed with dementia. You’re told that it will progressively and irreversibly deprive you of your ability to think, your personality, and your independence,” says lead investigator Associate Professor Maurice Curtis from the University of Auckland.

“Now imagine your doctor tells you that you could have been treated if you were diagnosed 10 years earlier, but the damage to your brain now is too extensive. This is the problem we are trying to solve.”

Remarkably, the driving force behind this study is a large New Zealand family whose members carry a genetic mutation that is known to cause frontotemporal dementia. With 25 members of the family recruited into the study, it’s the world’s largest multi-generational study into this type of dementia.

By assessing blood tests taken annually and measuring ongoing changes in thinking and sense of smell, this longitudinal study aims to compare changes that occur between members of the family who carry the gene and those who don’t.

“This will allow us to measure potential markers of dementia up to 30 years before expected clinical onset, which could then make early intervention possible,” says Professor Curtis.

“We are focusing on non-invasive, cost-effective diagnostic markers, in the hope that they could one day be used widely as a screening tool for pre-clinical dementia.”

In another project aimed at preserving our memories, Professor Wickliffe Abraham from the University of Otago aims to reveal the fundamental mechanisms that disrupt brain ‘plasticity’ and affect our ability to learn and remember things.

“The ability to form memories is fundamental to all mental abilities, and there are profound consequences when memory function is impaired, including Alzheimer’s Disease, stroke and traumatic brain injury,” he says.

His team will be looking into the role of ‘astrocytes’ – cells that support and help the function of nerve cells in the brain.

“In the past 10 to 15 years, astrocytes and how they work together with the nerve cells has become a real hot topic,” says Professor Abraham. “Under normal conditions, they may be involved in protecting memories from interference, but in the presence of disease they may actually generate memory deficits.”

His study is poised to make a significant contribution to the growing international field of astrocyte biology and our understanding of how memory mechanisms are regulated.

“Understanding these processes may help identify new targets for therapeutic interventions to rescue diseased memory and cognition,” he says.

The HRC’s director of Research Investments and Contracts, Dr Vernon Choy, says this year’s project proposals once again prove that New Zealand researchers are leading the way in identifying novel solutions to difficult problems.

“The projects we’ve funded this year span across public health, biomedical research, Māori and Pacific health. All of them delve into important health issues, and many pose questions that affect us all in some way – they really do have the potential to improve the lives of all New Zealanders.”

See below for the full list of Project grant recipients, and to read lay summaries of the research projects click here.

2018 Project grants – full list

Professor Haxby Abbott, University of Otago, Dunedin

The primary care management and impact of osteoarthritis: learning from big data

36 months, $1,199,993

Professor Wickliffe Abraham, University of Otago, Dunedin

Mechanisms of neural network metaplasticity via astrocytes

36 months, $1,175,591

Professor David Ackerley, Victoria University of Wellington

Repurposing the anthelmentic niclosamide to combat Gram negative superbugs

36 months, $1,189,475

Professor Michael Baker, University of Otago, Wellington

Developing an optimal strategy for the rheumatic fever endgame

36 months, $1,196,974

Dr Jackie Benschop, Massey University, Palmerston North

Emerging sources and pathways for Leptospirosis - a paradigm shift

36 months, $1,199,841

Professor Margaret Brimble, The University of Auckland

Naturally occurring peptaibols: “Magic bullets” for targeting breast cancer

36 months, $1,195,373

Dr Rebecca Brookland, University of Otago, Dunedin

Predictors and impact of driving cessation on older adults and whanau/families

48 months, $1,199,989

Professor Larry Chamley, The University of Auckland

Placental extracellular vesicles, controllers of the maternal vasculature

36 months, $1,187,064

Dr Linda Cobiac, University of Otago, Wellington

Choosing interventions to reduce alcohol-related harm

36 months, $1,037,229

Professor Julian Crane, University of Otago, Wellington

Are toxic moulds a real health hazard in New Zealand?

