Minister Ayesha Verrall visits mEpiLab
30 July 2025
Stuart Littlejohn and Jackie Benschop look on as Dr Ayesha Verrall observes Leptospira during a visit to mEpiLab. This week mEpiLab was visited by infectious diseases doctor and the minister for Food Safety, Ayesha Verrall....Read More
PhD position - Antimicrobial resistant bacteria and their genes in dairy farm environments
29 April 2025
PhD Do you want to improve stewardship of antibiotics in animal agriculture? Do you want to gain an understanding of the ‘wicked problem’ of antimicrobial resistance? If so we have a great PhD position for you working with a...Read More
Ana Luxford presents poster at 2021 Pūhoro intern dinner
11 February 2026
Masters student Holly Gray and Pūhoro Internship student Ana Luxford in front of Ana’s poster for the 2021 Pūhoro intern presentations and dinner. Ana carried out a 2-month internship in the mEpiLab with Sara Burgess and Holly...Read More
Merning Mwenifumbo, Masters student in Veterinary Public Health, mEpiLab
9 September 2025
Merning is a Master's student in Veterinary Public Health from Malawi. She has always been interested in issues related to MRA, hence she was excited when she received the news that her next project will be on MRA. Her current work is on...Read More
New Arrivals Working at IDReC
31 August 2025
Sunidhi (Minnie) Srinivas will be working part-time as a research technician with Adrian Cookson and Sara Burgess until mid Nov on a NZ-China Food Protection Network funded project. Holly Gray will be doing her Master of Science...Read More
David Hayman on Zoonotic Transmission of Coronavirus
21 February 2026
In a recent interview on RNZ, IDReC’s David Hayman explains to reporters how coronavirus may have spread from animals to humans causing the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. Hear the full interview(s) below. Link 1...Read More
In the news: Leptospirosis , dairy farm fever
23 January 2026
New Zealand Herald and Hawkes Bay Today have run a story on Leptospirosis featuring IDReC researcher Dr Shahista Nisa, who is currently leading a study into the disease. The study entitled 'Emerging sources and pathways for...Read More
Marie Moinet : Cafe Scientifique
23 January 2026
Leptospirosis, an important zoonosis and significant cause of production loss in livestock, burdens New Zealand agriculture. While farmers or meat-worker are at risk in New Zealand, sewer workers and people in contact with water or rodents are...Read More
NZMS conference 2019 in Palmerston North
5 December 2025
IDReC students Paul Ogbuigwe, Marie Moinet, Nilukshi Liyanagunawardena and Manjula Meda Gedara presented research at NZMS 2019. The New Zealand Microbiological Society held its annual conference in Palmerston North...Read More
PhD studentship: Emerging Sources and Pathways for Leptospirosis.
19 November 2025
Operational research funding and stipend is available from the New Zealand Health Research Council for a PhD studentship based with the School of Veterinary Science, Palmerston North, New Zealand commencing as soon as possible. This fulltime,...Read More
Associate Professor Tania Ayllon visits mEpiLab
13 September 2025
Tania is a veterinarian dedicated to the study of emerging infectious diseases of veterinary and human health importance. Her doctoral thesis on vector-borne pathogens in small animals is an example of her interest, which she has maintained...Read More
IDReC presents at Leptospirosis conference 2019
9 September 2025
The 11th scientific conference of the International Leptospirosis Society (ILS) took place on July 8th to 12th, 2019 in superb surroundings at the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver, Canada. Jackie Benschop, Julie Collins Emerson,...Read More
PhD student Maria Fernandes visits mEpiLab
26 August 2025
Maria is a PhD student from Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (Portugal), working on Leptospirosis in rodents and environmental samples (soils and freshwater collections). Her one month visit was part of a short internship related...Read More
Paul Ogbuigwe makes it to finals of Massey's Three Minute Thesis competition
19 August 2025
IDReC doctoral candidate Paul Ogbuigwe made it through to the highly competitive Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition with a talk on “The Diarrheic Duo” of cryptosporidium and giardia. 3MT is a fast paced and exciting speech...Read More
PhD studentship: Leptospirosis - experiences of the patient and their whānau.
