A world class medical research institute in Auckland, New Zealand focused on research for a healthy start to life

News and events

29 January 2010
New appointment for Liggins Research Director
Professor Murray Mitchell is leaving the Liggins institute to take up his new position as Director of the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research.
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01 December 2009
International funding for project to halt diabetes in children born prematurely
Research based at The University of Auckland’s Liggins Institute has won funding from a joint New Zealand - Singapore research initiative into metabolic disease. The project, led by Liggins Institute Director Professor Wayne Cutfield in collaboration with Professor Chong Yap Seng at the National University of Singapore, aims to improve the future health of children who are born prematurely.
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Fetal and neonatal physiology workshop announced
The 24th Fetal and Neonatal Physiology Workshop of Australia & New Zealand will be held on 26 and 27 March 2010 in Wellington New Zealand immediately before the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand annual conference.
Further information: Workshop flyer (133kB)

Seasons of Life lecture series 2009: Darwin's legacy
The Liggins Institute holds an annual public lecture series.The aim is to share with our community not only our research but to look broadly at what is happening in science and beyond - to explain, question and debate.The 2009 series "Darwin's legacy" took an eclectic look at evolution: five distinguished speakers discussed aspects of Man’s evolution - from the origins of the human body plan to our instinctive love of art. More>>
The 2010 series will be announced in April.

Read our newsletter Dialogue

About the Liggins Institute

The Liggins Institute was the first large-scale research institute established by The University of Auckland. It is committed to world-class biomedical and clinical research in areas of major health importance.

It is one of the world’s leading centres for research on fetal and child health, growth and development, breast cancer, nutrition, epigenetics and evolutionary medicine.

The research approaches problems of children’s and women’s health from a number of angles designed to rapidly translate discoveries in basic science into clinical applications, strategies to improve public health and knowledge-based enterprises in the biotechnology sector.

Liggins research has shown that early life events leading to a poor start to life have far reaching consequences for the health and life prospects of the individuals who are affected and for the communities they live in.

Internationally recognised scientists, clinicians and research staff work at the Institute.

The Institute has cutting edge research facilities including clinical research space and specialist laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment.

The Institute has important national and international collaborations. It is host partner of the National Research Centre for Growth and Development, one of New Zealand’s Centres of Research Excellence. It has research partnerships with the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom, the National University of Singapore and leading universities and research centres in Europe and USA.

The Liggins Institute’s world class postgraduate research programme is based on multidisciplinary approaches, drawing on Institute expertise in molecular biology, epigenetics, physiology, endocrinology, clinical, evolutionary and public health medicine.

The Liggins promotes community awareness and understanding of science through public seminars and events and outreach to schools through the Liggins Education Network for Science.

Our people

Professor Wayne Cutfield
Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, FRS
Researchers
Professor Sir Graham Liggins, FRS

Our goals

• To advance human health
• To celebrate scientific discovery and achievement
• To produce and disseminate research of the highest international standard
• To attract, develop and retain quality staff and value their contribution
• To promote the knowledge society, technology transfer and to advance healthcare
• To foster an innovative, intellectual, collegial and multidisciplinary culture
• To support the mission of The University of Auckland
• To demonstrate a strong commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi