Out and about
Infertility: what’s it all about?
Infertility is defined as the inability for a couple having regular unprotected sexual intercourse to have a baby. Globally, the rate of fertility is declining but infertility still affects one in seven couples in New Zealand. In general, humans are generally not considered to be an especially fertile species, with a potential capability of 20-30% reproductive success with each menstrual cycle, albeit in a small window of opportunity for fertilisation of 5-6 days within each menstrual cycle. Fertility is highest in women in their 20s, and the rate of fertility declines with age, declining even more rapidly in a woman’s 40s, until the age of 50 where menopause occurs. This is when all of a woman’s eggs are exhausted within the ovaries and reproductive capacity ceases.
Women are increasingly delaying childbearing usually due to social and economic reasons. This, coupled with a gradual decline in fertility, means that other causes of infertility can become a significant issue, including having lifestyle factors such as obesity and smoking and sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia and gonorrhea. These infections are further complicated by the fact that carriers of these infections can remain symptomless.
Chlamydia: the tip of the infertility iceberg
Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection in New Zealand, caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia can be transmitted during vaginal, anal, or oral sex, and can be passed from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth. Chlamydia infections do not exhibit any symptoms in approximately 70% of women and 25% of men. While a chlamydia infection can be effectively cured with antibiotics, if left untreated there can be serious long-term reproductive consequences.
Approximately half of the women with a symptomless chlamydia infection will develop pelvic inflammatory disease, which is a generic term for infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries and its surrounding tissues. Pelvic inflammatory disease can result in scarring and permanent damage of the reproductive organs, which can cause serious complications such as chronic pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancies (when an embryo implants in other parts of the female reproductive tract apart from the uterus), and infertility, especially with repeat infections. In men, if left untreated, chlamydia can cause pain, swelling and inflammation in the testes and urethra, and also lead to infertility.
According to a recent report to the Ministry of Health, laboratory surveillance efforts by the Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited (ESR) showed that chlamydia was the most commonly reported sexually transmitted infection in 2014. With a national rate of 629 cases per 100,000 population, our rates are double those of Australia and the UK. 83% of cases reported were aged between 15 and 29 years. Chlamydia rates for males increased by 24.9% in the 40 years and over age group, and increased by 10% in the 25–29 years age group, but were generally stable in all other age groups. Chlamydia rates decreased in all age groups for females. However, there was more than twice the number of cases of chlamydia in women than in men. The national rate for females was 869 per 100,000 population (19,986 cases) compared to males that was 375 per 100,000 population (8275 cases).
Gonorrhoea: not quite the round of applause you’d like…
Gonorrhoea (commonly known as the clap) is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, that can be transmitted during vaginal, anal, and oral sex, and from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth. The usual symptoms in men are a burning sensation when urinating and penile discharge. Women, on the other hand, may have vaginal discharge and pelvic pain. Gonorrhoea infections do not exhibit any symptoms in approximately 50% of women and up to 5% of men. If left untreated, the infection can spread locally, causing inflammation in the testes in men, or pelvic inflammatory disease in women. Gonorrhoea can also spread to affect joints and heart valves in the body.
According to the ESR survey, in 2014 our national gonorrhoea rate was 70 cases per 100,000 population, with 73% of those cases being in people aged between 15 and 29 years. The national rate for males was 77 per 100,000 population (1633 cases) and was higher than the national rate for females, that was 62 per 100,000 population (1367 cases). Between 2010 to 2014, there have been increasing rates of gonorrhea in both men and women, in a number of age groups; 40 years and over, and 25–29 years in men, and 15– 19 years and 30–34 years, in women. In this same time period, the numbers of gonorrhoea cases reported in women were highest in the 15–19 years and 20–24 years age groups, and in men were highest in the 25–29 years age group. More concerning is that antibiotic-resistant strains of N. gonorrhoeae have been identified in gonorrhea patients in New Zealand.
Reproductive health is an easily forgotten and underrated area of personal health care. Early recognition and effective treatment of sexually transmitted infections is an important protection against later problems with declining human fertility.
References:
References
- Gimenes F, Souza, RP, Bent, JC et al. Male infertility: a public health issue caused by sexually transmitted pathogens (2015). Nat Rev Urol. 11, 672-687.
- Menon S, Timms P, Allan JA, et al. Human and Pathogen Factors Associated with Chlamydia trachomatis-Related Infertility in Women (2015). Clin Microbiol Rev. 28(4):969-85.