6 August 2025
Operational research funding is available from the New Zealand Health Research Council for a PhD studentship based with the School of Veterinary Science, Palmerston North, New Zealand commencing on 30 September 2019. This fulltime,...Read More
IDReC advises media on latest measles outbreak
3 April 2025
IDReC researcher David Hayman has been prominent across several national news sources in the wake of recent outbreak(s) of measles in New Zealand. In a recent (2018) paper, Professor Hayman reviewed features of measles in highly...Read More
Update on statistical model for improving campylobacter management
5 March 2026
IDReC research on campylobacter has provided accurate data on high-risk areas for public health officials to guide intervention efforts. Massey University PhD student Jing Liao expands on her research in this area read more… Read More
Paul Ogbuigwe awarded grant from Massey University Postgraduate Research Fund
27 November 2025
Paul Ogbuigwe applied for and was awarded a grant from the Massey University postgraduate research fund in support of his PhD project looking at the role of protozoan genetic diversity in outbreaks in New Zealand. This grant will go towards the...Read More
Nilukshi Liyanagunawardena awarded Avian Health Research Fund 2018
19 November 2025
IDReC PhD student Nilukshi Liyanagunawardena is delighted to receive funding from Avian Health Research fund, which she applied for with the support of her IDReC supervisors, Jackie Benschop, Anne Midwinter, Ji Zhang and Nigel French. This funding...Read More
IDReC Professor Douwes appointed to EPA Board
5 August 2025
Centre for Public Health Research director Professor Jeroen Douwes has been appointed to the Environmental Protection Authority Board. The new appointments were announced by Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage earlier this week....Read More
IDReC Carolyn Gates : Campaign sets sights on Bovine Viral Diarrhoea
23 July 2025
A national campaign is asking beef and dairy farmers across New Zealand to help develop frameworks for disease control of bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVD). BVD is an infectious cattle disease which costs New Zealand...Read More
IDReC Professor Nigel French recognised for food safety impact
19 July 2025
Massey University Distinguished Professor Nigel French has received the Ministry for Primary Industries Award for Significant Contribution to Food Safety. Professor French was presented the award by Minister of Food Safety Damien O'Connor...Read More
IDReC researchers awarded more than $1m in HRC funding to reduce burden of leptospirosis
25 June 2025
A study led by IODReCs Associate Professor Jackie Benschop has been awarded $1,199,841 from the latest Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC) funding round to undertake a nationwide case-control study of the disease leptospirosis....Read More
IDReC welcomes visiting PhD student Renata Muylaert
29 May 2025
Renata’s biography: I am a Brazilian biologist with experience on landscape ecology and mammal ecology. I have a great interest on disease ecology, teaching, learning, doing research and science communication. Currently, I am investigating...Read More
IDReC researchers in the news this week
16 March 2026
IDReC researchers Jackie Benschop and Nigel French were featured in articles recently published by Hawkes Bay Today and the stuff.co.nz news website. This week Dr Benschop is visiting the Hawke's Bay District Health Board with the...Read More
Concerns over raw meat diet in dogs
15 March 2026
IDReC research on campylobacter was featured in an article on the risks of raw meat as pet food in The Conversation, an independent, not-for-profit media outlet that uses content sourced from the academic and research community. As well as...Read More
IDReC professor joins elite group
15 February 2026
Scientist Nigel French have been appointed distinguished professor, a title bestowed on up to 15 Massey University professors who have achieved outstanding international eminence in their fields. They were confirmed by Vice-Chancellor...Read More
MinION real-time DNA sequencer launched
8 February 2026
IDReC now has a portable real-time device for DNA and RNA sequencing, known as a MinION. The technology works by passing long strands of DNA through a nanopore and enables sequencing of longer DNA read lengths than previously feasible. Initially...Read More