36 months, $1,193,603

Dr David Crossman, The University of Auckland

Nanoscale fibrosis and loss of contractility in the failing human heart

36 months, $1,182,220

Associate Professor Maurice Curtis, The University of Auckland

Identifying the first signs of dementia in humans

36 months, $891,792

Professor Stuart Dalziel, Auckland DHB

How safe are our emergency departments? A national prospective cohort study

36 months, $1,197,164

Dr Joanne Davidson, The University of Auckland

Look before we leap: strategies for treating mild neonatal encephalopathy

36 months, $1,185,478

Professor Michael Eccles, University of Otago, Dunedin

Epigenomic profiling to predict patient response to melanoma immunotherapy

36 months, $1,198,714

Dr Theresa Fleming, Victoria University of Wellington

Integrating survey and intervention research for youth health gains

36 months, $1,189,388

Associate Professor Mhoyra Fraser, The University of Auckland

New horizons for preterm brain protection: exploiting endogenous neuroprotection

36 months, $1,187,296

Professor Leigh Hale, University of Otago, Dunedin

Co-creating a digital self-help intervention for people with persistent pain

36 months, $1,198,177

Professor Jane Harding, The University of Auckland

Nutrition and brain development in moderate and late preterm babies

36 months, $1,187,239

Ms Gayl Humphrey, The University of Auckland

Smart phone delivered CBT for gambling related harm: An RCT

36 months, $1,190,695

Associate Professor Michael Jameson, The University of Auckland

More gain, less pain from chemoradiation for rectal cancer by adding simvastatin

60 months, $1,399,054

Dr Kelly Jones, AUT University

Reducing fatigue after stroke: A randomised controlled trial

36 months, $1,188,578

Dr Peter Jones, University of Otago, Dunedin

A novel target for the control of arrhythmias

36 months, $1,133,212

Associate Professor Nicola Kayes, AUT University

Evaluating a sustainable model of peer mentoring in traumatic brain injury

36 months, $1,192,532

Professor Ngaire Kerse, The University of Auckland

Staying UpRight in residential care

36 months, $1,443,303

Dr Bronwyn Kivell, Victoria University of Wellington

Development of novel remyelination treatments for multiple sclerosis

36 months, $1,167,846

Associate Professor Bridget Kool, The University of Auckland

Evaluating the impact of prehospital care on mortality following major trauma

30 months, $1,096,497

Dr Peter Mace, University of Otago, Dunedin

Understanding regulation of the polycomb-repressive deubiquitinase in malignancy

36 months, $1,193,468

Professor Ralph Maddison, The University of Auckland

Rugby fans in training: A randomised controlled trial

36 months, $1,199,266

Professor Sally McCormick, University of Otago, Dunedin

Targeting new receptors for lipoprotein(a)

48 months, $1,185,496

Professor Mark McKeage, The University of Auckland

Reducing oxaliplatin toxicity: A randomised dose-finding proof-of-concept trial

36 months, $1,195,454

Dr Suresh Muthukumaraswamy, The University of Auckland

Pharmacological brain-imaging of novel rapid antidepressant medicines

36 months, $1,187,508

Professor Pauline Norris, University of Otago, Dunedin

Randomised controlled trial of prescription charges

36 months, $1,035,525

Associate Professor Adam Patterson, The University of Auckland

Banishing tumour hypoxia to render cancer immunotherapy curative

36 months, $1,197,122

Dr Rohit Ramchandra, The University of Auckland

Targeting chemoreceptors in hypertension: a large animal pre-clinical trial

36 months, $1,187,099

Professor Franca Ronchese, Malaghan Institute of Medical Research

Molecular characterisation of dendritic cells during immune responses

36 months, $1,199,996

Professor Robert Scragg, The University of Auckland

Improving CVD risk prediction in primary care: novel arterial waveform method

48 months, $1,199,504

Professor Peter Shepherd, The University of Auckland

A new combination therapy for cancer

36 months, $1,166,624

Professor Lisa Stamp, University of Otago, Christchurch

Is prophylaxis required with start-low go slow dosing of allopurinol in gout?

48 months, $1,432,108

Professor Timothy Stokes, University of Otago, Dunedin

Do regional DHB groupings improve service integration and health outcomes?

