National Science Challenges

A Better Start National Science Challenge delivers research that supports our tamariki to lead healthy and successful lives. The Challenge has three health-related research themes, Healthy Weight, Resilient Teens and Successful Learning with researchers gathered from across the country. A further theme Big Data works across the health domains. Launched in February, 2016, A Better Start manages a research investment of $34.7m over 10 years.

Better Start leaders

• Professor Wayne Cutfield, Challenge Director. Wayne is the Professor of Paediatric Endocrinology at the Liggins Institute.
  
• Professor Gail Gillon, Challenge Co-Director. Gail is the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Education, Health and human Development, Canterbury University
  
• Professor Barry Taylor, Challenge Co-Director. Barry is the Dean of the Dunedin Medical School, University of Otago.
   

High-Value Nutrition National Science Challenge builds the research excellence and knowledge New Zealand needs to create and deliver foods to the world that people choose to stay healthy and well.

The Challenge has four priority research themes, Digestive Health, Immune Health, Infant Health and Metabolic Health, with two enabling research themes, the Science of Food and Consumer Insights. The Challenge was launched in April 2014, with funding of up to $83.8 m over 10 years.

Challenge research has identified four key potential opportunities in our major export country, China. The areas are: Diabetes and pre-diabetes, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Boosting the immune health in response to pollution and flu, and Weaning foods for infants to build healthy immune systems.

High-Value Nutrition leaders

• Joanne Todd, Challenge Director
• Professor Martin Kussmann, Chief Scientist and Professor of Systems Biology in Nutrition and Health, Liggins Institute.