New PhD student Paul Ogbuigwe joins IDReC
30 January 2026
Paul's Biography: I did my BSc and MRes in The University of Glasgow. During both degrees I looked at the study of oxidative stress, first in C. elegans then in D. melanogaster. Following that I did an MSc in Synthetic Biology at Newcastle...Read More
One Health Aotearoa conference highlights and successes
30 January 2026
The third One Health Aotearoa Symposium was held in Wellington on Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 December 2017. The symposium brought together around 180 infectious diseases scientists and professionals from the fields of human, animal, and...Read More
NZ Herald: Concern over leptospirosis spike in Northland
23 January 2026
IDReCs ongoing research into leptospirosis has been featured in an article on the disease in Northland. Due to a notable increase in the number of leptospirosis cases in 2016, workers in susceptible industries are being warned about the...Read More
IDReC researchers involved with recent NZ-China Food Protection Network antimicrobial resistance workshop
7 January 2026
A workshop, in support of the NZ-China Food Protection Network project ‘Antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial usage in New Zealand and China, with particular reference to the dairy value chain’ (led by IDReC researchers...Read More
IDReC researchers among successful Marsden funding recipients
10 November 2025
IDReC researchers have played an important role in the record amount of funding gained by Massey from this year's Marsden awards. Members of IDReC are on four successful grants, researching a wide range of topics. These are: ...Read More
Poster wins award at international Campylobacter conference
10 November 2025
In September 2017, IDReC researchers Sih Jing Liao, Johnathan Marshall, Nigel French and Martin Hazelton presented a poster at the International Workshop on Campylobacter, Helicobacter and related organisms (CHRO) in Nantes, France. The...Read More
Rutherford Discovery Fellowship awarded to IDReC researcher David Hayman
11 October 2025
Associate Professor David Hayman has been awarded one of the 10 highly sought-after Rutherford Discovery Fellowships announced by New Zealand's Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith. Dr. Hayman's research will...Read More
Global Health Security Agenda Consortium launch website
22 August 2025
The Global Health Security Agenda Consortium is a voluntary and open collective of non-governmental stakeholders, committed to helping make the world safe and secure from threats posed by infectious diseases. They are dedicated to implementing the...Read More
Reed Hranac presents at 2nd Internation Symposium on Infectious Diseases of Bats in Fort Collins Colorado.
13 August 2025
PhD student Reed Hranac has recently returned from Fort Collins Colorado after presenting at talk entitled, Modeling the impact of White-nose syndrome on two species of Western bats. The conference was the 2nd Internation Symposium on...Read More
Leptospirosis cases on the increase in 2017
25 July 2025
Radio New Zealand’s Rural Reporter Alexa Cook interviews IDREC’s Dr Jackie Benschop about the concerning increase in the number of Leptospirosis cases in New Zealand this year. So far in 2017 we have had a tripling in the number...Read More
IDReC research presented at International Giardia & Cryptosporidium Conference, Cuba
21 June 2025
In April, Dr Juan Carlos Garcia Ramirez travelled to Cuba to attend the VI International Giardia & Cryptosporidium Conference. The conference was an excellent opportunity to present the latest research findings from our group and discuss...Read More
IDReC Health researchers secure more than $5m in HRC funding
16 June 2025
Professor Jeroen Douwes, Director of Wellington’s Centre for Public Health Research has been awarded $4,999,989 over five years - the largest grant in this year’s funding round. His research,...Read More
Dr Kath Allan visits mEpiLab
5 May 2025
Kath is a Wellcome Trust Veterinary Training Fellow (Post Doc), completed her PhD on Leptospirosis in Northern Tanzania and is a co-founder of the African Leptospirosis Network. Her three month visit is a continuation of collaborative work...Read More
Leptospirosis Research in National Geographic Blog
1 May 2025
