Associate Professor Nicholas Taylor from the University of Copenhagen will talk about the 'flagellar motor' that help to power the movement of bacteria , which can inform infectious disease research.
University of Auckland academics are hitting the bars on 2 August, delivering 20 lectures in ten of Tāmaki Makaurau's favourite watering holes in the annual Raising the Bar event.
It’s something we often take for granted – the ability to drink a glass of water or enjoy a meal with friends or family. Consider those notable life events – birthdays with decadent cakes, champagne celebrations and indulgent holiday feasts. But what if you couldn’t swallow? What if illness or injury took away these simple, and suddenly not so simple, pleasures?
A renowned expert at the University of Canterbury Distinguished Professor Maggie-Lee Huckabee says the inability to swallow is often unseen but it’s not uncommon due to a wide range of medical conditions, including stroke and Parkinson’s disease.
“Swallowing requires the precise orchestration of 32 paired muscles, controlled by seven nerves and multiple brain regions – all in about 800 milliseconds,” Distinguished Professor Huckabee says.
“But how can you change a what most people would consider a reflex? We used to think you couldn’t however, our recent research is proving quite the opposite.”
On Wednesday 3 August at 7pm, in her Tauhere UC Connect public lecture, Hard to swallow – retraining the brain, Distinguished Professor Huckabee will take you on the remarkable journey of this seemingly simple task, from infant swallowing to adult; and then from impairment to recovery.
She will explore the remarkable capacity of the brain to modify this most complex of motor behaviours and will explore new UC-developed rehabilitation approaches, retraining the brain in how to swallow.
About the speaker
Distinguished Professor Maggie-Lee Huckabee practiced as a clinical speech language pathologist for 15 years before the frustration of never knowing ‘The Answers’ led her to an academic career. She is now the Founder and Director of the University of Canterbury Rose Centre for Stroke Recovery and Research and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology, Speech and Hearing at UC in Christchurch, New Zealand. She says she is still seeking ‘The Answers’ with research focusing on the complexities of behaviourally driven neural adaptation and biomechanical change leading to swallowing recovery following neurological injury. In her 20-year academic career, Professor Huckabee has co-authored three books, one in its 3rd edition, 15 book chapters and has published 105 peer-reviewed scientific papers.
A recent research programme resulted in a regional reduction in pneumonia rates from 27% to 10%, with subsequent savings in healthcare costs for the health system of over $1.4 million in one year. For this research, she was awarded one of the top research medals from the University of Canterbury – The Innovation Medal, was a finalist for the NZ Women of Influence Award in Science and Innovation, and nominated for New Zealander of the Year in the Innovation category. In 2021, in recognition of her commitment to translational research she received the Royal Society Te Apārangi MacDiarmid Medal.
Professor Huckabee is committed to translational science to move research discoveries into routine clinical practice. She recently founded Swallowing Technologies Ltd, a commercial enterprise to translate laboratory-developed technology to clinical care. She is well known as a clinical teacher and is an invited speaker by health systems worldwide to provide clinical training, particularly in rehabilitation practices.
Tauhere UC Connect public lecture: Hard to swallow – retraining the brain Presented by Distinguished Professor Maggie-Lee Huckabee, Department of Psychology, Speech and Hearing, Pūtaiao | Science, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, 7pm – 8pm, Wednesday 3 August 2022, in C1 Central Lecture Theatres, Ilam, Christchurch. Register to attend free at: canterbury.ac.nz/ucconnect. Tauhere UC Connect public talks are also livestreamed on the UC Facebook page.
The issue of sustainability has been an elephant in the room for years, the pandemic turned the world upside down but also provided us with new ways of living. Our panel of experts will discuss the impact COVID has had on everything from transport to food security and energy use.
Christoph’s earlier research (at ETH/Eawag Zurich, universities of Otago and Munich) focused on how flood disturbances shape stream communities.
After permanently moving to New Zealand, investigating the impacts of multiple stressors on running-water ecosystems became another key focus. These stressors include nutrient enrichment, sedimentation, water abstraction, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and climate change.
