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Liggins Link—December 2025
Kia ora koutou,
As we conclude 2025, I would like to take a moment to reflect on our shared journey and celebrate the incredible efforts of our staff, students, collaborators, and supporters who have made this year truly memorable.
Our academic and research support staff, along with our postgraduate students, continue to demonstrate their commitment to research excellence, translating scientific discoveries into impactful real-world health solutions.
In this edition, we highlight the work of the Carosika Community of Practices, focusing on their efforts to prevent preterm births.
We also share media stories and commentary from Professor Paul Hofman and Dr Ben Albert on the Government's ban on new prescriptions of puberty blockers to transgender and gender-dysphoric youth.
Professor Paul Hofman and I are featured in an Ingenious podcast episode titled ‘Inside the new science of obesity,’ which has received a very positive response from listeners.
We invite you to explore the inspiring stories of our PhD students, Jillian Hildreth, Melenaite Tohi, and Cristal Salatas, and learn about their journeys and achievements.
Finally, I wish you Meri Kirihimete and a restful, restorative break during the festive season. Thank you again for your support and engagement, and I look forward to connecting with you in 2026.
Ngā mihi nui
Justin
Professor Justin O'Sullivan
Director, Liggins Institute,
Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland
PITOPITO KŌRERO | NEWS
Pre-term baby research saves lives
Photo credit: RNZ/123RF
Pre-term birth remains the leading cause of death for children under five and has a lasting impact on the health and wellbeing of many who survive.
Specialist care isn't equally available across the country so the Carosika Community of Practice was set up to help close that gap but its funding has now run out.
Liggins Institute Professor Katie Groom, Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist at Auckland City Hospital, talked to RNZ about the need for more support so Carosika can continue its work saving babies across Aotearoa.
Read more about the Carosika Community of Practice and their search for funding in the University article below:
Inside the new science of obesity – Ingenious podcast episode
Genetics, gut bugs, drugs and surgery – how groundbreaking research is changing how we understand and treat one of our most intractable health problems.
The October 19 episode of Ingenious dives deep into the science of obesity – from genetics and hormones to gut bacteria, new drugs and bariatric surgery.
Hear directly from Professors Paul Hofman, Justin O’Sullivan, and Rinki Murphy as they explain how science is rewriting what we thought we knew about fat, health, and willpower. Read more in the University news, Inside the new science of obesity – University of Auckland and listen to the podcast at the link below.
The (mostly) well-meaning war on pregnancy
Opinion: Our tendency to simplify the complex factors that influence pregnancy often results in a myopic focus on individual behaviour, says Liggins Institute doctoral candidate, Jillian Hildreth.
According to reports from the White House, taking paracetamol when pregnant will doom you to a “horrible, horrible” future of parenting autistic kids. Leaving aside the fact that there are far worse fates imaginable than having children with autism, this claim has been rapidly and adequately discredited elsewhere as being oversimplified and deterministic, if not outright inaccurate.
Government halts new puberty blocker prescriptions – Expert commentary from the Liggins Institute
The Government’s decision to halt new prescriptions of puberty blockers for youth with gender dysphoria has sparked significant concern among medical experts. From 19 December, new regulations under the Medicines Act will prevent new prescriptions for this purpose, pending completion of a publicly funded clinical trial in the UK.
Two leading voices from the Liggins Institute, Professor Paul Hofman and Dr Ben Albert, have shared their perspectives on the implications of this policy. They emphasise the importance of evidence-based care and warn of the potential harm this policy could cause to young people experiencing gender dysphoria.
Dr Ben Albert, Paediatric Endocrinologist and Senior Research Fellow, notes:
“This is a disappointing decision. The young people seeking help for gender dysphoria are deeply distressed by the changes occurring to their bodies in puberty because their bodies irreversibly change towards a sex they don’t identify with. Puberty blockers halt that process, and give the young person time to age without those changes and work out what they want to do as they get older and are able to make more decisions for themselves... An outright ban is not justified by the state of the science.”
Professor Paul Hofman, Paediatric Endocrinologist, adds:
“Pubertal blockage has been used in medicine for over 40 years (1979) and their safety and efficacy in blocking puberty is well established... waiting for another 6 years for study results that will be non-informative can only be seen as cynical politics… Sadly, in my opinion, this decision is not based on medical expertise or science and appears to be a transphobic, politically driven response. My questions of the Minister and his advisors though, is when the levels of self-harm and suicidal attempts increase, as is likely the case, will they take responsibility for the consequences of their actions?”
Read their full commentary on the Science Media Centre NZ website.