IDReC collaborator Dr James Russell (University of Auckland) blogs about identifying leptospirosis reservoirs in New Zealand wildlife. This work is part of the PhD project of Marine Moinet from the Massey University mEpiLab. Read full...Read More
Leptospirosis risk from New Zealand dairy herd
3 April 2025
Radio New Zealand's Rural Reporter Alexa Cook interviews IDREC's Professor Cord Heuer about our recent research on Leptospirosis strains in the New Zealand dairy herd. " About 30 percent of New Zealand's dairy herds pose...Read More
Nigel French interviewed by Radio New Zealand about swimmability targets
3 April 2025
IDREC's Nigel French discusses the governments recently announced plans for improving freshwater quality on Radio New Zealand Nine to Noon. What are the health risks from a molecular epidemiology perspective and how can we monitor this?...Read More
IDReC researcher: Ebola linked to deforestation
24 February 2026
New research co-authored by a New Zealand scientist has linked deforestation in Central and West Africa to the deadly Ebola virus. The study, published today in journal Scientific Reports, finds that forested areas that were being cleared were...Read More
Cryptosporidium researcher Maggie Chan exchange to Murdoch University
22 February 2026
This Summer, with funding from Palmerston North Medical Research Foundation, IDReC technician Maggie Chan visited Murdoch University in Perth to compare laboratory methods and strengthen research networks. Professor Una Ryan’s Cryptick...Read More
"As the bat flies". Perspective by David Hayman published in Science.
6 December 2025
Last week Dr David Hayman had a perspective published in Science entitled “As the Bat Flies”: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/354/6316/1099.full.pdf+html. In this perspective Dr Hayman discusses the need for multiscale data...Read More
IDReC Juan Carlos recent paper in Parasitology has been picked by the journal editor as this month's 'Paper of the month'
15 November 2025
Juan Carlos recent paper in Parasitology called 'Origin of a major infectious disease in vertebrates: The timing of Cryptosporidium evolution and its hosts’ has been picked by the journal editor as this month’s ‘Paper...Read More
It's World Antibiotic Awareness Week
14 November 2025
The world antibiotic awareness week (14 - 20 November) was initiated by the World Health Organisation as part of a global campaign to raise awareness around antibiotic resistance. For more information on the world antibiotic awareness week and how...Read More
Dr Jackie Benschop gives VetScript an insight into leptospirosis research in the mEpiLab
11 October 2025
An overview of leptospirosis research is given in the October 2016 issue of VetScript (The magazine of the New Zealand Association). Read More
mEpiLab Strategy Day
16 September 2025
mEpiLab Strategy Day on Tuesday 30th August 2016 Picture taken at The Chalet (Boatshed Catering) on Centennial Lagoon. Read More
David Hayman and Reed Hranac present at the International Bat Research Conference
7 September 2025
Dr David Hayman and PhD student Reed Hranac recently presented at the International Bat Research Conference in Umhlanga, Durban. With warm weather and beautiful scenery (as depicted in some of the photos) it was clearly an ideal location for a...Read More
IDReC Marie Moinet, Leptospirosis: should we shift the focus to wildlife?
12 August 2025
There has been a recent increase in human notifications and change in the serovars, of leptospirosis cases, reported in Northland. From Jan 1 to 30 July 2025 there were 13 notified cases of leptospirosis (10 confirmed and 3 suspect) compared with...Read More
IDReC and University of Glasgow researchers establish an African Leptospirosis Network
1 August 2025
There is growing evidence of a substantial burden of human leptospirosis in Africa but it is rarely considered as a differential diagnosis for acute febrile illness, and there is little access to diagnostic services for leptospirosis on the...Read More
Fang Fang was awarded "Best Full JVDI Manuscript Award"
11 July 2025
Fang completed her PhD 2014. Her paper "Interlaboratory and between-specimen comparisons of diagnostic tests for leptospirosis in sheep and cattle" was awarded the best Full Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation Manuscript...Read More
IDReC Sam Bloomfield , Research into cause of human salmonellosis cases in New Zealand.