- Newman L, Rowley J, Vander Hoorn S, et al. Global Estimates of the Prevalence and Incidence of Four Curable Sexually Transmitted Infections in 2012 Based on Systematic Review and Global Reporting (2015). PLoS One. 10(12): e0143304.
- Sexually transmitted infections in New Zealand 2014. Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited.
- Skerlev M, Čulav-Košćak I (2014). Gonorrhea: New challenges. Clin Dermatol. 32, 275-281.
- Markle W, Conti T, Kad M (2013). Sexually transmitted diseases. Prim Care. 40(3):557-87.
- Garnett G, (2008). How much infertility does chlamydia cause? Sex Transm Infect. 84, 157-158.
About
Dr Anita Muthukaruppan is a breast cancer researcher with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Auckland. She is a science geek with interests in gynaecological cancers, infertility, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, antibiotics, vaccines, carnivorous plants and quantum physics. Shea also loves Sir David Attenborough, Professor Stephen Hawking and Dr Emmett Brown.
Professor Andrew Shelling is Associate Dean (Research) at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, and also head of the Medical Genetics Research Group in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. His research is primarily interested in understanding the molecular changes that occur during the development of genetic disorders, focusing on breast and ovarian cancer, and reproductive disorders. Andrew enjoys trying to keep up with advances in science.
What is InfectedNZ?
Hey, Aotearoa. It’s time we had a chat about infectious diseases and what we’re going to do about the looming antimicrobial armageddon. That’s why we’ve asked leading health, social and economic researchers, and people with personal stories, to help us get real about our vulnerability and discuss solutions. Follow their blogs right here at tepunhahamatatini.ac.nz and watch the conversation spread across social media with #infectedNZ.
Backing it all up, wherever possible, is data from the good folk at Figure.NZ. Their super duper charts are based on data sourced from public repositories, government departments, academics and corporations. Check out their #infectedNZ data board and sign-up to create your very own data board on any topic that floats your boat.
Infectious diseases in New Zealand
In the context of World Antibiotic Awareness week last week (November 14-20) and efforts to raise the awareness of infectious diseases in New Zealand, it is useful to include a discussion on viruses.
Although few treatments and vaccines are currently available for their control, the burden of disease in terms of personal affliction, loss of work or school days, hospitalisation and death is substantial. The viruses that cause human respiratory infections provide a window into the wider issues that we are dealing with regarding infectious diseases in New Zealand at present.
There are over 150 known respiratory viruses which by and large cause mild respiratory symptoms, the most common of which are the Rhinoviruses which infect the upper respiratory tract causing the common cold. Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is an important cause of more severe lower respiratory tract infections in young children, such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia, resulting in increased numbers of hospital admissions during the winter and spring months when this virus circulates in New Zealand annually. Fortunately a vaccine will be available in the near future for this virus.
Influenza is another respiratory virus which affects New Zealander’s annually. Four viruses are currently circulating: Influenza A(H3N2), A(H1N1)pdm09, Influenza B/Yamagatta and B/Victoria. Typical winter outbreaks and epidemics result in substantial illness, visits to general practitioners, school and workplace absenteeism and hospitalisation of especially young children and the elderly.
Effective interventions against influenza are available, with annual vaccination the most effective for preventing influenza infection. Vaccination needs to be annual as these viruses continue to evolve, undergoing antigenic drift, requiring frequent vaccine composition review and virus composition updating. Vaccines cannot be used in children under 6 months of age, and the best way to protect them is through vaccination of the mother before child birth. The elderly are also an issue as their immune systems are less active and they respond less vigorously to the vaccine. Regardless, vaccination is the most effective way we currently have to protect individuals against influenza.
Antivirals are effective for the treatment of influenza infections, especially if given early after the onset of symptoms. The Neuraminidase inhibitors (Tamiflu and Relenza) are the most common antivirals available. Unlike the use of antibiotics against bacterial infections, where unnecessary use contributes to the development of resistance, misuse of antivirals in general does not drive the development of antiviral resistance and other genetic mechanisms are involved when influenza viruses have developed resistance in the past.
In recent years novel respiratory viruses have caused global concern and have resulted in countries, including New Zealand establishing pandemic preparedness plans. The most recent influenza pandemic was due to the A(H1N1)pdm09 virus which emerged from pigs in Mexico in 2009. Characteristically influenza pandemics have been associated with high mortality (3% of the world’s population died during the Spanish 1918-19 pandemic) and substantial illness. However the 2009 virus was related to a virus that had circulated prior to 1957 and caused generally milder infections. Regardless, the circulation of this new virus did place substantial pressure on our health system over 2009 and the winter of 2010.
