Postgraduate Scholarships

Māori/Pacific Postgraduate Scholarship

The Te Mana Ki Tua (TMKT) program, delivered by Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau, is an innovative group-based weight management service supporting individuals throughout their weight loss journey. This program is of particular significance for Māori and Pacific communities, who face disproportionately high rates of Type 2 diabetes and obesity due to systemic inequities and historical disruption of traditional lifestyles. 

This research aims to explore the factors influencing participant engagement, satisfaction, and success within the TMKT program, with a focus on its cultural alignment with Māori and Pacific values. The study begins with a systematic literature review to assess the effective components of group weight management programs, particularly those tailored to Indigenous populations. Semi-structured interviews with current and past TMKT participants will provide insights into their experiences, including program content, delivery methods, and cultural relevance. Finally, the research will compile a directory of community-based weight management resources available for long-term support and identify and recommend community resources to support long-term weight management. 

The study adopts a qualitative approach, ensuring participant voices are central to the findings, and aligns with Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles by upholding equity, self-determination, and cultural responsiveness. Outcomes will provide actionable recommendations to enhance the program's cultural safety and effectiveness, promoting better health outcomes for Māori and Pacific peoples. This research addresses critical health inequities and contributes to a broader understanding of how culturally tailored interventions can advance Indigenous health equity in New Zealand and beyond.

Pacific/Māori Postgraduate Scholarship

My summer research project for the Pūtahi Manawa Fatu Malosi programme examined how genetic changes in specific cardiac proteins can lead to life-threatening arrhythmias. In the pilot study at the University of Otago in the lab of Professor Pete Jones, I looked at a gene variant in a European population that has previously been shown to cause arrhythmias. The type of experiment required to examine these variants is very time-consuming. Therefore, determining whether newly identified variants cause arrhythmia is a slow process. Given there is little to no knowledge on the functional impact of genetic variants in the heart that are specific to Māori and Pasifika populations, a different approach is needed. 

Therefore, for my Honours project, I plan to modify the current experiment to enable the development of a higher-throughput screening system. This will allow multiple variants to be screened in parallel in a much less time-consuming manner. If I can develop the system, and time allowing, I will then use it to investigate novel genetic variants specific to Māori and Pasifika populations. I identified these variants as part of the second phase of my summer research project.

Māori Postgraduate Scholarship

Macrophages, the most common immune cells in the heart, are essential for maintaining heart health. However, an imbalance in these cells can lead to inflammation and fibrosis, which can contribute to cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure. TMEM176B, a gene active in inflammatory macrophages, has been found to play a critical role in heart inflammation, particularly in conditions like atrial fibrillation. TMEM176B activates inflammatory pathways that recruit additional immune cells, potentially worsening heart damage. While certain genetic changes in TMEM176B have been shown to influence inflammation, little is known about how non-coding genetic variants (which regulate gene activity) affect its expression. Understanding these regulatory mechanisms could reveal new therapeutic targets for heart failure. 

This project focuses on five specific non-coding DNA variants that are linked to TMEM176B activity and markers of inflammation in heart tissue. 

The study has two main aims: 

(1) Test tissue-specific enhancer activity: Using zebrafish models, researchers will identify which variants control TMEM176B expression in heart and immune cells. 

(2) Assess allele-specific enhancer activity: Using human immune cells, researchers will determine if different versions of the variants have varying effects on TMEM176B activity. 

The findings will provide insights into how these DNA variants regulate TMEM176B and contribute to heart inflammation, potentially leading to new strategies for treating heart failure.

Māori Postgraduate Scholarship

This research will explore the transformative potential of targeted breathing protocols on both heart health and mental health. We will focus on the physiological and psychological effects of different rhythmic breathing techniques, such as slow resonant breathing (6 breaths per minute), over-breathing (hyperventilation) and repeated breath holds. Utilising Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and the breath (te hau) as a consciously controllable access point into our nervous system, we will examine the diverse benefits to our hauora (hollistic wellbeing). 