20 May 2025
In New Zealand, most salmonellosis cases are caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. In 1998, Salmonella Typhimurium DT160 was isolated from a human salmonellosis patient in New Zealand. S. Typhimurium DT160 then became the...Read More
New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre launched
18 May 2025
The New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre was launched by Ministers Joyce and Goodhew at the Massey University Turitea campus. IDReC Director Professor Nigel French led the team that developed the successful bid, worth NZ$21M, and is...Read More
One Health Aotearoa symposium 2016 - presentations available
6 May 2025
We would like to thank everyone who participated in the OHA Symposium, which took place in March of 2016. The event itself had a fantastic turn-out of nearly 200 scientists, veterinarians, doctors and policy makers from across New...Read More
PhD scholarship available
6 May 2025
PhD scholarship Epidemiology and evolution of pathogens in livestock networks This position has now been filled Read More
Centre for Computational Evolution launched in Auckland
21 April 2025
IDReC Director Nigel French attended the launch of the Centre of Computational Evolution and the University of Auckland and gave a presentation at the event's mini-symposium. Read More
Health Check: How does household mould affect your health?
11 February 2026
Health Check: how does household mould affect your health? Jeroen Douwes, Massey University Exposure to harmful agents inside the home can have profound effects on our health. After all, we spend an average of 16 hours a day...Read More
IDReC Nelly Marquetoux Best Graduate Student Papers/Poster Presentations at ISVEE 14 Yucatan 2015
10 February 2026
Congratulations to Nelly on been awarded the Best Graduate Student Papers/Poster Presentations at ISVEE 14 Yucatan 2015 as voted by forty-five ISVEE judges. Using pathogen strain-typing to inform transmission dynamics in social...Read More
STEC Workshop - presentations available on-line
15 December 2025
STEC Workshop 15 December 2025 Wharerata Conference Centre, Massey University, Palmerston North. AGENDA. Ministry for Primary Industries....Read More
IDReC Dr David A Wilkinson, has made the front cover of the latest issue of Environmental Microbiology.
9 December 2025
Research by one of IDReC's new postdoctoral researchers, Dr David A Wilkinson, has made the front cover of the latest issue of Environmental Microbiology. Together with other researchers from Reunion Island, in the Indian Ocean, he was...Read More
IDReC Nigel French : Superbug found in chicken 'dangerous'
25 November 2025
Doctors are alarmed at the unprecedented discovery of a superbug found in chickens that has now jumped across to infect people around New Zealand. A new superbug has been found in chicken from three of New Zealand's four major poultry...Read More
IDReC David Hayman : Marsden Fund Grant (Unpacking infection spillover dynamics)
11 November 2025
Dr David Hayman, IDReC: Unpacking infection spillover dynamics, $300,000 The majority of human infections have ‘spilled over' from animals. Emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola, HIV and pandemic influenza are examples...Read More
IDReC Jeroen Douwes - Pasifika health seminar highlights trio of issues
10 November 2025
Three crucial issues essential to improving the health of people in the Pacific Islands will be the focus of a seminar organised by Massey University and hosted by the Dutch Embassy later this month. While November 11, Armistice Day, is...Read More
Nationwide study to boost prevention of leptospirosis
1 November 2025
A nationwide dairy farm survey is under way as part of a project to evaluate the effectiveness of current vaccination practices to prevent leptospirosis in dairy herds - the country’s most common zoonotic disease that affects...Read More
IDReC Dave Hayman has been awarded the 2015 early career Massey University Medal
16 October 2025
Dr Dave Hayman has been awarded the 2015 early career Massey University Medal The award acknowledges high quality research that Dave Hayman has a achieved in field of infectious disease . The University Medal will be presented at the Massey...Read More
IDReC Ben Phiri is a recipient of the Dean's award
15 October 2025
Ben Phiri is a recipient of the Dean’s award and his doctoral thesis is on the 'List of Exceptional Theses'. To gain a place on the 'Dean's List' a doctoral thesis has to meet very stringent criteria. It has to be...Read More
IDReC Jeroen Douwes has been appointed to the Health Research Council
1 October 2025
Professor of Public Health and director at Massey University's Centre for Public Health Research Jeroen Douwes has been appointed to the Health Research Council. He leads a comprehensive programme of public health research with a...Read More
IDReC Peter Wilson - Double honours for veterinary professor
12 August 2025
Professor Peter Wilson has been awarded the Deer Farmers Association's Premier Industry Award as well as life membership of the New Zealand Veterinary Association. Professor Wilson, from Massey University's Institute of Veterinary,...Read More
Review tests leptospirosis vaccination success
17 July 2025
Massey University scientists have been awarded $480,000 to find out whether the vaccination of dairy cattle against the bacterial disease leptospirosis has been fully effective. Preliminary research suggests perhaps not, and the independent...Read More
IDReC Jeroen Douwes : How airway micro-organisms affect children with asthma.
