Liggins Link

February 2025

NGĀ KAUPAPA NUI | EVENTS

Public Lecture | The Developing Immune System: Growing Strong or Going Wrong?

6-7pm, Thursday, 3 April 2025

How the immune system’s early development shapes lifelong health, and what happens when things go off track — from infections to long COVID.

The immune system is essential for protecting our bodies, yet its development is a complex process that begins in early life. From birth, the immune system builds its defences, influenced by factors like genetics, environment, and early exposures. So what are the key building blocks of immunity, and how can we support its development? Can we “boost” immunity, and what does that actually mean?

In this talk, Liggins Institute Associate Professor Gergely Toldi and Senior Research Fellow Anna Brooks will explore how the immune system develops and the critical concept of immune tolerance — the body’s ability to distinguish between harmful invaders and its own cells. They will also discuss inflammation and its role in both immune defence and chronic diseases.

The speakers will also discuss immune-mediated diseases, including long COVID, and the cutting-edge methods being used to study the immune system and develop new treatments.

Rohan Botica, co-founder of DysImmune Research Aotearoa, will also share his personal experience of living with post-viral illness (ME/CFS) and how immune dysfunction can have long-lasting effects.

Join us at 6pm on Thursday 3 April for a fascinating evening. You’re warmly invited to stay for drinks and nibbles afterwards.

PITOPITO KŌRERO | NEWS

Can kawakawa keep you healthy?

Dr Farha Ramzan will spend four years studying the impacts of kawakawa on inflammation, diabetes and gut health.

Kawakawa, a distinctive indigenous plant, is a critical part of rongoā Māori. Now a major research grant, awarded to Liggins Institute researcher Dr Farha Ramzan, will enable scientific scrutiny of its potential to improve metabolic and gut health and reduce diabetes risk.

Kawakawa's health benefits subject of new inflammation study

Dr Farha Ramzan was one of eight researchers awarded a Royal Society Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship this year. The $820,000 in funding will allow her to study the effects of kawakawa on inflammation, diabetes and the gut microbiome. 

Farha was interviewed on RNZ Nine to Noon about the project, which will be co-designed with practitioners of rongoā Māori. Listen at the link below.

Diet and Parkinson's disease

(Image credit: RNZ/UnSplash - Cade Martin)

What role can diet play in improving the lives of people with Parkinson's disease? More than 12,000 New Zealanders suffer from the condition, and numbers are expected to increase significantly over the coming years.

Dr Fiona Lithander, Associate Professor in Nutrition at the Liggins Institute, was interviewed by RNZ's Paddy Gower about her research into the role of diet in Parkinson’s disease. She also shares her three top tips for dietary strategies to help people with Parkinson's disease manage their symptoms.

Can gut bugs influence anorexia?

Professor Wayne Cutfield and Professor Justin O’Sullivan are leading the University’s gut bugs team.

Since 2017, Professors Wayne Cutfield and Justin O’Sullivan have been investigating the potential of ‘gut bugs’ to address conditions including autism and obesity. Their latest research explores the connection between gut health and anorexia nervosa.

Freezers, pasteurisers and funding woes: A day at a human milk bank in Christchurch

(Image credit: The Spinoff/Shanti Mathias)

The Spinoff's Shanti Mathias visited a volunteer-run milk bank, where donated breast milk is processed and distributed to newborns in need. Liggins Institute researcher and paediatrician Dr Gergely Toldi was interviewed for the article, which also features work from Research Fellow Dr Mariana Muelbert.

Diabetes during pregnancy can cause serious problems later – mothers need proper screening after birth

(Image credit: The Conversation/Shutterstock - Dragana Gordic)

Gestational diabetes is the most common metabolic disorder in pregnancy, affecting one in seven women worldwide and one in sixteen in New Zealand. Worryingly, a growing number of women are being diagnosed with the disorder, which is associated with complications during pregnancy.

In an article for The Conversation, doctoral candidate Phyllis Ohene-Agyei discusses her research into the recommended care for women with gestational diabetes and the gaps in existing clinical practice guidelines. A new review of the later health impacts on women with gestational diabetes suggests they could be receiving better care after birth and in the long term.

Marsden Fund controversy: Peak science body urges PM to reconsider research funding cuts

Distinguished Professor Dame Jane Harding, President of the Royal Society, Te Apārangi.

New Zealand’s peak science body has urged the Government to rethink controversial funding cuts to “vital” humanities and social sciences research. The Government-ordered changes end Marsden Fund grants for research in those disciplines – while also requiring 50% of grants to demonstrate economic benefits. In an open letter from the Royal Society, Te Apārangi to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, society president and Liggins Institute researcher, Distinguished Professor Dame Jane Harding said the risks of not investing in social sciences and humanities would be “substantial”.

Tying BMI to obesity ineffective, prone to misdiagnosis - research

(Image credit: RNZ/istock.com)

Professor Wayne Cutfield shares his critical perspective on recent research published in The Lancet. The study challenges the reliance on BMI for diagnosing obesity, suggesting it may lead to misdiagnosis.

Wayne emphasises the importance of managing what the article identifies as ‘pre-clinical' obesity, warning that obesity-related diseases can take years to develop. He advocates for a proactive approach to obesity management, ensuring early intervention and better health outcomes.

"I think what they've inadvertently done is create a bit of an illusion that if you are obese but don't have any associated diseases that you're absolutely fine... But we know these diseases take years if not decades to develop, so you may not necessarily have these diseases right now but you could be well on the way to developing them." Dr Wayne Cutfield

Further expert commentary from Wayne on the research from the global Commission on Clinical Obesity is available in the following media story:

• Beyond BMI: How should we be diagnosing obesity? - Expert Reaction - Science Media Centre

WHAKAMIHI | CONGRATULATIONS