Christoph has provided expert advice to several ministries; Environmental Protection Authority, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Department of Conservation and many regional councils. His research has been supported by grants from Switzerland, Germany, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Ministry for Primary Industries. In 2017 his team received the ‘NZ River Story Award’ for research aimed at improving the health of our rivers.
Christoph has 35 international collaborations, the latest being a €10M multiple-stressor project led by German researchers. He has supervised 69 postgraduates and was named Supervisor of the Year (Sciences) by Otago’s Student Association in 2011. He has published more than 100 scientific articles and is Director of the cross-departmental Ecology Degree Programme.
This lecture will be followed with light refreshments, tea, coffee and juice.
Streaming information for Professor Christoph Matthaei's IPL
This event will be live-streamed, from 5:25pm Thursday 14 October 2021, at the following web address:
What’s your poison: How do we resist antibiotic resistance?
What’s your poison: How do we resist antibiotic resistance?
Starts: 12:30 pm
Ends: 10/08/2022 - 1:30 pm
Location: Christchurch
Description:
Pop quiz: Would bees prefer to get their water from:
a) nectar
b) mud puddles
c) fountains
d) dog bowls
e) toilet bowls
According to University of Canterbury genetics and molecular biology expert Professor Jack Heinemann, the answer might reveal why so many bacteria that cause infections in people, pets and pollinators are becoming resistant to antibiotics.
These antibiotic-resistant bacteria are everywhere. So, how did our rivers, seashores and wild and grocery store foods get this way?
In his Tauhere UC Connect public lecture on Wednesday 10 August, Professor Heinemann will explain how we created antibiotic-resistant bacteria and how we can help stop them.
“The rise of antibiotic resistance is a story of many paths, like he awa whiria (a braided river),” Professor Heinemann says.
“Through our research we have found that many chemical exposures – such as to agrichemicals and food additives – that have become common only since the invention of modern antibiotics can cause bacteria to respond differently to antibiotics. This renders the drugs less effective.
“Herbicides, for example, are used on farms, city parks, berms, household lawns and gardens at unprecedented scales. You breathe them in when you walk through a hardware store, vacuum a carpet or take a walk on a rainy day,” he says.
“Did you ever wonder how they taste to a bee?”
Join us at this upcoming talk – What’s your poison: How do we resist antibiotic resistance? – to find out.
About the speaker
Dr Jack A. Heinemann is a professor of genetics and molecular biology in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. He has had a long-time interest in evolution and microbial genetics, particularly antibiotic resistance and horizontal gene transfer. He has contributed to significant environmental assessments, such as the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor’s “Kotahitanga. Uniting Aotearoa against infectious disease and antimicrobial resistance”, Chapter 6 of the Global Report, and of the biotechnology section of the Synthesis Report, for the International Assessment on Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) and Chapter 5 of the Working Group II report of the International Panel on Climate Change (6th report) on biotechnology for climate change mitigation. The proud mentor of many graduate students, he is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, recipient of the ICAAC Young Investigator Award from the American Society for Microbiology (1993) and the New Zealand Association of Scientists Research Medal (2002).
Tauhere UC Connect public lecture – What’s your poison: How do we resist antibiotic resistance? presented by Professor Jack Heinemann, Te Kura Pūtaiao Koiora | School of Biological Sciences, from 7pm-8pm, Wednesday 10 August, in C1, Central Lecture Theatre, University of Canterbury, Ilam, Christchurch 8041.
Register to attend free: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/public-lectures/ Tauhere UC Connect public talks are also livestreamed on the UC Facebook page and recorded for the Tauhere UC Connect YouTube channel.
No puff too small? Attitudes and insights into the global warming potential of inhalers
No puff too small? Attitudes and insights into the global warming potential of inhalers
Starts: 12:00 pm
Ends: 11/08/2022 - 1:00 pm
Location: Dunedin or online
Description:
As part of their medical education, Trainee Interns (sixth-year medical students) undertake a research project in the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine to extend their knowledge of research methods, and to develop strategies to avoid or ameliorate problems in the delivery of health care.
Research questions may come from clinicians, community organisations, or university staff and allow students to resolve real-world problems.
The aim of this research project was to assess patients' and clinicians' opinions and attitudes to choosing inhalers with a lower carbon footprint than commonly used pMDI inhalers that use hydrofluorocarbon propellants.
It is hoped that the findings will help inform future choices with a view to decreasing the carbon footprint of inhaler use while maintaining efficacy and safety for patients.
During this seminar, the findings of this project will be presented.
The presentation will be both in person and online. All welcome.
Four visiting Structural Engineering academics from Japan invite you to join them to discuss modern aspects of earthquake engineering based on field data collected after major Japanese earthquakes and dynamic tests conducted on reinforced concrete specimens.
GSNZ Otago branch presents the 2022 President's Lecture
GSNZ Otago branch presents the 2022 President's Lecture
Starts: 12:00 am
Ends: 16/08/2022 - 11:59 pm
Location: Dunedin, New Zealand
Description:
Tiny but Mighty – the role of pollen and palynology in the Geosciences
The goal of this Presidential Lecture is to demonstrate the versatility and value of palynology in the geosciences, particularly here in Aotearoa New Zealand. The lecture is a public event and will be pitched at a level suitable for non-geoscientists as well as the geoscience community. All are welcome to attend.
The Human Side of Earthquake Early Warning in Aotearoa New Zealand
The Human Side of Earthquake Early Warning in Aotearoa New Zealand
Starts: 10:00 am
Ends: 18/08/2022 - 11:00 am
Location: https://massey.zoom.us/j/81536546245
Description:
CRISiSLab Webinar is back on 18th of August. As part of a project exploring the concept of community-based Earthquake Early Warning (EEW), we regularly host webinar sessions inviting key speakers. This time we are taking our focus back to people.
We invited Associate Professor Julia Becker and Dr Lauren Vinnell to share the human side of EEW in Aotearoa New Zealand. They will talk about people’s intentions, perceptions, and reactions to EEW.
A bit about our speakers:
Julia is a Doctoral Supervisor at Joint Centre for Disaster Research (JCDR), Massey University. She undertakes social science research on a range of natural hazards and environmental issues. Her areas of expertise include perceptions, preparedness, community resilience, emergency management and warnings. She has worked extensively in New Zealand and internationally.
Lauren is a Lecturer with a PhD in Social Psychology. Her expertise is in experimental survey design and quantitative analysis. She is interested in understanding peoples' judgments and behaviour around preparation for and response to natural hazards. Currently, she is conducting research examining predictors of household preparedness, response to multi-hazard risk communication, impacts of earthquake drill participation, and human behaviour during earthquake shaking.
Looking forward to their presentation. Feel free to come with your questions.
22 August – Sport Science - A presentation of two halves:
1. Heart stopping action! 2. Against the run of play?
Dr Peter Olsen, Ara Institute of Canterbury
Peter will discuss research undertaken on cardiovascular events during the men’s Rugby World Cups (RWC) in 1999-2011 to uncover if there was literally heart stopping action. In the second half of the presentation, there will be a discussion of research undertaken in women’s rugby, an area where there has been limited research.
Sue Crengle (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha) is a GP and Public Health Physician.
Sue's research focuses on Māori health equity and inequities in health status and health outcomes. She has a particular interest in health services research (especially primary care), youth health and mental health.
Sue uses Kaupapa Māori quantitative and qualitative methods and has had an increasing focus on trialling interventions to assess their impact on Hauora Māori outcomes.
This lecture will be followed with light refreshments, tea, coffee and juice.
Streaming information for Professor Sue Crengle's IPL
This event will be live-streamed, from 5:25pm Tuesday 23 August 2022.
Whether in our workplaces, houses or our health system, inequality is rife across Aotearoa. Our panel of experts will share their insights on the current state of the nation and what needs to change.