The emergence of the avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in Hong Kong in 1997, then re-emergence and spread amongst domestic poultry from late 2003 in many parts of the world remains a concern. Although human infections are rare, they are consistently associated with a 50% mortality rate. Should this virus develop the ability to be transmitted between humans, the outcome would be devastating. Another more recent avian A(H7N9) virus in poultry and other avian species in China, and the associated human infections, is also of concern.
Other novel respiratory viruses that have emerged recently are the SARS virus in China in 2003 and MERS-CoV, first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012. Both viruses are Coronaviruses with origins in wild animal species (especially bats). Fortunately SARS was brought under control largely by vigorous implementation of hospital infection control measures. However MERS-CoV continues to cause severe human infections, largely in the Arabian Peninsula, with exposure to camels being a significant risk factor.
Although New Zealand is an island nation, it is very much part of the global community, especially with an economic focus on tourism drawing travellers from all parts of the world. For this reason we need to be aware of infectious diseases and what we can do to work towards their control and ensure that the treatments we have remain effective.
About
Lance Jennings is the Clinical Virologist for the Canterbury District Health Board. He is also a Clinical Associate Professor in the Pathology Department, University of Otago, Christchurch. He has an interest in the diagnosis of clinically relevant human viral infections and the epidemiology, treatment and control of influenza and other respiratory virus infections.
What is InfectedNZ?
Hey, Aotearoa. It’s time we had a chat about infectious diseases and what we’re going to do about the looming antimicrobial armageddon. That’s why we’ve asked leading health, social and economic researchers, and people with personal stories, to help us get real about our vulnerability and discuss solutions. Follow their blogs right here at tepunhahamatatini.ac.nz and watch the conversation spread across social media with #infectedNZ.
Backing it all up, wherever possible, is data from the good folk at Figure.NZ. Their super duper charts are based on data sourced from public repositories, government departments, academics and corporations. Check out their #infectedNZ data board and sign-up to create your very own data board on any topic that floats your boat.
A letter to the Ministry of Health
Below is a letter from Deputy Director Dr Siouxsie Wiles to the Ministry of Health requesting the Ministry’s assistance in using infectious disease data from the Public Health Surveillance website coordinated by the The Institute of Environmental Science and Research Ltd (ESR). The Ministry of Health has responded saying they are looking into the matter.
Dear [Ministry of Health officials]
My name is Siouxsie Wiles and I’m a microbiologist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland. This year I am involved in organising an online campaign called InfectedNZ, to start a national data-driven conversation about infectious diseases. The campaign will run during World Antibiotic Awareness week (November 14-20). The idea is to start thinking about infectious diseases from different perspectives, and to bring together diverse people to look at the available data and write about the situation. The campaign is being run by Te Pūnaha Matatini, a Centre of Research Excellence, and Figure.NZ, a non-profit devoted to getting people to use data about New Zealand. We want to show Aotearoa New Zealand that infectious diseases are a current and future issue with health, social, economic, and environmental impacts.
The importance of our collaboration with Figure.NZ is that they pull together New Zealand’s public sector, private sector and academic data in one place and make it easy for people to use in simple graphical form for free through their website. All data is presented in charts that are designed to be compared easily with each other and constructed with as little bias as possible. Figure.NZ only use data that has a creative commons licence that allows them to publish the data on their site – this is usually the CC BY 3.0 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/nz/.
When searching for relevant data on infectious diseases in NZ, I found lots of data presented online on the ESR website (https://surv.esr.cri.nz/), produced under contract with the Ministry of Health. I was particularly interested in obtaining the data to help provide easy to understand charts for experts to use during our campaign. Unfortunately, the current licence allows personal use of the data but not for us to publish on Figure.NZ to help make it easier for people to find and visualise. Instead, there is a disclaimer that instructs users to contact ESR for other uses, such as that envisioned by this campaign (http://www.esr.cri.nz/footer/disclaimer-and-copyright/). We have tried this but the answer was no.
I would like to know what the Ministry of Health’s position is on improving access to publicly available data, like that on the ESR website, for uses like our campaign. We have no interest in manipulating this data other than to standardise the spreadsheets and to present simple visualisations from them. We think that providing usable, clear, digestible and unbiased information will help New Zealanders make better decisions, and will lead to better outcomes for all of us. I am disappointed that important public data like that published online by ESR is essentially out of bounds.
