Updates archive
Community health, patient safety under increasing threat
As nurses witness failures of care related to unsafe staffing levels, “they experience significant distress and many leave, adding turnover costs to the cost of risks associated with poor staffing levels”, the authors say. Community health, patient safety under...
AI in Health Research Network Newsletter
It was great to receive positive feedback following our first newsletter - there is clearly an appetite for content and opportunities to connect. Our small team is working hard to meet this demand and deliver more events, networking opportunities, and tools to support...
Celebrating Research Excellence in AI and Healthcare
We’re proud to announce that Professor Robyn Whittaker and Associate Professor Rosie Dobson, members of TRANSFORM, are involved in three Health Research Council (HRC) grants focussed on artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, in collaboration with Te Whatu Ora....
Noah Bunkley | 2025 UoA 3MT Finals | Winner
Huge congratulations to Dr Noah Bunkley for winning the University of Auckland 3 Minute Thesis Competition! What a night—high stakes, high energy, and intense competition. Honestly, it felt like the Crufts agility contest for PhD students. Noah’s superb performance...
Reflective roof project looks to beat the heat
The University of Auckland’s REFLECT project is tackling the health impacts of extreme heat by testing reflective white roof coatings across Niue, Mexico, India, and Burkina Faso. Climate change has pushed temperatures to extremes that can be harmful for people’s...
Call to make health star ratings essential on all products
Public health advocates are urging the Australian and New Zealand governments to make Health Star Ratings mandatory on all food products. Call to make health star ratings essential on all products
Concerns around smoking/vaping on hospital grounds w/ the University of Auckland’s Chris Bullen: August 12, 2025
Professor Chris Bullen has raised concerns about the effectiveness of current smokefree regulations on hospital grounds. Speaking on August 12, 2025, he called for reform and stronger enforcement to better protect patients, staff, and visitors from exposure to...
TRANSFORM Members presenting at NZAcres conference 2025
TRANSFORM Members Professor Robyn Whittaker and Associate Professor Rosie Dobson are presenting at the New Zealand Associate of Clinical Research (NZACRES) Conference which is held on 21st - 22nd August at the Pullman Hotel, Auckland. For more details see the...
MedTech Explorers Showcase
Want to see how technology is transforming healthcare? Attend and explore! The MedTech Explorer Showcase will be held on 28th August 2025 at Fale o Samoa Mangere. For more information or to register visit the website Medtech Explorer Tiki Tour
TRANSFORM’s Co-Director Professor Robyn Whittaker presenting at Queenstown Research Week
The Queenstown Research Week will be held 31st August to 5th September in Christchurch. TRANSFORM's Co-Director Professor Robyn Whittaker will be presenting on AI Research in Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora on the 3rd September. For more information see the website...
TRANSFORM Director Professor Chris Bullen co-chaired the ASEAN Smoking Cessation Board meeting in Kuala Lumpur
Prof Chris Bullen (left) co-chaired the third ASEAN Smoking Cessation Board meeting in Kuala Lumpur in the first week of August. He was joined by key opinion leaders in smoking cessation research, advocacy and practice from seven of the ASEAN nations - Vietnam,...
Quitting the quit-aid: People trying to stop vaping nicotine need more support
New Zealand is among a number of countries that encourage vaping (the use of e-cigarettes) as a tool to help people stop smoking tobacco. But what happens when people want to quit vaping? Here are some strategies to help
Dr Noah Bunkley Three Minute Thesis Finalist
TRANSFORM member Dr Noah Bunkley is a finalist in the three minute thesis competition this year with his PhD presentation
HealthTech Week 2nd – 4th July 2025
HealthTech Week is Aotearoa’s national conference for health technology industry and research. With two streams, there is a session for every stage of health technology development. The HealthTech Week | Te Tītoki Mataora Forum is a three day event designed to be...
Cytisine recommended as a pharmacy-only medication for nicotine dependence in New Zealand
TRANSFORM’s research has direct implications for policy and practice. MedSafe has recently recommended cytisine as a pharmacy-only medication for nicotine dependence in New Zealand. This decision is a direct result of years of research on cytisine for smoking...
AI Summit 2025
Members of TRANSFORM attended the Digital Health AI Summit 2025 hosted by Health Informatics New Zealand (HiNZ) in Wellington on May 20-21. The event hosted leaders from across the health sector to discuss the opportunities for AI in healthcare here in Aotearoa. The...
Smokefree 2025 goal all but up in smoke
TRANSFORM's Director Chris Bullen speaks to RNZ's The Detail about Aotearoa Smokefree 2025 goal. To listen to the interview click here
Researchers with global impact
TRANSFORM Director, Professor Chris Bullen spoke at a recent University of Auckland event highlighting a group of researchers whose work has had global impact on the work he has been part of that has developed and tested novel ways to assist people who smoke to quit....
Paper of the month – Nutritional Science Journal
TRANSFORM Member Associate Professor Helen Eyles and colleagues won paper of the month in the Journal of Nutritional Science for their publication on Slashing the Sodium in Fast-foods: A Targeted Approach
Decades old nutrition data leave NZ in the dark – updated nutrition survey needed
Aotearoa New Zealand faces a critical information gap on what New Zealanders eat and our overall nutritional status due to a lack of recent national nutrition surveys. See TRANSFORM member Professor Cliona Ni Mhurchu and colleagues briefing highlighting the importance...