Ngā mihi o te tau hou - Wishing you a happy new year! |
The Mātai team are back to work, after a well-deserved break spent with whānau and friends. Emeritus Professor Graeme Bydder, Mātai Scientific Advisory Board Member, was a New Zealand New Years Honour recipient for his contributions to medical imaging. We warmly welcome Dr Saralyn Mackenzie as our new Clinical Liaison. We showcase research results from student Edward Clarkson who found that advanced MRI can potentially provide an objective prediction of an individual's exposure to head impacts. The team was successful with 7 collaborative conference abstracts accepted for the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) held in Singapore this year. We celebrate the conclusion of a hugely successful 10-week summer internship programme. This year, we farewell 23 interns who have undertaken a transformative journey of research discovery and personal development. Eleven secondary school graduates seeking tertiary education were awarded scholarships to aid and assist the arising health, science, and medical students. We are preparing for the opening of our new Mātai facility on Friday 19 April 2024. The team have been working tirelessly to produce a new and breath-taking facility, that feels like home. A big mihi goes out to Dawson's Building Company, Tony Stehlin, and Shane Kingsbeer Architecture. Poverty Bay Bowling Club, a recipient of the Mātai Tairāwhiti Relief Fund (MTRF), kindly let our team spend an enjoyable afternoon playing lawn bowls at their new green. Ngā mihi nui, The Mātai Team |
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Nurturing Future Leaders in Medical Research, STEM, & Community Engagement |
Back (left to right): Kyle McVey, Rikki Noble, Olivier Cassidy, Braden Fowell, Aorere Waaka, William Batten, Paige Richter, Tyler Lillis, Jade Keelan, Jakob Brown, Tom Talbot Front (left to right): Daizee Rawls, Jacquie Shanks, Breanna Ferris, Imogen Amor-Bendall, Sofia Zame, Zara Potter, Phoebe Wynands, Holly Flyger, Joseph Ross-Ward Absent: Tumanako Jones, Oli Gillies Image: Liam Clayton, The Gisborne Herald |
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The Mātai Medical Research Institute, based in Tairāwhiti, celebrates the conclusion of a hugely successful 10-week summer internship programme. This year, they farewell 23 interns who have undertaken a transformative journey of research discovery and personal development. What makes this internship unique is its strong focus on community engagement, providing the students with opportunities to reconnect back home to their whenua after periods of study elsewhere. The interns came from a variety of educational backgrounds, from engineering, to medicine, to physics, and psychology and Māori studies. The interns were given opportunity to work alongside leading researchers such as Dr Samantha Holdsworth (Mātai, Director of Research), Dr Josh McGeown (Mātai, Senior Research Fellow), Professor Holly Thorpe (Waikato University), and many more. Many of the interns noted that the 10-week programme provided them with new skills to move forward in their studies and reinforced their desire to continue in medical research or STEM fields. The programme featured insightful presentations by world-renowned experts, opening students' eyes to different fields. |
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The programme's journal club was aimed at improving abilities in scientific communication. This was supported by a comprehensive research methods course which was a highlight for many of the interns as it went hand in hand with their studies. This course covered the research process, from formulating research questions to effectively communicating scientific findings to the public. |
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| Mātauranga Māori sessions were another favourite, with guest speakers enlightening and enriching our interns with their views and knowledge in Te Ao Māori while relating it to the mahi being done at Mātai. Additional activities ranged from waiata at Te Whatu Ora Tairāwhiti chapel; socialising at the Manawarū café in Elgin and being exposed to pūrākau which captured the rich local history and its relevance to the aspirations of Turanga health team; and engaging in virtual reality at Tāiki E. Leadership workshops led by Stu Potter stood out as a major highlight. These workshops provide the interns with invaluable insights into leadership, design thinking, and community engagement. |
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A special thanks to all our funders who made the summer research internship possible, including the Hugh Green Foundation, Te Puni Kōkiri, Turanga Health, Trust Tairāwhiti, Quest Trust, Vision Foundation Aotearoa, University of Auckland, HRC, Royal Society Te Apārangi Marsden Foundation; and to Te Pūkenga for the generous use of their space. |
A look into the 23 Mātai summer interns |
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| Congratulations to Emeritus Professor Graeme Bydder, a valued member of the Mātai team, on being awarded the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for his ground-breaking contributions to medical imaging. For over 40 years, his pioneering work has been at the forefront of clinical MRI, and has shaped the course of medical diagnosis and improved the lives of countless patients. Some of Graeme's ground-breaking research is being conducted right here in Tairāwhiti, and his commitment to education and mentorship is an inspiration for the future of healthcare and research. Graeme pictured with Mātai Kaumātua Taina Ngarimu on Graeme's most recent visit to Mātai. |
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Congratulations to Masters student Edward Clarkson from Auckland Bioengineering Institute and Mātai, who received the best power pitch presentation award in the International Society for Magnetic Resonance In Medicine (ISMRM) diffusion day last week. His power pitch showed how advanced MRI followed by tailored image processing and analysis methods can potentially provide an objective prediction of an individual's exposure to head impacts. |
The ISMRM (International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine) conference is being held in Singapore this coming May, and Mātai will be involved in seven successful collaborative abstract presentations (as below). Some of the team are very much looking forward to sharing their knowledge with others, while learning about new ground-breaking research being conducted around the world.
The Rugby Connectome: A Longitudinal Analysis of Structural Connectivity in an Adolescent Cohort with Repeated Head Impacts Edward Clarkson, Maryam Tayebi, William Schierding, Paul Condron, Leigh Potter, Jerome Maller, Miao Qiao, Justin Fernandez, Samantha Holdsworth, Eryn Kwon, Joshua McGeown, and Vickie Shim
Recognition of Delayed Hypoxic Leukoencephalopathy after a Severe Drug Overdose Using a Divided Subtracted Inversion Recovery (dSIR) Sequence Paul Condron, Gil Newburn, Maryam Tayebi, Eryn E Kwon, Mark Griffin, Miriam Scadeng, Samantha Holdsworth, Daniel Cornfeld, and Graeme Bydder Targeted MRI (tMRI) of Small Changes in the T1 of White Matter of the Brain in Methamphetamine Dependency Before and After Abstinence Paul Condron, Gil Newburn, Eryn Kwon, Taylor Emsden, Ben Bristow, Maryam Tayebi, Tuta Ngarimu, Wendy Mohi, Samantha Holdsworth, Daniel Cornfeld, Miriam Scadeng, and Graeme Bydder
Validation of a High Contrast Technique and T1 Values Obtained by Divided Subtracted Inversion Recovery (dSIR) Mark Bydder and Fadil Ali
Two novel applications of 3D amplified MRI (aMRI) Haribalan Kumar, Paul Condron, Daniel Cornfeld, Itamar Terem, Eryn Kwon, Jesse Gale, Graham Wilson, Helen Danesh-Meyer, and Samantha Holdsworth
Feasibility of MRI-based lung tissue mechanics computational models of the paediatric lung Megan Soo, Haribalan Kumar, Daniel Cornfeld, Paul Condron, Taylor Emsden, Leigh Potter, Samantha Holdsworth, Merryn Tawhai, and Ho-Fung Chan
Revealing abnormal brain motion in patients with neurodegenerative diseases using 3D quantitative-amplified Magnetic Resonance Imaging (3D q-aMRI) - A preliminary study. Itamar Terem, Kyan Younes , Hillary Vossler , Elizabeth Mormino, Samantha Holdsworth, and Kawin Setsompop
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| We warmly welcome Sari as our Clinician Liaison. Sari developed one of the first Hospitalist Program's in the US, which led to a career in leadership as the Chair and/or member of committees in quality, ethics, and peer review. She is currently the Clinical Lead for the Information Services Governance Group, which works on projects that include the establishment of the Midland Clinical Portal (a system designed to provide a single point of clinical information access across the DHBs in Bay of Plenty, Lakes, Hauora Tairāwhiti, Taranaki and Waikato). Now based in Gisborne, she has a passion for promoting innovative health initiatives that benefit the people of Tairāwhiti and New Zealand. Sari has served as Head of Department for Medicine at Te Whatu Ora Tairāwhiti for several years, successfully expanding the department from a team of four to over 10 Physicians. Sari actively contributes to various committees aimed at enhancing clinical services in Gisborne. Outside of work, she treasures spending quality time with family both near and far, engaging in various fitness activities, and recently embarked on learning Japanese drumming. |
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Kānoa - Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit |
Shannon Williams and Eliot Linforth-Hall (Kānoa) in the imaging room that is under construction in the Mātai build. The room will house a high tech imaging machine supported by Kānoa. |
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| It was lovely to host Dr Wilson Pan, a research fellow at the University of Auckland whose work, alongside Prof Paul Donaldson, focuses on advancing clinical MRI techniques to deepen our understanding of the lens, vitreous, and retina. |
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| Recently the Mātai team were fortunate enough to be hosted by the kaumātua at the Poverty Bay Bowling Club for an afternoon of lawn bowls. This was an awesome opportunity for the interns and Mātai staff to enjoy the sunny weather, connect with the community and build stronger relationships within the team. The Mātai Tairāwhiti Relief Fund (MTRF) provided funding to aid in the restoration of the PBBC's damaged carpet green, a facility for social engagement and sport. A huge thanks to the PBBC team for kindly letting us get a little competitive on the new green! |
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Mātai Medical Research Institute - New Building Opening |
We are excited to announce that we have secured a date for the Mātai building opening, held on the 19 April 2024 at 10.30am. Whānau and friends are more than welcome to join us during this occasion. More details to come in due course. |
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Be a part of something great... |
We are seeking a passionate finance professional to work in paradise for a global pioneering research organisation committed to uplifting health outcomes. A rare opportunity like this doesn't come around often and we are waiting for a special individual to join our work family to lead our finance commitments. Along with your uplifting personality your responsibilities will include: - Supporting budgeting, forecasting and strategic planning - Accounts payable and accounts receivable - Processing payroll - Managing our financial records to meet compliance and obligations - Managing bank accounts - Supporting governance and executive oversight - Preparation of monthly and annual reporting |
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We would like to acknowledge, with appreciation, our supporters who made the establishment of Mātai possible, including Kānoa - RDU, Trust Tairāwhiti, the Mangatawa Beale Williams Memorial Trust, the JN and HB Williams Foundation, the University of Auckland, GE Healthcare, Holdsworth Family Trust, Pultron Composites Limited, Hugh Green Foundation, the Lotteries Significant Projects Fund, Fred Lewis Enterprise Foundation, Anonymous Donor, the QUEST Trust, Turanga Health, Friends of Mātai, local iwi, and many others. |
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Copyright © 2023 Mātai Medical Research Institute Inc. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Address: Mātai Medical Research Institute PO Box 359 Gisborne, 4040 New Zealand |
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