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Professor Paul Hofman spoke with 95bfM about the potential impact of the Government’s ban on the mental health of transgender youth and those with gender dysphoria. He discussed the previous safeguards in place, the proven efficacy of these medications, and why long-term research should reflect New Zealand’s unique context. Read more and listen to the 11-minute interview at the link below:
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Dr Ben Albert was interviewed on Radio Waatea about the use of puberty blockers and the government's policy change. Listen to the interview at the link below. Dr Ben Albert | Paediatric and Endocrinologist – Waatea News: Māori Radio Station |
From Tonga to Liggins: research that gives back
Melenaite Tohi shares how her PhD research at the Liggins Institute is driven by her personal story, her Tongan heritage, and a mission to improve health outcomes for Pasifika families. Watch the video, produced as part of the University Ignite Thought Leadership Series, at the link below.
Exploring AI in Healthcare: Chris Paton shares expert insight
In a recent Newsroom article, Associate Professor Chris Paton offers expert commentary on Health NZ’s decision to retire its in-house AI scribe tool, Tuhi, in favour of commercial alternatives. Paton, editor-in-chief of BMJ Digital Health & AI, acknowledges the promise of AI scribes in improving clinical efficiency, while cautioning about risks around privacy, accuracy, and workflow impact.
“The large language models have jumped things up quite a level and have been adopted far more rapidly than any other AI systems have been to-date,” Paton notes, reflecting on the rapid evolution of generative AI in healthcare.
His insights help frame the broader implications of AI adoption in clinical settings, reinforcing the importance of rigorous oversight and patient-centred design. Read the full article, 'Health NZ scraps in-house AI tool in favour of private sector', at the link below.
A new perspective on the preterm birth risk
Congratulations to doctoral candidate Cristal Salatas on winning the Image category at the 2025 SGS Research Showcase. Her research image, titled 'Perspective,' integrates a GIS map of New Zealand within the silhouette of a newborn, overlaid with spatial determinants that influence preterm birth (PTB) risk, as determined by her PhD research.
The image symbolises how changing the perspective, from abstract numbers to the underlying causes of risk, can inform and improve targeted policy and intervention strategies.
It invites policymakers, researchers, and the public to recognise that where and why PTBs occur must direct efforts to reduce PTB rates and enhance maternal and infant health across New Zealand.”
Cristal Salatas, Liggins Institute PhD student
Thank you to the Boyd Clarke Foundation for generally supporting Cristal’s PhD Scholarship. To learn more about Cristal’s PhD research, read 'Map to target NZ's rising preterm birth rates' at the link below.
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NGĀ KAUPAPA NUI | EVENTS
Celebrating 40 Years of Impact of the Jubilee Trust
Left to right: Professor Russell Snell, Professor Mark Vickers, Professor Justin O’Sullivan, Alix Coysh, Michael Dineen, Professor Dame Jane Harding, Deb Yates, Laura Lane, Jenna MacCormick, Nigel Fletcher, Chancellor Cecilia Tarrant, and Earl White.
On Wednesday, 12th November, the Liggins Institute hosted a special evening to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Jubilee Trust and its 20-year partnership with the Liggins Institute.
Distinguished Professor Dame Jane Harding provided an overview of the remarkable research approaches being used to examine whether early changes in brain development in preterm babies are an important marker of later development. The MoPED study has been generously supported by the Jubilee Trust, and the trustees announced a further $245,000 gift at the event.
WHAKAMIHI | CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to doctoral candidate Meiliana Meiliana, who was awarded a $500 New Zealand Student Travel Scholarship to attend the Nutrition Society of New Zealand Annual Scientific Meeting 2025 in Christchurch in November. Her research presentation was titled, 'Standardised Reporting Framework for nutrition and growth in preterm nutrition studies: A Delphi study'.
Congratulations to doctoral candidate Dr Qiliang Liu, who received the Graz Clock ADIPS award for her oral presentation at the ADIPS (Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society)/SOMANZ (Society for Obstetric Medicine in Australia and New Zealand) Annual Scientific Meeting earlier this month. Qiliang's presentation was titled, 'Maternal and Child Health Five Years after Gestational Diabetes Diagnosed Using Different Glycaemic Criteria – the GEMS Follow-Up Study'.
Congratulations to doctoral candidate Dr Lisa Douglas, who received the Emerging Researcher ADIPS award for her oral presentation at the ADIPS/SOMANZ Annual Scientific Meeting. Lisa's presentation was titled, 'Influence of adherence to tight or less tight targets in women with gestational diabetes mellitus on maternal and infant health'.
Congratulations to Professor Katie Groom, who was invited to give the SOMANZ Priscilla Kincaid-Smith Lecture at the ADIPS/SOMANZ Annual Scientific Meeting. Katie's presentation was titled ‘Experiences in clinical research for uteroplacental insufficiency – the rewards and the challenges'.