I look forward to your response.
Siouxsie
InfectedNZ: the state of the nation
Last week was World Antibiotic Awareness week, an initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness and understanding of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. To follow, here at Te Pūnaha Matatini we are launching a week-long conversation about the health, social, economic, and environmental impacts of infectious diseases in Aotearoa New Zealand. Where possible, in collaboration with Figure.NZ, we’ll bring you publicly available data to help illustrate the issues. Welcome to #InfectedNZ!
Infectious diseases: complexity personified
The phrase ‘infectious diseases’ describes a multitude of life forms which differ in their genetic make-up, life-styles and habitats. They lurk, hidden and unseen, on our skin, up our noses and in our guts. On our pets and livestock, too. And amongst our plants, rivers and soils. And when some of them get into our bodies, or into our plants and animals, they can cause devastation to human and animal health, our environment, and our economy. So there is no one single threat from infectious diseases, or indeed, no simple one-size-fits-all solution. Like so much in life, the issue is complex and complicated.
But experts do all agree on one thing: we are running out of ways to treat infectious diseases.
The prediction is that without urgent action, within the next 5-10 years we could see a return to the pre-antibiotic era, when something as simple as a stubbed toe could mean amputation or death. That’s a big part of why we need to have a national conversation about infectious diseases and what the future holds.
Aotearoa New Zealand: we are not immune
Many people think of infectious diseases as a third world problem. And it’s not hard to see why when we are all surrounded by friends and family being diagnosed with various cancers or heart disease. But in the year July 2013 to June 2014, almost 91,000 Kiwis had infectious diseases listed as the primary cause for why they were hospitalised, accounting for around 8% of all hospitalisations that year. It’s also worth noting that many other people in hospital will also be battling an infectious disease as a result of having a compromised immune system, either because they’ve had surgery, or have a non-communicable disease like cancer or diabetes. These people will not feature in the numbers though, as their underlying disease would be listed as the primary cause for them being in hospital.
As you can see, two-thirds of infectious disease hospitalisations were for bacterial infections, with the major contributors being food and water-borne infections, Staphylococcus aureus (also known as Staph, or MRSA, which stands for methicillin-resistant S. aureus) and Streptococcus pyogenes (also known as Group A Strep, or sometimes, the ‘flesh-eating disease’, as this bacterium can sometimes carry an enzyme that can digest human flesh).
Fortunately, the majority of infectious diseases that Kiwis are exposed to are still treatable. In 2013, just over 1,200 (about 4%) of the 29,636 people who died that year had infectious diseases listed as the primary cause of their demise. As in the hospitalisations, the figures cover what was recorded on the death certificate which may not always be the immediate cause of death. For example, many of those who are recorded as having died of Alzheimer’s disease are more likely to have died of pneumonia or a urinary tract infection.
We’re bucking international trends, but not in a good way
As countries become more developed, their rates of infectious diseases fall, and their rates of non-communicable diseases like cancer and heart disease rise as people live longer. Most Kiwi’s will probably be surprised to find out that here in Aotearoa New Zealand we are bucking those international trends: our rates for many infectious diseases are going up, not down. We wanted to show you the data, but can’t. It is publicly available on the web but Figure.NZ were denied permission to turn it into nice charts for you to see. What we can tell you is that a study of hospital admissions over the last twenty years, carried out by Prof Michael Baker and colleagues and published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet, showed that while overnight admissions to hospital due to non-communicable diseases have increased by 7%, those due to infectious diseases have gone up by a staggering 50% (1).
“Surely it’s them, not us?!”
What you might also be surprised to hear is that we have higher rates of many infectious diseases than the USA, Australia and the UK. And just in case the thought crosses your mind that perhaps all those infectious diseases are being imported into New Zealand by ‘foreigners’, and if we curb immigration infectious diseases will all go away…How can I put this politely?! I think you’ll find it’s a little more complicated than that!
Yes, some infectious diseases can be ‘imported’ into New Zealand by ‘foreigners’. But guess who also goes overseas? We do. In droves. According to Statistics New Zealand, in 2014 there were more than 700,000 overseas departures from Auckland Airport by resident New Zealander’s going on holiday. Another 600,000 were people going to visit friends and relatives overseas. As an island nation, we travel a lot. And each of those trips is an opportunity to bring back an invisible infectious passenger. So, unless you never want to go on holiday again, or visit friends and family overseas, let’s nip that line of thinking in the bud. The reality is, we don’t need travel or foreigners to bring infectious diseases or antibiotic-resistant superbugs to our Clean Green/100% Pure(TM) island paradise.