3 July 2025
Funding puts asthma anomaly under scrutiny Health researchers at Massey University have been awarded nearly $1.2 million to identify an anomaly in one particular underlying cause of asthma in New Zealand. The...Read More
IDReC Paul Rainey elected to European biology organisation
25 May 2025
Distinguished Professor Paul Rainey is the first New Zealander to be elected as an associate member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation. The organisation has more than 1700 of the top life science researchers from Europe and...Read More
IDReC Tim Carpenter presented with UC Davis Award
22 May 2025
Tim Carpenter, Professor of Veterinary Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases , Massey University has been selected by his alma mater, the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, to receive the 2015...Read More
IDReC Springer Browne saving animals in Nepal .
1 May 2025
World Vets Disaster Response Team is extremely busy in Nepal, racing to save animals caught in the wake of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that has killed more than 6100 people and countless animals. While the response to human casualties is...Read More
IDReC : Mick Roberts invited to celebrate oldest scientific journal.
1 April 2025
Professor Mick Roberts invited to celebrate oldest scientific journal. Massey University mathematical biologist Professor Mick Roberts has contributed to a special issue commemorating 350 years of Philosophical Transactions B, the...Read More
New weapons in global war
30 January 2026
IDReC Director Professor Nigel French discusses the need for new tools if we are to find better ways of controlling new and existing infectious diseases. The article was in the Dominion Post last week. Read the article. New...Read More
IDReC PhD student wins Konrad-Bogel-Preis
23 December 2025
IDReC Alumni Anou Dreyfus has been awarded the prestigious Konrad-Bogel Preis for 2015. The award is for outstanding contributions in veterinary epidemiology and veterinary public health, including research publications from Germany, Austria and...Read More
Zoonoses and Emerging Livestock Systems programme launched
19 December 2025
IDReC researcher Dr Jackie Benschop attended the launch of the international research programme on Zoonoses and Emerging Livestock Systems (ZELS) in Tanzania last week. The initiative is funded through the UK Department for International...Read More
Genetics Otago annual Symposium
11 December 2025
IDReC Researcher Dr Patrick Biggs was a speaker at the Genetics Otago 6th Annual Symposium and workshop last month. Dr Biggs gave a talk on “The comparative genomics of foodborne pathogens”. Dr Biggs also...Read More
IDReC PI wins premier research award
1 December 2025
IDReC PI Professor Martin Hazleton has been awarded the 2014 Littlejohn Research Award, the premier research award from the New Zealand Statistical Association. The Littlejohn Research Award acknowledges Professor Hazleton’s excellence...Read More
Massey Research Medal for IDReC PI
1 December 2025
IDReC PI Distinguished Professor Paul Rainey has been awarded the Massey University Research Medal for 2014. The award acknowledges Professor Rainey’s outstanding research achievements in the area of experimental evolution. His...Read More
IDReC researcher awarded supervisor medal
21 November 2025
Professor Cord Heuer has been awarded the 2014 Massey University Research Medal -Supervisor. The award acknowledges the high quality research supervision Professor Heuer has provided over the past 10 years at Massey University....Read More
Leptospirosis video series launched
21 November 2025
IDReC researchers in the Massey University Leptospirosis Team have released a series of short videos providing information to farmers on how to protect themselves, their families, workers and livestock from the disease. Dr Julie...Read More
The evolution of multicellular life
14 November 2025
IDReC PI Professor Paul Rainey has recently published a paper in Nature that reports on the evolution of single cells to multicellular life forms. The work is a result of collaborations with researchers at the Max Planck...Read More
