Sciences at University of Otago

Sciences at University of Otago The University of Otago - Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka is New Zealand’s first university Otago is also NZ's most science-intensive University.

The University of Otago is New Zealand’s first university and a vibrant international centre of learning. Today the University of Otago has about 20,000 students, from all over New Zealand and from nearly 100 countries around the world. We welcome your interaction with this page, but the Division of Humanities reserves the right to moderate and remove posts that it deems inappropriate, or harmful to others.

17/09/2026

🦜 New research shows some bird species may be taking advantage of natural geothermal “health spas”.

🐦 Some bird species seem to seek out and preen in the sulphurous steam of geothermal areas, likely to rid themselves of pathogens and parasites.

🦢 Professor Crid Fraser, of the Department of Marine Science, says at a time when birds are carrying disease agents around the world, it is important to know how they manage pathogens.

“Our research indicates that birds might be cleansing themselves of some parasites or pathogens using geothermal areas – which is pretty cool, and shows wildlife are not always helpless in the face of threats.”

You can read the full story here 👇
https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/birds-basking-in-natural-saunas-otago-research

Marine Science Otago

❤️‍🩹 In the future, slowing the progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer'...
16/09/2026

❤️‍🩹 In the future, slowing the progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease could be as simple as getting a flu shot from your GP.

🧠 With the help of a Neurological Foundation of New Zealand project grant of $299,321, Department of Neuroscience Senior Research Fellow Dr Bruce Mockett hopes to enable a protective protein to work its magic on brain health.

You can read the full story here 👇
https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/new-approach-in-dementia-treatment-gets-funding

Department of Psychology, University of Otago

🎉 Happy World Ozone Day! 🥳 The event is celebrated on 16 September each year to raise awareness of the ozone layer. 🌏 We...
15/09/2026

🎉 Happy World Ozone Day! 🥳 The event is celebrated on 16 September each year to raise awareness of the ozone layer.

🌏 We asked Hannah Kessenich, a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Physics, to bust some myths about the ozone hole.

“There are many misconceptions about how the ozone hole works. I think most people don’t know that it’s not over New Zealand, that it’s open for only three months a year, and it’s not the reason we’re more likely to get sunburn and skin cancer,” Hannah says, casually demolishing three ozone myths.

🤯 Click here to continue to have your mind blown ...
https://www.otago.ac.nz/about/news/newsroom/dont-blame-the-ozone-hole-for-the-burn-and-other-facts

PhysicsOtago

🛫 For Sammi Ammar, the opportunity to travel to Rapa Nui came at the perfect moment. 🥗 The 23-year-old is studying for a...
14/09/2026

🛫 For Sammi Ammar, the opportunity to travel to Rapa Nui came at the perfect moment.

🥗 The 23-year-old is studying for a Bachelor of Physiotherapy alongside a Bachelor of Science Honours in Nutrition.

🗿 He had been talking with friends about places they would like to visit when he named Easter Island.

“Within the next 48 hours, I receive an email from the Associate Dean of Pacific for Physiotherapy saying, ‘You should apply for this’.

“So, well, I put my name in.”

Read about Sammi's mīharo journey here 👇

https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/finding-connection-across-te-moana-nui-a-kiwa

School of Physical Education Sport & Exercise Sciences, University of Otago

🪺 Tautoko Ecology Teaching Fellow, Manaia Pearmain-Fenton, who has written a great piece for the Otago Daily Times celeb...
13/09/2026

🪺 Tautoko Ecology Teaching Fellow, Manaia Pearmain-Fenton, who has written a great piece for the Otago Daily Times celebrating wins for our manu (birds) and conservation in Aotearoa.

"In an 1894 edition of the Otago Daily Times, Aparata Renata observed of the kakaruai, or native South Island robin: 'nor can any imported bird sing and keep up a morning anthem like the native robin before sunrise, and seldom do they waste their melody to the sluggard'," Manaia writes.

"More than 130 years later, the fact that this song can still be heard at all in parts of Ōtepoti is remarkable."

🦜 You can read Manaia's full piece here 👇

https://www.odt.co.nz/life-and-style/the-mix/wins-for-nature-worth-singing-about-jzbgw7pj

Zoology Department, University of Otago - new Ecology Programme, University of Otago

10/09/2026

🙌 We're so proud of Department of Psychology PhD graduate Ashlee Berryman, who is on a mission to stop endometriosis pain. Kia mau te wehi!

