Liggins first stop on “Dream” tour

Twenty high-achieving science and technology students are visiting the Liggins Institute today on the first stop on a week-long tour of the North Island’s leading science organisations. The students have been selected by the Royal Society of NZ from schools across the country to take part in the Genesis Energy Realise the Dream event. This prestigious event rewards and celebrates secondary school students who have undertaken an excellent piece of scientific research or engineering project.

Amongst them is 17 year old Howick College student Chris Ryan who has been a participant in the Liggins Education Network for Science (LENScience) programme for gifted and talented students over the last two years. Chris has just received a LENScience Junior Scientist Award, with Distinction, for completing the demanding programme which includes research, communication and community service components.

Chris has been taking part in science fairs since intermediate school and, unusually, was selected for Realise the Dream as a Year 10 student in 2010. This year he won the Premier Award at the NIWA Maunkau Regional Science and Technology Fair and a place on Realise the Dream for his research project: Extracts of Kawakawa Demonstrate Anti-Inflammatory Activity, for which he tested the anti-inflammatory and toxic properties of the traditional Māori remedy on cell extracts. Chris developed his study with support from researchers at the School of Biological Sciences, the Liggins Institute and Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga showing, for the first time, scientific evidence for kawakawa’s medicinal properties.

Today’s programme at the Liggins Institute includes practical work, discussions with University of Auckland researchers and gives the students an insight into some of the Institute’s current research. Their tour ends on Friday with the prize giving ceremony at Government House, Wellington.