IDReC Director attending Salmonella workshop in Malawi
7 November 2025
IDReC Director Professor Nigel French will be travelling to Malawi later this month to attend a two-day workshop on ‘Invasive Salmonella in Africa’. Topics to be covered during the workshop include: antimicrobial resistance,...Read More
IDReC Researchers invited to attend international leptospirosis meeting
7 November 2025
IDReC Researchers Dr Jackie Benschop and Professor Peter Wilson have been invited to attend the 4th Global Leptospirosis Environmental Action Network (GLEAN) Technical Meeting in Sri Lanka later this month. The purpose of the GLEAN...Read More
Einstein Professorship awarded to IDReC PI
31 October 2025
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has honoured IDReC PI Professor Paul Rainey by awarding him a 2014 Einstein Professorship. The CAS Einstein Professorship is awarded each year to 20 distinguished international scientists working at the...Read More
IDReC Director elected Royal Society Fellow
31 October 2025
IDReC Director Professor Nigel French has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand for "his major contribution to our understanding of the epidemiology and control of zoonotic diseases of national and global...Read More
Asthma risk linked to job loss fears
24 October 2025
IDReC Principle Investigator Professor Jeroen Douwes is co-author on a recent paper that reports an association between perceived job insecurity and an increased risk of developing asthma. The paper, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and...Read More
IDReC researcher invited speaker at Global Health Security Agenda Conference
17 October 2025
Dr David Hayman was invited to speak at an American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting “Global Health Security Agenda: Non Governmental Perspectives on Addressing Emerging and Evolving Biological Threats”, held at the...Read More
IDReC researchers particpiate in workshop in Uruguay
17 October 2025
Professor Peter Wilson and Dr Julie Collins-Emerson will travel to Uruguay this week to participate in a workshop at the Institut Pasteur de Montevideo. During the one-week workshop, Peter and Julie will share Massey’s expertise on...Read More
Epidemiology in the age of the internet
19 September 2025
IDReC Director Professor Nigel French and IDReC researcher Professor Cord Heuer have been invited to speak at the 2014 Australasian Epidemiologic Association (AEA) scientific meeting in Auckland, from 8-10 October. The meeting will provide an...Read More
IDReC Director made Honorary Professor
19 September 2025
IDReC Director Professor Nigel French has been made an Honorary Professor at the University of Otago, Department of Pathology. A unique collaboration between Massey University, the University of Otago, and the Institute of Environmental...Read More
Toxoplasmosis linked to dolphin deaths
12 September 2025
IDReC researcher Dr Wendi Roe gave a talk at the IDReC Symposium this week entitled “Marine toxoplasmosis: from cat poo to kai moana?” The talk covered her latest research investigating toxoplasmosis and the deaths of Hector’s...Read More
IDReC researchers discuss leptospirosis
22 August 2025
The leptospirosis research work of Dr Julie Collins-Emerson, Professor Peter Wilson, Professor Cord Heuer and Dr Jackie Benschop has featured in an article for NZFarmer. The group discussed the awareness of the disease, the importance of...Read More
IDReC researcher finalist in Developing Scientist Competition
1 August 2025
IDReC Postdoctoral researcher Patricia Jaros has been selected as a finalist for the International Association for Food Protection Developing Scientist Competition 2014. The annual meeting takes place from 3-6 August, Indianapolis, and is...Read More
IDReC two-day mini-symposium on infectious diseases
1 August 2025
IDReC, the University of Otago and Environmental Sciences Research (ESR) Ltd will be hosting a two-day mini-symposium on infectious diseases in Wellington, on the 9th and 10th September 2014. The symposium will provide scientists and...Read More
IDReC researcher becomes Diplomate
25 July 2025
