Former police officer and soldier Dr Apo Aporosa has received a Pacific postdoctoral fellowship worth $230,000 from the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) to examine the effects of the popular Pacific Island drink, kava, on driver ability and road safety.
Kava is a traditional Pacific Island drink with great cultural significance that produces soporific relaxant effects similar to sedative drugs. This study – the first of its kind – will use cognitive and driving simulation tests to access driver fitness immediately following high kava use.
Dr Aporosa, a research associate of Fijian descent at the University of Waikato, is an expert in the area of kava and health, and has advised the NZ Police on several kava drink-driving cases. He says it is estimated that there are more than 20,000 kava users on an average Friday or Saturday night in New Zealand. Most of these users are consuming kava at volumes 32 times greater than pharmacologically recommended doses, with many then driving home.
“Injury resulting from road traffic accidents is the leading cause of hospitalisation for Pasifika men and women living in New Zealand, with anecdotal reports suggesting that kava contributes to this,” says Dr Aporosa.
He also believes that kava use in New Zealand is underestimated, with increasing numbers of non-Pasifika peoples consuming the substance.
HRC Chief Executive Professor Kath McPherson says Dr Aporosa’s research, which will concentrate on the impairment effects of kava on driving ability in Hamilton and South Auckland, has great potential to improve health outcomes for Pasifika peoples and other road users, and reduce the social cost of drug-driving related accidents, estimated to be
$6.5 million annually.
“This year we’re funding 36 Pacific health researchers to the tune of $1.5 million through our Pacific career development awards programme, up from $1.3 million in 2014. It’s exciting to see the big increase in the number of Pacific summer studentships awarded as these are our future Pacific health research leaders.”
Professor McPherson says the HRC has been able to further show its commitment to supporting the development and retention of Pacific health researchers this year by funding two new awards: a Pacific clinical research training fellowship and a Pacific emerging researcher first grant.
Surgeon and research fellow Dr Bruce Su’a from the University of Auckland has received the inaugural Pacific clinical research training fellowship to develop earlier effective treatment for anastomotic leakage – one of the most dreaded complications following colon cancer surgery – by measuring biomarkers in patients’ blood.
The new Pacific emerging researcher first grants have been awarded to Dr Tinte Itinteang from Gillies McIndoe Research Institute in Wellington who is investigating cancer stem cells in oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas (cancer of the lip, floor of the mouth, and palate), and Dr Pritika Narayan from the University of Auckland who is examining how the epigenome, which helps control which genes are active in a particular cell, is compromised in Huntington’s disease.
See below for the full list of all the HRC Pacific career development award recipients, or click here.
HRC Pacific career development award recipients
HRC Pacific emerging researcher first grant
Dr Tinte Itinteang, Gillies McIndoe Research Institute (Wellington)
Oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas: Cancer stem cells and the role of the RAS
36 months, $150,000
Dr Pritika Narayan, the University of Auckland
The epigenome is compromised in Huntington’s disease
36 months, $150,000
HRC Pacific postdoctoral fellowship
Dr Apo Aporosa, University of Waikato
Kava drink-driving: Driver safety and injury minimisation to improve health
24 months, $230,000
Dr Ravi Reddy, the University of Auckland
Improving the uptake of hearing health services in older Pasifika people
36 months $285,000
Dr Ramona Tiatia, University of Otago, Wellington
App for Houses and Households (A4HH)
48 months, $105,900
HRC Sir Thomas Davis Te Patu Kite Rangi Ariki health research fellowship
Dr Sunia Foliaki, Massey University
Pacific meets West in advancing palliative care for Pacific populations
24 months, $300,000
HRC Pacific clinical research training fellowship
Dr Bruce Uelese Su'a, the University of Auckland
Inflammation or infection? The role of biomarkers after colon surgery
24 months, $166,667
HRC Pacific PhD scholarship
Mrs Ellaine Ete Rasch, Victoria University of Wellington
Exploring Pacific children’s unfavourable health outcomes using a community-based participatory research approach
36 months, $113,980
HRC Pacific masters scholarship
Mrs Acelini Hakopa, University of Otago
Pacific people’s experience of mental disorder and mental health services
12 months, $20,104
HRC Pacific knowledge translation grant
Ms Afu Taufa, the University of Auckland
Her side of the kava story
6 months, $5,000
Dr Seini Taufa, the University of Auckland
A mother's hope: Pacific teenage pregnancy in New Zealand
6 months, $5,000
Dr Jemaima Tiatia-Seath, the University of Auckland
Tongan youth suicide prevention resource
6 months, $5,000
HRC Pacific summer studentship
Ms Ulalei Aiono, University of Otago
Pacific people's opinions about prescription charges
10 weeks, $5,000
Mr Adaab Azam, University of Otago
The relationship between multimorbidity and polypharmacy
10 weeks, $5,000
Mr Nathaniel Carter, the University of Auckland
Epigenetic effects of alcohol exposure in the first trimester
10 weeks, $5,000
Ms Stevie Davis-Tana, AUT University
An exploration of changes in Pacific Island family composition, 2000–2015
10 weeks, $5,000
Miss Damaris Dekker, University of Otago
Preventable illness in Pacific children and infants
10 weeks, $5,000
Mr James Devoe, University of Otago
Vulnerable at-risk unborn babies at Counties Manukau Health, Auckland
10 weeks, $5,000
Mr Jonathan Feki, University of Otago
Spiritual care and kidney disease in New Zealand: Perspective of the patient
10 weeks, $5,000
Miss Theresa Fitzpatrick, University of Otago
Suitability of a low carb, high fat diet amongst Pasifika peoples
10 weeks, $5,000
Miss Kaylarina Fuatai, University of Otago
Rheumatic fever injection compliance rates in Samoa
10 weeks, $5,000
Mr Ryder Fuimaono, University of Otago
Samoan patients’ pathways to renal services – A paired case study
10 weeks, $5,000
Miss Hilla Fukofuka, University of Otago
Associations between mental wellbeing and diabetes biomarkers in Pasifika youth
10 weeks, $5,000
Mr Zebulun Laqekoro, University of Otago
Pacific young people's perspective of oral health and oral health care
10 weeks, $5,000
Miss Nina Maifea, University of Otago
Rethink: factors influencing students’ life-work balance decision
10 weeks, $5,000
Mrs Tessa Malolo-Seu, AUT University
Enhancing community healthy lifestyles: digital technologies
10 weeks, $5,000
Miss Brogan Maoate, University of Otago
Patterns of nutritional behaviour among a Pacific Christchurch cohort
10 weeks, $5,000
Ms Melbournemockba Coudetalei Mauiliu, University of Otago
Interpreting reported lived experiences of injured Pacific women in New Zealand
10 weeks, $5,000
Mr David Nair, University of Otago
Alcohol consumption and behaviours of Pacific youth
10 weeks, $5,000
Mr Troy Ruhe, University of Otago
Pacific people’s falls prevention research
10 weeks, $5,000
Miss Fuakava Tanginoa, University of Otago
Ethical issues in sexuality education – an exploration of Pacific approaches
10 weeks, $5,000
Miss Eirenei Tauai, University of Otago
Does language have a positive impact on the prevalence of mental health?
10 weeks, $5,000
Miss Natalie Taule'alo-Russell, the University of Auckland
Health promotion in pregnancy and infancy for Pacific disabled parents
10 weeks, $5,000
Mr Suli Tuitaupe, University of Canterbury
Group exercise-based six-week training programme on sedentary Pacific adults
10 weeks, $5,000
Miss Tapuaki Vehikite, University of Otago
Anti-fibrotic effect of remote ischemic preconditioning on the diabetic heart
10 weeks, $5,000
Mr Steven Frederick Claude Young, the University of Auckland
Analysis of the demographics and barriers to access for patients in Vanuatu
10 weeks, $5,000