24 months, $799,562

Professor Richard Troughton, University of Otago, Christchurch

Dietary sodium reduction to improve heart failure outcomes: The SODIUM HF study

36 months, $1,412,362

Rangahau Hauora Māori Projects

Dr Donna Cormack, The University of Auckland

Te whakahaumaru taiao: safe environments for Māori medical practitioners

36 months, $994,669

Dr Cameron Lacey, University of Otago, Christchurch

Pathways to first episode psychosis and outcomes In Maori

24 months, $618,336

Dr Sarah-Jane Paine, The University of Auckland

Revealing the Realities of Racism for Rangatahi in Aotearoa - R4Aotearoa

36 months, $1,197,117

Mr Andrew Sporle, Independent Researcher, Auckland

Te Hao Nui

36 months, $1,198,494

Pacific Projects

Dr Siautu Alefaio-Tugia, Massey University, Auckland

Caring for our wisdom bearers: Pacific Matua (Elder) care

36 months, $599,713

Associate Professor Faafetai Sopoaga, University of Otago, Dunedin

Mental health and well-being of Pacific youth in higher education

36 months, $599,336

Dr Gerhard Sundborn, The University of Auckland

How has a 'water only' and 'healthy kai' school policy impacted on child obesity

36 months, $553,966
Long-term funding brings major gains to health sector

Media Release

A robust review of independent research organisations (IROs) receiving funding from the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) has driven home the benefits of long-term stable funding.

The mid-term review that’s just taken place was part of a seven-year funding agreement between the HRC and four of New Zealand’s IROs. These are organisations that exist outside of the Crown Research Institute and university sector, but are recognised by the government for doing work that’s nationally significant and deserving of more stable funding.

The agreement began in 2014 when $27 million in total was granted across four organisations: the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research (Wellington), Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (Wellington), Te Atawhai o te Ao: Independent Maori Institute for Environment & Health (Whanganui), and Whakauae Research Services (Whanganui).

As a result of the recent review, the HRC has just released another tranche of funding – $17 million across the four organisations – in recognition not only of their achievements to date, but also their plans for the next three years which will uniquely contribute to the strategic priorities of the New Zealand Health Research Strategy. That brings the HRC’s total funding to nearly $45 million.

The HRC’s senior research investment manager, Lucy Pomeroy, and senior manager of Māori health research investment, Mr Stacey Pene, managed the review process which involved four external review panels who conducted site visits and reviewed research and organisational performance as well as future strategic plans.

“All the panels were confident that the work planned over the next three years represents investment in excellent health research and directly contributes to a vibrant health research environment,” says Mr Pene.

“These IROs are making major health, economic, social and environmental contributions to New Zealand, in excess of that derived from their funding.”

What also stood out from the reviews was the difference that long-term stable funding makes, says Mr Pene.

“It’s enabled researchers within these organisations to extend their research plans and goals, secure patents and get published in high-impact journals,” he says.

“The spin-offs from long-term funding have touched every aspect of these organisations’ work – leading to linkages with clinicians, health providers, policy makers, community groups and industry, and enabling a diverse workforce within the health sector to grapple with a wide range of complex challenges in contemporary New Zealand society.”

Importantly, each IRO has been able to demonstrate how their work, underpinned by outstanding research, has contributed to improving the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders.

“We’re very happy that HRC investment in these organisations has added value to the research sector and beyond.”

Below are the funding amounts granted to IROs by the Health Research Council:

Malaghan Institute of Medical Research
$14,244,000 awarded in June 2014 for the first four years
$10,683,000 awarded in June 2018 for the next three years

Medical Research Institute of New Zealand
$6,804,000 awarded in June 2014 for the first four years
$1,701,000 awarded in June 2018 for the next three years

Te Atawhai o te Ao: Independent Māori Institute for Environment and Health
$3,784,000 awarded in June 2014 for the first four years
$2,838,000 awarded in June 2018 for the next three years

Whakauae Research Services Limited
$2,800,000 awarded in June 2014 for the first four years
$2,100,000 awarded in June 2018 for the next three years

Background information:
In 2011, the Government decided that long-term funding arrangements of up to seven years would be available to research organisations outside of the Crown Research Institute sector that hold significant research capabilities supporting national outcomes in areas of government priority. The Health Research Council responded to this requirement through the development of the Capability in Independent Research Organisations Fund.
In 2014, after releasing a Call for Applications for IRO capability funding, the HRC approved funding for four applications, each for a period of seven years.
The total commitment was $44.95 million, with an initial investment in Years 1-4 of $27.6 million, followed by an investment in Years 5-7 of $17.3 million, conditional on the outcome of a review in Year 4, which has now been completed.