Outstanding University of Auckland scholars each awarded $1.1m to advance their research

Three University of Auckland academics have been awarded more than $1.1m each to pursue their research over four years.

They are part of a group of 12 mid-career researchers chosen by the Royal Society Te Apārangi to receive Mana Tūānuku Research Leader Fellowships in 2025.

Dr Chris Carrie (Faculty of Science), Associate Professor Andrew Erueti (Faculty of Law) and Dr Natalie Netzler (Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences) are those selected from Waipapa Taumata Rau.

The Fellowships are for mid-career researchers who have demonstrated four to 12 years of excellent research since completing their PhDs. Each Fellow will be supported with $1.16m over four years to accelerate their research programme, consolidate and expand their leadership capability, boost their contribution to the sector, and enhance the impact of their work for Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Royal Society Te Apārangi will also connect Fellows with opportunities for networking, for sharing knowledge and for accessing mentoring opportunities.
 

Associate Professor Andrew Erueti (Ngā Ruahinerangi, Ngāti Ruanui, Te Atihaunui a Pāpārangi) who is Associate Dean Māori in the Faculty of Law, will address persistent inequities in health and child welfare in ways that are grounded in tikanga Māori and responsive to people’s local and lived realities. The focus will be on health and child welfare, but will have broader relevance to environmental governance and to criminal and social justice.

Erueti’s research is designed to enhance tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) for whānau Māori and, in the long term, to contribute to social cohesion, equity, and economic well-being for all New Zealanders.

Dr Natalie Netzler’s research aims to discover new antiviral therapies by bringing together Indigenous expertise in medicine with cutting-edge virology.

Around 300 viruses are known to infect humans, but there are treatments for only a small number, and viruses are able to evolve resistance to these precious antivirals and vaccines. The result is that billions of people are vulnerable to viral diseases worldwide, with nothing to offer except symptomatic care.

Netzler (Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Hauā, Samoa – Moto’otua, Falealili) who is a senior lecturer, will weave together cutting-edge virological methods and Indigenous expertise to identify novel antivirals for treating viral diseases.

Working in partnership with Māori and Samoan communities, she will test medicinal plant extracts against a range of viruses, using gold-standard techniques from virology. The aim is to improve health outcomes by identifying novel antivirals for viral diseases that don’t have approved clinical treatments, such as measles, dengue and Zika. The work could also bring opportunities for developing spin-out products such as nutraceuticals or synthetic derivatives with novel intellectual property for clinical antiviral development and contribute to economic growth and opportunities for Māori and Pacific partners.

Dr Chris Carrie is a senior lecturer in plant molecular biology and his research investigates the unique genetic and molecular adaptations of geothermal kānuka, a tree that thrives in the scorching, multi-hazard soils of the Taupō Volcanic Zone.

The research will compare geothermal kānuka with a heat-sensitive relative, and pinpoint the key biological mechanisms that enable survival in extreme heat. The aim is to transfer these unique traits into a model plant species using gene-editing and synthetic biology techniques. If successful, this research could enable future-proofing of essential crops, safeguarding global food security against a warming climate, and support plants of economic value to New Zealand.
 

The government introduced the Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships in 2024 to boost the potential of researchers to deliver excellent, impactful research and to grow as leaders within their fields, their host institutions, and across the wider science, innovation, and technology (SI&T) system in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The aim is to foster and retain future research leaders, strengthen pathways for career development, and advance equity and diversity across the science, innovation, and technology sectors.

The Chair of the interview panel, Professor Peter Dearden of Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka – University of Otago, said: “The Fellows chosen this year represent the next wave of research leaders who will help shape Aotearoa New Zealand’s future. Their contributions are set to create meaningful impact nationally and globally for years to come.”

Read about the other researchers on the Royal Society website.