By examining how specific breathing protocols influence heart health parameters and the levels of important gases (such as carbon dioxide and oxygen) in the blood, this research aims to uncover mechanisms that reduce stress on the heart, enhance cardiovascular efficiency, and improve mental health outcomes. Using breathing exercises to alter the current state of both our brain and body, as well as strengthening the diaphragm – a vital yet often overlooked blood pump – represents a means of achieving both immediate and long-term health improvements. Enhanced diaphragm function could ease the heart's workload and contribute to cardiovascular resilience as a complementary effect of optimised breathing patterns, which are known to improve mental health. 

The findings of this research will support the development of accessible, scientifically proven breathing interventions for individuals facing cardiovascular and/or mental health issues, with an emphasis on equitable solutions for underserved populations, including Māori communities. This work will integrate ancient Māori knowledge with cutting-edge neuroscience, aiming to create global health education programs that promote interconnection and hauora.

Regular exercise has been linked to better health and lowers the risk of heart disease and obesity (known risk factors for poor health). But we don’t know much about how fitness, body type, and heart health work together, especially in Māori people who have different body composition (more muscle) than non-Māori. 

This study looks at these connections in young, healthy Māori men and women. Your fitness level, mainly how well your body uses oxygen during exercise (called cardiorespiratory fitness or CRF), is a strong sign of heart health. CRF can be measured during exercise, but this isn’t often done during regular doctor visits. Body type—such as muscle and fat composition—also affects health. Māori and Pacific people tend to have more muscle and less fat than others, which could mean differences in heart size and function and may mean they are fitter at a given height and weight. 

For this study, 30 Māori students at Otago University (15 men and 15 women) will participate. They’ll undergo tests to measure their fitness, body type, and heart health. These tests include riding an exercise bike while their breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure are checked, as well as scans to look at muscle, fat, and heart size. Simple tests, like grip strength and finger-prick blood samples, will also be done. 

The goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the unique health characteristics of Māori. This exploratory project has the potential to lead to more tailored healthcare approaches and improved future health outcomes for Māori communities.

Cardiovascular and associated metabolic conditions are major preventable causes of health expectancy gaps, particularly for Māori and Pacific people. Combined population-level and individualised interventions can halve cardiovascular-metabolic risk. 

We have already developed and implemented cardiovascular risk prediction algorithms, enabling New Zealand clinicians and policymakers to target at-risk patients and populations. Up-to-date cardiovascular-metabolic risk information for every adult New Zealander is not yet accessible. However, in collaboration with the VAREANZ group, we aim to contribute to the development of a sub-register for cardiovascular-metabolic conditions and to identify areas where significant equity gaps exist in cardiovascular disease. 

One area of interest for the VAREANZ group is assessing the efficacy of bariatric surgery on cardiovascular disease risk remission over the longer-term period (minimum of 10 years post-surgery). 

This study aims to assess the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk status of all New Zealanders who have undergone bariatric surgery in Aotearoa and to map the changes in CVD, polypharmacy, and CVD risk over a minimum of 5 years. We will also aim to compare these outcomes by ethnicity to determine whether Māori have equitable outcomes after bariatric surgery.

Integrated Research Module Postgraduate Scholarship  - Restoring the balance: Heart health of wāhine, Fafine, Va’ine, Fifine and Women in Aotearoa

The purpose of this research is to examine the differences in female heart rhythm detection, diagnosis, treatment, and management.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common heart rhythm that can lead to serious conditions, such as stroke and heart failure. Women generally have more strokes, a worse quality of life, a lower rate of referral for treatment and higher rates for older women. Despite this, our understanding of the sex differences of AF is limited. A primary reason for the lack of understanding is the lower number of women in clinical trials, with an average percentage of 26.8%.

The initial aim is to assess Holter monitor recordings to identify any differences in abnormal heart rhythms. The second aim is to examine a registry of patients who have been treated for AF to see if there are any sex differences in the outcomes of AF therapy. The third aim is to understand patients' experience of AF through a questionnaire to gain insights into women's and men's journey with AF, from symptoms to treatment. Data will be analysed to determine the sex differences for all aims to provide crucial information on why women present with AF later in life and are often more symptomatic.

This project focuses on how our novel pacemaker, which restores the respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), affects the structure of muscle cells in the failing heart. This RSA pacemaker doubles the pumping capacity of the heart relative to current optimal medical therapy. Recent data from our group shows that RSA pacing works by modulating proteins linked to energy metabolism in the heart. However, we do not know where these proteins are located within the muscle cells of the heart. 

In a recently completed Summer Research Studentship, I identified that a key cellular structure improved by RSA pacing was the mitochondria, intracellular organelles that are the powerhouses of cells. I hypothesise that RSA pacing is reparative to mitochondria. 

In this research project, I will use a novel kind of fluorescence imaging called Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) microscopy that provides a tenfold increase in resolution compared to other microscopes (e.g. confocal) to map the location of identified protein targets, providing nanoscale details on how the structure of the mitochondria is recovered by RSA pacing. These data will provide the first mechanistic insight into how the RSA pacemaker works.

Pacific Postgraduate Scholarship

Since Māori and Pacific populations are at a higher risk for Cardiovascular disease (CVD), this research aims to develop CVD predictive datasets for these groups through pulse wave velocity (PWV) analysis and to investigate the accuracy of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) technology for measuring PWV, thereby improving CVD risk detection.

Arterial stiffness is defined as the gradual loss of elastin fibres within the arterial wall, resulting in the accumulation of stiffer collagen fibres. It refers to the reduced capability of physiological expansion and contraction of arteries in response to changes in blood pressure (BP). Arterial stiffness is measured as carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) and is well established as an additional, independent predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, particularly in individuals with diabetes, obesity, or a history of stroke.

There is limited information about the normal reference values of PWV in the New Zealand population, as the current normative PWV utilised is based on overseas datasets. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a technique for estimating body composition by sending an electric current through the body, and measuring the voltage to calculate the impedance (resistance and reactance). This method can be used to measure pulse wave velocity, which does not require a skilled operator to measure or locate the femoral artery.

Open Postgraduate Scholarship

This project aims to investigate various aspects of blood vessel structure, function, and regulation in patients with POTS and matched controls. Specifically, we will measure artery stiffness, blood vessel function, and vein function in patients with POTS and matched controls. We will then investigate the nerve control of blood vessels by measuring muscle sympathetic nerve activity. 

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a common disorder of the autonomic nervous system that is estimated to affect 1 in 100 people, predominantly young women. 

In POTS, the heart rate increases excessively with standing (> 30 beats per minute within 10 minutes of standing) in the absence of a fall in blood pressure (>20/10 mmHg). POTS has a wide variability in daily functioning, with patients reporting multisystemic symptoms, including dizziness/light-headedness, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, brain fog, and fainting. 

Normally, on standing, there is a shift of blood into the legs and abdomen due to gravity, inducing a slight increase in heart rate and tightening of the blood vessels to maintain blood pressure. Excessive pooling of blood in the legs is observed in POTS, which is thought to result from impaired tightening or abnormal stretchiness of the blood vessels. However, the exact mechanism underlying this remains unclear in POTS. 

This project will provide an understanding of how the vascular structure, function, and regulation are altered in POTS. Such understanding may help improve and personalise treatments for patients with the syndrome. 

Māori/Pacific Postgraduate Scholarship

Cardiovascular and associated metabolic conditions are major preventable causes of health expectancy gaps, particularly for Māori and Pacific people. Combined population-level and individualised interventions can halve cardiovascular-metabolic risk.

We have already developed and implemented cardiovascular risk prediction algorithms, enabling New Zealand clinicians and policymakers to target at-risk patients and populations. Up-to-date cardiovascular-metabolic risk information for every adult New Zealander is not yet accessible. However, in collaboration with the VAREANZ group, we aim to contribute to the development of a sub-register for cardiovascular-metabolic conditions and to identify areas where significant equity gaps exist in cardiovascular disease.

One area of interest for the VAREANZ group is assessing the efficacy of bariatric surgery on cardiovascular disease risk remission over the longer term (minimum of 10 years post-surgery). This study aims to assess the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk status of all New Zealanders who have undergone bariatric surgery in Aotearoa and to map the changes in CVD, polypharmacy, and CVD risk over a minimum of 5 years. We will also aim to compare these outcomes by ethnicity to determine whether Māori have equitable outcomes after bariatric surgery.