Department of Psychology, University of Otago

🦑 Our Marine Studies Centre showcases local marine life and offers education programmes for all ages – including the tam...
09/09/2026

🦑 Our Marine Studies Centre showcases local marine life and offers education programmes for all ages – including the tamariki from Dunedin Nature School, who visited last week.

🪸 We loved reading this feedback from Dunedin Nature School co-founder Lizzie Potter:

"We had a fascinating workshop on plankton presented by marine scientist Hannah Drury, and had a good look at the seahorses, pipefish, and various other creatures.

"Once Hannah had demonstrated what the dials on the microscopes did, we were ready for some hands-on learning. We carefully placed seawater onto each grooved slide using a pipette and it was very cool to hear oohs and aahs as the little plankton creatures came into focus.

“Then Hannah took a few tamariki through to the touch tanks and they arrived back with snail egg sacs containing thousands of tiny snails that looked like tiny pin heads for everyone to look at up close.

“Hannah's passion for marine science was contagious as she kept bringing out creatures from other tanks to share with us. How lucky are we to have such an incredible resource on our doorstep with passionate educators?

"We value our Marine Centre relationship immensely. Tamariki who've attended past workshops still talk about them. which shows how hands-on, experiential learning can make a profound impact."

🐙 You can visit our website to plan your own visit to the Marine Studies Centre: https://www.otago.ac.nz/marine-studies

Marine Science Otago Nature School Dunedin

“It sounds a bit cringey, but it was Steve Irwin that got me into lizards,” says Zoology PhD candidate Jon Rolfes. 🦎 Jo...
08/09/2026

“It sounds a bit cringey, but it was Steve Irwin that got me into lizards,” says Zoology PhD candidate Jon Rolfes.

🦎 Jon spent much of his childhood in Germany entranced by the 'Crocodile Hunter’, so when it came time to do a gap year after high school, going Down Under was the obvious choice.

🐊 But Australia’s crocodiles and snakes couldn’t compete with Aotearoa’s cryptic critters.

“The New Zealand lizards really impressed me because they’re so vastly different from what I’m used to. In Europe, lizards live in warm countries,” Jon says.

“Having lizards living on top of mountains, being covered in alpine snow, just seemed crazy.”

🌟 The harlequin gecko is one such lizard. Its Māori name, tukutuku rakiurae, references both the gecko’s home – Rakiura – and its unique pattern, which looks like the weaving of a tukutuku panel.

🌈 Brightly patterned in colours ranging from pink and orange to green and yellow, it’s no wonder the creature captured Jon’s imagination.

“The harlequin gecko is arguably the most beautiful gecko in the world,” he says.

You can read the full story here 👇

https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/newsroom/smitten-and-bitten-by-the-harlequin-gecko

Zoology Department, University of Otago - new

👀 Pieces of a fish fossil unearthed from Pitt Island in 1999 by the late palaeontologist Dr Richard Köhler are still cap...
07/09/2026

👀 Pieces of a fish fossil unearthed from Pitt Island in 1999 by the late palaeontologist Dr Richard Köhler are still captivating people today.

🐟 A full-size replica gifted to the Chatham Islands Museum provides a rare glimpse into the ancient marine life that once inhabited the warm seas that existed prior to the Chatham Islands being lifted above sea level.

This New Zealand Association of Science Educators article explores how local stories spark genuine scientific inquiry 👇

https://nzase.org.nz/category/resources/a-fossil-sparks-scientific-inquiry/

Otago Geology - University of Otago, New Zealand

🦤 Radio New Zealand spoke to Colossal Biosciences about its controversial moa de-extinction plans. 🧠 RNZ also spoke to t...
06/09/2026

🦤 Radio New Zealand spoke to Colossal Biosciences about its controversial moa de-extinction plans.

🧠 RNZ also spoke to the critics of the plans, including the Prime Minister's science communicator prize winner, our very own Associate Professor Nic Rawlence.

You can read, or listen to, the full story on the RNZ website 👇

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/science-and-technology/1202188/can-we-de-extinct-the-moa-and-more-importantly-should-we

Zoology Department, University of Otago - new

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