Meet our students

PhD student Matthew Glasgow is taking time out of the workforce to complete an economic analysis of neonatal hypoglycaemia for his research project. Matt’s research is funded by a scholarship from the Boyd Clarke Foundation and will help to fill in some of the blanks in our knowledge of the condition by demonstrating and modelling outcomes.

Read Matt's story.

Chinese PhD student Nina Zeng specialises in nutrition, endocrinology and reproduction. Her PhD focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanism of how skeletal muscle responds to nutritional stimuli. Watch Nina explain more about hew research and why she is proud to tell her family back in China that she studies at the University of Auckland.

New Zealander Ben Albert is a paediatrician who decided to do a PhD at the Liggins Institute. Ben is investigating insulin sensitivity and why this hormone becomes less effective in people who are obese, leading to health issues like heart disease and diabetes. Watch Ben explain what it’s like to take on a research project if you’re a practising clinician, and the additional skills you develop in the process.

Final year PhD student Shikha Pundir is exploring the mysteries of human breast milk. She is investigating the impact of different environmental, social and biological factors on stress hormones in human milk. She is trying to find out how maternal factors can influence the composition of milk and if they can affect the health of breastfed babies. In this video she explains why it is a badge of honour to conduct her research at the Liggins Institute.

Canadian student Stephanie did her undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph in Canada before moving to New Zealand. Stephanie's research focuses on developmental programming which is the concept that the maternal in-utero environment has consequences for the long-term health of the offspring. Here she explains more about what she's investigating and what she thinks are the advantages of conducting her research at Liggins.