Message from the Head of School
Kia ora koutou
Well, it has been a roller-coaster 6 months so I thank you all for your patience. It started on day 1 with a very strong signal from the Faculty that the School tighten its belt and that has pretty much consumed most of the last 6 months of my life.
Despite the bleak times across the wider University sector, I want to recognise the fact that the School continues to be a huge and overall successful unit.
Researchers in SMS submitted 549 research proposals, with successes below:
| Funding Source | Total |
| AMRF – PostDoc, Doctoral, Travel, Project and individual grant | 24 |
| CRTNZ – Professional development, Special purpose, Project grant, PostDoc | 6 |
| HRC (Project, Health Delivery, Emerging Leader, CDA) | 11 |
| NHF (Travel, Fellowship, Project, Small Project) | 13 |
| Neurological Foundation (Project, Small Project, Postdoc, Summer Studentship, scholarships) | 22 |
| RSNZ (Catalyst, Marsden) | 4 |
| MBIE (Te Titoki, MBIE programme) | 2 |
| MPPT (Conference, travel. Project) | 27 |
| ABI MedTech, MWC, HVN | 31 |
| Centres (Te Aka, Healthy Hearts) | 14 |
| U2, Global Research engagement | 3 |
| Breast Cancer Foundation | 2 |
| M&HSF , SOMF (RDF, Donor) | 49 |
| Other (Domestic – ESR, Dignity Health, Sclerosis research, NZIMRT CureKids, Abiomed) | 12 |
| International (NIH, Massachusetts Hospital, SDHB, Cystinosis Ireland) | 5 |
The School has 215 PhD students enrolled. In 2024 there were 26 MBiomedSc, 6 MSc Pharmacology, 1 MSc Physiology, 26 BBiomedSc Hons and 2 BSc Hons Pharmacology completions. At undergraduate and post-graduate taught courses, we had 1080 EFTs across BSc, Dietetics, Medical Imaging, MBChB, Pharmacy and Nursing programmes, undoubtedly making us the most diverse School in terms of teaching portfolio.
To recognise this, the School now has Srdjan Vlajkovic looking after PhD portfolio, Debbie Young looking after sub-doctoral students and David Musson looking after student affairs.
Congratulations to our new Professor Simon Swift and new Associate Professors Jacqui Hannam and Julie Spicer.
There will be lots of changes to the leadership team across the School in 2025. Sue McGlashan, who seems to have been a permanent fixture on SMS Executive as Post Graduate Director and then Academic Director for the last 6 months (and acting, acting HoS in my absence), will finish on 31 January 2025. Clare Wall will be taking over as HoS on 1 February, Andrea Braakhuis has been confirmed as HoD Nutrition and Dietetics and Bronwen Connor will be HoD Pharmacology from 1 January, Justin Dean will be HoD Physiology from 1 February and Cherie Blenkiron will be HoD MMP from 1 April.
There are many people for me to thank, including Sue, all the Heads of Departments, as well as Bruce and his team, Niki and Helen (HR), and Sneha (finance), who are working away trying to deal with my very frequent visits. As always, a special shout out to the tutors who allow me to be distracted from my teaching commitments to take on these roles.
Make sure that you have a good break, so book your annual leave and take it. And don’t forget to submit any outstanding research reports to Maha and her team before you go.
Nga mihi
Malcolm
TVNZ 1 National Evening News – 30 July 2025
Professor Julian Paton, Department of Physiology, featured in a TVNZ 1 national evening news story on the University of Auckland’s pioneering work in developing next-generation pacemakers.
RNZ nine-to-noon chat with Kathryn Ryan
Professor Julian Paton, Department of Physiology spoke to Kathryn Ryan on the RNZ nine-to-noon chat. The topic was about Julian’s ongoing cardiovascular research and Drive4Heart.
New PhD student
We welcome new PhD student, Hannah Fuller, in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics
New PhD student
We welcome new PhD student, Hannah Fuller, in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics.
High profile publication
University of Auckland contributes to study of Strep A immunity in the Gambia. Associate Professor Nikki Moreland and former PhD candidate Alana Whitcombe contributed to this high impact study via development of assays to quantify Strep A immune responses in the laboratory.
Grant success
Wellcome Trust Grant awarded to Associate Professor Nikki Moreland, Dr Reuben McGregor and Dr Natalie Lorenz.
Emerging researcher grant success
The Dept of Pharmacology has been awarded an Emerging Researcher Grant in the 2025 round.
Dr Amy McCaughey-Chapman (Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology – UoA) has been awarded $400,000 in Project Grant funding for her research on Development of a human oligodendrocyte platform for multiple Sclerosis.
Grant success
The Dept of Pharmacology has been awarded three Project Grants and an Emerging Researcher Grant in the 2025 round.
Principal Investigator (PI) Dr Raewyn Poulsen, from the Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, has been awarded $1,199,983 in Project Grant funding for her research on How the mechanisms driving osteoarthritis differ in males versus females.
Grant success
The Dept of Pharmacology has been awarded three Project Grants and an Emerging Researcher Grant in the 2025 round.
Principal Investigator (PI) Dr Justin Rustenhoven, from the Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, has been awarded $1,199,744 in Project Grant funding for his research on Targeting meningeal fibrosis to improve outcomes in traumatic brain injuries.