Doctoral news

The 2026 Academic Career Advancement Programme (ACAP) cohort of 21 enthusiastic doctoral candidates met together for the first time on Wednesday 25 February. This year, the facilitator is Holly Wilson, a Research Assistant in the School of Pharmacy, who previously completed ACAP herself. 

ACAP is a sought-after annual programme that provides you with the opportunity to explore key aspects of academic life, build interdisciplinary relationships with academics across the University, and get a head start in the job market. Learn more about ACAP.

The University of Auckland does not have “Thesis by Publication”. Instead, we have “Thesis including Publication”, which means that if you publish your work, you can include it in your thesis if you would like to, with some caveats:

• Any included publications must form part of a “coherent whole”.
• You must have permission from the co-authors to include a publication in your thesis.
• You must complete a Co-Authorship / Statement of Contribution Form for each publication that is included in your thesis.
• You must be the lead author on each included publication (that is, you must have written all or the majority of the text and have your contribution confirmed by all co-authors as no less than 65%).

Read about including publications in your thesis. If you have questions, email doctoraladvice@auckland.ac.nz.

When Esmeralda Lo Tam from Sāmoa received a corneal transplant at the age of 29, it inspired her to change careers. Now she's a doctoral candidate in the Department of Ophthalmology at FMHS, and the surgeon who performed her transplant, Prof Charles McGhee, is her supervisor.

Esmeralda's research focuses on the prevalence of eye disease in Pacific communities, and their inequitable access to eye care. She also helps to screen vision and eye heath in young people.

"Advocating for eye health and helping others get the care they need before it is too late has given me a great purpose," she says. Read more about Esmeralda's story.