The Bioengineering Podcast

Shaun Hendy joined us back in APril to give an overview of the models his team at Te Pūnaha Matatini had developed to study COVID-19 in New Zealand. He also talked about the challenges of informing government policy using his team's modelling. You can also see his presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSACMi7uNOw

Professor Peter Hunter, Director of the Auckland Bioengineering Institute (ABI), gives an insight into how the institute began and where it's heading in the future. This presentation was recorded at the ABI Research Forum 2020.

For this episode, listen in on a panel discussion from the ABI Research Forum 2020 - the topic for the panel was Success In and Beyond Academia. On the panel we have Dr Tim Angeli from our Gastrointestinal Research Group, ABI Deputy Director Professor Merryn Tawhai, Rhys Williams from ABI startup I Measure U, Marco Schneider from ABI startup Vivify and Ju Zhang from ABI startup Formus Labs, with Professor David Budgett as the moderator. Each year, ABI holds a Research Forum to bring the whole Institute together and celebrate what we've accomplished. We held key seminars, discussion panels, student poster competitions, three-minute thesis presentations and more. To see videos and other info from the ABI Research Forum 2020, subscribe to the Auckland Bioengineering Institute Youtube channel or follow us on social media @ bioengineeringinstitute.

We have a full house for this episode! Reuben Keeling talks with four of our researchers from the Heart Mechanics Research Group: Professor Martyn Nash, Dr Prasad Babarenda Gamage, Dr Kat Gilbert and PhD student Debbie Zhao. Heart disease is the number one cause of death worldwide, so they have their work cut out for them. Listen in as they discuss their research and how it will make a difference.

This week our podcast episode is another 'Throwback Thursday' this time with a very special guest speaker - Sir Richard Faull, Director of the Centre for Brain Research. He gives an overview of the development of human brain research at the University of Auckland over the last forty years, which was made possible through the establishment of a human brain bank in partnership with clinicians, families, the community and the Neurological Foundation. This promoted the development of collaborative multidisciplinary research with neuroscientists across the University, neurologists and neurosurgeons in Auckland City Hospital, and families in the community. This vision of research partnership provided the foundation for the establishment of the Centre for Brain Research in 2009. This collaborative research model has attracted philanthropic support to develop collaborative, multidisciplinary, ground-breaking neuroscience research. This talk is part of our ABI Tuesday Seminar Series. The seminars are all open to the public, and there will be a new talk each Tuesday, from 4-5pm, held at the Auckland Bioengineering House, 70 Symonds St.

For this episode we share a presentation from early 2019, where Augmented Reality pioneer Professor Mark Billinghurst from the ABI and human-computer interaction expert Professor Aaron Quigley from University of St Andrews discuss the future of technology interaction. Imagine if computers could understand how you were feeling and help you better understand other people? How are invisible, ambient and ubiquitous computers being woven into the fabric of day-to-day life?

In this episode, Reuben Keeling talks with two of our emerging researchers from the Musculoskeletal Research Group - Dr Julie Choisne and Dr Geoffrey Handsfield. They discuss their research into muscles and bones, in particular their focus on helping young children with cerebral palsy, which is the most common cause of physical disability worldwide. Julie and Geoff also talk about what brought them to the Institute and New Zealand from their home countries.

We are blessed to have many talented and inspiring women at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute. In the first episode we talked with our Deputy Director, Professor Merryn Tawhai, and on this one we chat with Dr Alys Clark and Dr Jenny Kruger about their research, their role models and the amazing women they work with. Have a listen - and encourage the women in your life to study science.

The gut has been referred to as the final frontier of the human body. It has a huge influence on our health and daily well being, but we know so little about it. In this episode, we find out more about how the gut works, the kinds of health issues that can arise, and the research we are doing to help. Our host Reuben Keeling is joined by Dr Peng Du and Dr Tim Angeli from the ABI Gastrointestinal Research Group.

Chances are you probably don't know about the Auckland Bioengineering Institute. So what is it, when was it set up, what kind of research is done there, and what start-up companies has it spun out? Listen to the first episode of our podcast to find out! Our host Reuben Keeling is joined by ABI Director Professor Peter Hunter and Deputy Director Professor Merryn Tawhai.