University Research Centres

Hosted by: Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences
Directors: Richard Faull, Makarena Dudley and Alan Barber.

Mission: The mission of the Centre for Brain Research (CBR) is to improve our understanding of the brain in order to improve outcomes for people throughout Aotearoa New Zealand with neurological disorders, through world-class collaborative brain research, clinical care, education and community interaction. At the core of the CBR Mission is the development of reciprocal transdisciplinary relationships, which span from the laboratory to the clinic to whānau and the community, enabling us to address research problems of critical concern, provide novel insights on the brain, and develop new treatment strategies to enhance care and give hope to people and families affected by brain diseases. The CBR recognises the unique status of Māori as the tangata whenua of Aotearoa. The CBR will develop strong interactions with the Māori community to promote and achieve equitable outcomes for those whānau living with neurological disorders as guaranteed under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Homepage: Centre for Brain Research

Hosted by: Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences
Directors: Peter Browett, Andrew Shelling, George Laking and Megan Putterill.

Mission: Cancer is the number one cause of mortality in Aotearoa New Zealand. Tangata Māori are disproportionately and unjustly affected by cancer. Cancer research in Aotearoa New Zealand is increasingly diverse in range and scope. Without underpinning scholarship, cancer research risks becoming siloed, disjointed and unable to support excellence and equity of health outcomes. The mission of Te Aka Mātauranga Matepukupuku, The Centre for Cancer Research, is to provide national leadership in transdisciplinary cancer research. This will improve the understanding, care, prevention and treatment of cancer in Aotearoa New Zealand, in a way that meets the needs of our communities. The work will be of global relevance, not only for its content, but also for the way it is done.Te Aka Mātauranga Matepukupuku will be the largest cancer research centre in Aotearoa New Zealand and will be co-led by Māori. It will connect over 300 researchers from multiple backgrounds, disciplines and institutions. It will link their work meaningfully and equitably with community aspirations, in multiple domains including cancer prevention, science, care and workforce development.

Homepage: Te Aka Mātauranga Matepukupuku - Centre for Cancer Research

Hosted by:  Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences
Directors: Collin Tukuitonga, Judith McCool and Roannie Ng Shiu. 

Mission: Our mission is to positively impact health in the Pacific region and globally, through high-quality research founded in partnership and local ownership. Our transdisciplinary approach focuses on co-created solutions, equity, capacity development and fostering local, regional and global leadership. We will build on our existing relationships within the University and beyond. We will work collaboratively to design and deliver solutions to our region's most pressing challenges: non-communicable diseases, the health impact of the climate crisis, pandemic preparedness and the health of children and young people. We promote Pacific values, priorities and knowledge. We acknowledge diversity in knowledge processes, grounded in the principles and values of Pacific data sovereignty. We draw on Pacific indigenous knowledge and frameworks such as talanoa and wayfinding, mātauranga Māori, epidemiology, clinical medicine, social sciences and humanities.We welcome scholars, students and partners from government, non-government, regional and global organisations to work with us within a co-creation model. Pacific-led research (building capacity, enhancing capabilities in growth areas) will advance policy, advocacy, leadership and innovative initiatives for promoting health and wellbeing for Pacific populations. Working with interconnected research hubs and research platforms, we will offer training and leadership opportunities for emerging scholars.

Homepage: Te Poutoko Ora a Kiwa 

Hosted by: Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences
Directors: Vanessa Burholt, Ngaire Kerse, Jo Hikaka and Tia Reihana. 

Mission: To develop a transdisciplinary centre that will deliver creative and innovative solutions to realise opportunities, needs, and concerns identified by older people, to improve health, wellbeing and human flourishing. To walk alongside Māori and Pacific communities as equitable partners unlocking human potential by giving older people, researchers and other stakeholders the opportunity to co-create world-class ageing research. To be guided by kotahitanga, fostering inclusivity that is respectful of the diversity of older people and the communities to which they belong, which includes:Aroha ki te tangata. Respectfulness and allowing people to define their own space and meet on their own terms.He kanohi kitea. Meeting face-to-face, being seen and engaging within communities.Titiro, whakarongo…kōrero. Looking, listening and then maybe speaking. Developing an understanding of communicating with iwi Māori (and other ethnicities) in order to find a place from which to speak.Manaaki ki te tangata. Providing a hospitable, safe, physical and social environment to share knowledge.Kia tūpato. Being cautious, respectful and having a critical approach to engagement.Kaua e takahia te mana o te tangata. Respecting the mana of all involved and affected by research through partnership and power-sharing.Kaua e mahaki. Inclusion and co-creation of many knowledge forms.

Homepage: Centre for Co-Created Ageing Research