Māori less likely to receive best available lung cancer treatment

Publicly released: Fri 11 Jul 2025 at 0001 AEST, 0201 NZST

New Zealand Medical Journal

Māori and non-Māori receive anti-cancer treatment at similar rates overall, however, Māori are less likely to receive targeted therapy, which is superior to chemotherapy for many patients. This difference may help explain why Māori had higher... Read more about Māori less likely to receive best available lung cancer treatment

NZ's oldest burial site risks being swallowed by the sea

Publicly released: Thu 10 Jul 2025 at 0300 AEST, 0500 NZST

MAI Journal

One of Aotearoa New Zealand’s earliest archaeological sites is at risk of being inundated by rising sea levels from climate change. About 20% of the heritage land at Te Pokohiwi o Kupe | Wairau Bar in the Marlborough region is currently at risk of... Read more about NZ's oldest burial site risks being swallowed by the sea

Samoan traditional healers' holistic approach, diet expertise, and spirituality attract patients

Publicly released: Thu 19 Jun 2025 at 0300 AEST, 0500 NZST

Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online

Traditional healers have a key role in Samoan society, say experts who interviewed 14 Taulasea in Samoa and Aotearoa. The Taulasea said their practise has a deep spiritual aspect and they consider it a freely offered 'act of service', expecting only... Read more about Samoan traditional healers' holistic approach, diet expertise, and spirituality attract patients

Ahi kā keep the home fires burning for and through kapa haka

Publicly released: Wed 18 Jun 2025 at 0300 AEST, 0500 NZST

Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online

A collaborative study by Māori, Pākehā, and tauiwi researchers looks at how a kapa haka group, Te Kapa o Te Reureu, builds connections, knowledge, and whakapapa. The ahi kā—those who 'keep the home fires burning' in Te Reureu Valley—host a... Read more about Ahi kā keep the home fires burning for and through kapa haka

Moral panic about ram raids convenient for capitalism, researchers say

Publicly released: Tue 17 Jun 2025 at 0300 AEST, 0500 NZST

Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online

Modern moral panic over ram raids began with colonial-era racism and treating Māori childrearing practices as inferior, according to a new paper. Researchers say state and missionary education led 'delinquentisation'—the framing of tamariki and... Read more about Moral panic about ram raids convenient for capitalism, researchers say

Period tracker app users trade privacy for tech

Publicly released: Thu 12 Jun 2025 at 0300 AEST, 0500 NZST

Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online

Popular apps used to track menstrual cycles and related 'symptoms' can hold years of data on users' health and private lives, which might be usable by third parties for research, commercial, and other purposes. NZ researchers asked 13 app users... Read more about Period tracker app users trade privacy for tech

DNA reveals the history of humans on Papua New Guinea over 2500 years

Publicly released: Wed 4 Jun 2025 at 1900 AEST, 2100 NZST

Nature Ecology & Evolution

The ancient DNA of 42 people from Papua New Guinea (PNG) dating back 2500 years shows the impact groups of people moving through the region had on the genetic make-up of ancient PNG communities. The Australian, NZ and international research found... Read more about DNA reveals the history of humans on Papua New Guinea over 2500 years

Kava and talanoa as a treatment for PTSD

Publicly released: Wed 28 May 2025 at 0300 AEST, 0500 NZST

Frontiers in Psychology

Clinical trials are about to begin on kava-talanoa sessions as a solution for people with the "notoriously difficult to treat" post-traumatic stress disorder. While current PTSD treatments include cognitive behaviour therapy (only 53% effective),... Read more about Kava and talanoa as a treatment for PTSD

The history of affirmative entry at Otago Medical School

Publicly released: Fri 23 May 2025 at 0001 AEST, 0201 NZST

NZMJ

As Otago Medical School reaches its 150th anniversary year, two researchers have put together a seven-decade timeline of the affirmative entry scheme, believed to be the oldest such policy in Aotearoa New Zealand. In the early days it was seen as a... Read more about The history of affirmative entry at Otago Medical School

Community partnership supports dental health study on stranded orca

Publicly released: Wed 7 May 2025 at 0300 AEST, 0500 NZST

Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand

A research team working with a local rūnaka has studied the dental health of an orca pod who died after stranding in Southland in 2014. Guided by a tohunga, researchers and members of Ōraka-Aparima Rūnaka followed traditional practices to name,... Read more about Community partnership supports dental health study on stranded orca