Dr David Hayman recently became a Diplomate of the European College of Zoological Medicine, with a speciality in Wildlife Population Health. The European College of Zoological Medicine was established to make further progress in research...Read More
Measles research funded by Ministry of Health
25 July 2025
IDReC researchers are working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in response to the recent measles outbreak in New Zealand. The Ministry of Health funded project aims to identify at risk populations of measles infection, the...Read More
Asthma project funded by Health Research Council
30 June 2025
IDReC PI Professor Jeroen Douwes and his team have been awarded $1.2 million by the Health Research Council for a three-year project investigating “Non-inflammatory mechanisms in asthma”. Asthma is a major public health issue...Read More
IDReC PG awarded Doctoral Scholarship
27 June 2025
IDReC PG Samuel Bloomfield has been awarded a Massey University Doctoral Scholarship for his PhD project “Transmission and evolution of bacterial gastroenteritis outbreaks”. Massey University Doctoral Scholarships are awarded...Read More
IDReC researchers present at international paratuberculosis conference
27 June 2025
IDReC researcher Professor Cord Heuer and postgraduate student Nelly Marquetoux attended the 12th International Colloquium on Paratuberculosis in Parma, Italy, this week. The conference is aimed at leading researchers, livestock...Read More
"Veterinary Health Matters - Well and Truly" - NZVA Conference
16 June 2025
IDReC Director Professor Nigel French and IDReC PG researchers Emilie Vallee and Patricia Jaros are presenting at the New Zealand Veterinary Association Conference this week, held in Hamilton. The conference theme for this year is Veterinary...Read More
IDReC Director discusses waterborne zoonoses
13 June 2025
IDReC Director Professor Nigel French is presenting at the General Practice Conference and Medical Exhibition this week, held in Rotorua. Professor French will run two workshops and give a presentation entitled “Waterborne Zoonoses in New...Read More
Is the family pet a risk factor for multidrug resistant infections?
13 June 2025
IDReC Director Professor Nigel French has been awarded $1,126,725 by New Zealand’s Health Research Council. The three-year project will investigate the sources of multidrug resistant bacteria within NZ communities, with particular focus...Read More
IDReC PG awarded Massey Doctoral Scholarship
30 May 2025
IDReC PG student Ali Karkaba has been awarded a Massey Doctoral Scholarship. Ali’s project is “Studies assessing the veterinary clinical impact and public health risk associated with multidrug resistant Escherichia...Read More
Early Career Researcher Award for IDReC researcher
23 May 2025
Dr Charlotte Bolwell has been awarded the Early Career Researcher Award by Massey University’s College of Science Research Committee. The Early Career Researcher Award recognises and promotes research excellence, for staff members...Read More
IDReC researchers collaborate on African food safety project
23 May 2025
Professor Nigel French and Dr Jackie Benschop are part of a global alliance of researchers that has been awarded $8.8 million to help study the spread of zoonotic infectious diseases between livestock and humans in Tanzania. The project...Read More
Society for Risk Analysis Conference - Risk beyond the numbers
23 May 2025
The 2014 Society of Risk Analysis - Australia and New Zealand Conference is being held in Palmerston North in August. This year's theme is ‘Risk: Beyond the numbers'. The keynote speaker for the conference is...Read More
IDReC researchers awarded Most Commendable Paper
9 May 2025
A paper co-authored by IDReC researchers Dr Julie Collins-Emerson, Dr Jackie Benschop and Dr Anne Midwinter has been awarded the Most Commendable Paper published in the New Zealand Veterinary Journal prize for 2014, by the Australian and...Read More
IDReC researchers co-author chapters in new book
4 April 2025
A number of IDReC researchers have contributed to two chapters in a new book entitled “Campylobacter Ecology and Evolution”. In Chapter 2, Paul Fearnhead with co-authors Professor Nigel French and Dr Patrick Biggs discuss the role of...Read More