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Rutherford Medal Lecture Tour

Tales of the Unexpected

Richard Beasley

7.00 pm, Tuesday, 19 August, Palmerston North Central Library, George Street, Palmerston North

This month, we are delighted to host the 2024 Rutherford Medal winner Professor Richard Beasley CNZM. Richard will highlight ten influential research programmes that have challenged long-held clinical assumptions, advanced medical knowledge, and directly influenced patient care:

  • Should fever be treated?
  • What is the optimal amount of oxygen for critically ill patients?
  • Are party pills safe, and do they affect driving performance?
  • Does smoking cannabis cause lung cancer?
  • Is sitting for long periods at work or during recreation a risk factor for blood clots?
  • Should preservatives be included in asthma nebuliser solutions?
  • Is ‘watchful waiting’ preferable to surgery for a collapsed lung?
  • What are the underlying disease processes of asthma?
  • What was the cause of the epidemic of asthma deaths in New Zealand?
  • Are adult asthma treatments suitable for children?

The answers to many of these research questions were unexpected. The research raises significant regulatory and legal issues. It also exposes the limited evidence of the benefit and safety of many fundamental approaches to the clinical management of common disorders, and the gaps in knowledge, particularly in children.

Join us for this fascinating presentation that will illustrate the unpredictable nature of research and its influence to reshape our understanding.

Professor Richard Beasley is a renowned academic, physician and researcher, and is the founder and director of the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ). Richard is committed to challenging medical dogma and increasing knowledge through undertaking high quality clinical research which has the real potential to change clinical practice and reduce the burden of disease in Aotearoa New Zealand and globally.

All warmly welcome!

Questioning the Values of Silicon Valley AI Systems

Collin Bjork

7.30 pm, Tuesday, 15 July, Palmerston North Central Library, George Street, Palmerston North

Generative AI is throwing up many profound questions about work, education, and power. Through a series of case studies, I will reveal the values underlying many Silicon Valley generative AI systems. Then I will look at the consequences of continuing to invest in AI systems that prioritise those particular ideologies. However, there are other generative AI systems—created right here in Aotearoa New Zealand—that operate according to radically different values.

Collin Bjork is a Senior Lecturer at Massey University. Trained in rhetoric, Collin researches podcasting, AI, and science communication. He has won a Marsden Fund Fast-Start Grant as well as Fulbright grants to Slovenia and Montenegro. Collin also produces a podcast called Pod Uni.

Grassroots innovation: celebrating AgResearch’s advances in endophyte science

Linda Johnson and David Hume

7.00 pm Tuesday, 17 June, Palmerston North Central Library, George Street, Palmerston North

A Manawatū-based research team from AgResearch has recently won the prestigious Prime Minister’s Science Prize for their decades-long work developing new endophytes that enhance ryegrass – the most commonly sown pasture grass on New Zealand farms. Endophytes are microorganisms that live within plants, benefiting both the plant and the microorganism.

One of the endophytes the team discovered, known as AR37, promotes the growth of ryegrass and protects it from pests and diseases—without causing significant health issues or lowered productivity in grazing animals—delivering significant advantages for the farming sector.

Come along to support your regional winner of this prestigious prize and hear the fascinating story about their research journey – one that has had a profound impact on New Zealand’s agricultural sector and economy.