So, to sum up. Not only are infectious diseases becoming more widespread here, they are also becoming more difficult to treat. It’s time we stopped thinking of infectious diseases as a third world problem, and have a national conversation about how we all, the public, health workers, policymakers and the agricultural sector, can solve this crisis. I hope you’ll join us across the week to participate in this important discussion. Follow #infectedNZ on Twitter or Facebook, or leave a comment below.
Reference:
(1) “Baker MG, Barnard LT, Kvalsvig A, Verrall A, Zhang J, Keall M, Wilson N, Wall T, Howden-Chapman P (2012). Increasing incidence of serious infectious diseases and inequalities in New Zealand: a national epidemiological study. Lancet. 379(9821):1112-9. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61780-7.
About:
Dr Siouxsie Wiles is Deputy Director (Outreach and Public Engagement) of Te Pūnaha Matatini. She describes herself as a microbiologist and bioluminescence enthusiast. As Head of the Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland, Siouxsie combines her twin passions to understand infectious diseases.
What is InfectedNZ?
Hey, Aotearoa. It’s time we had a chat about infectious diseases and what we’re going to do about the looming antimicrobial armageddon. That’s why we’ve asked leading health, social and economic researchers, and people with personal stories, to help us get real about our vulnerability and discuss solutions. Follow their blogs right here at tepunhahamatatini.ac.nz and watch the conversation spread across social media with #infectedNZ.
Backing it all up, wherever possible, is data from the good folk at Figure.NZ. Their super duper charts are based on data sourced from public repositories, government departments, academics and corporations. Check out their #infectedNZ data board and sign-up to create your very own data board on any topic that floats your boat.
The New Zealand Polymath: Colenso and his contemporaries
November 16 & 17, Te Pūnaha Matatini’s Executive Manager Kate Hannah and Principal Investigator Dr Dion O’Neale are presenting at a conference on William Colenso and his contemporaries.
What: The New Zealand Polymath – Colenso and his contemporaries
When: Conference runs from 16-18 November
Where: National Library of New Zealand, Molesworth Street, Wellington
Opening address: Dabbling Dilettantes and Renaissance Men: colonial polymaths and New Zealand’s science culture.
During the opening session, Kate will present “Dabbling Dilettantes and Renaissance Men: colonial polymaths and New Zealand’s science culture.” The presentation will explore the hero narratives regarding the network of polymath-scholars who established the institutions of New Zealand’s scientific culture. Such narratives permeate New Zealand’s history and contemporary public discourse, but actively exclude the impact of those participants who are exceptions to the hero narrative, rendering them invisible.
The lecture is free and open to the public. More details>
Panel discussion: Colonial polymaths and New Zealand’s science culture
Following the address, Kate will chair a panel discussion that will problematize the impact of centering national identity within a group of ‘Renaissance men’, exploring those whose scholarly contributions are framed as dabbling distractions, and those others whose labour enabled the expansion and sharing of knowledge that typified colonial New Zealand.
The panellists are:
- Nicola Gaston, University of Auckland
- Angela Middleton, University of Otago
- Linda Tyler, University of Auckland
- Daniel Hikuroa, Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, University of Auckland
Presentation: Colenso’s correspondence network
Thursday 17 November Dion and Kate present on Colenso’s correspondence network.
View the full conference programme>
Marsden Fund success for Te Pūnaha Matatini investigators
Seven Te Pūnaha Matatini investigators were awarded Marsden-funding this week across a broad range of research projects, from investigating Māori social systems to integrative models of species evolution.
Professor Thegn Ladefoged and Dr Dion O’Neal from the University of Auckland, and Associate Professor Marcus Frean from Victoria University Wellington will study the development of Māori social systems over time. The investigators will combine their skills in archaeology and network science – a prime example of the ability of New Zealand’s Centres of Research Excellence to connect researchers from across disciplines to tackle exciting projects. Read more>
Professor Alexei Drummond and Dr David Welch from the University of Auckland’s Department of Computer Science have received Marsden-funding to research genomes, phenotypes and fossils and integrative models of species evolution.
Dr Steffen Lippert from the University of Auckland’s Business School will be leading a project titled: “Beyond the Jury Paradox: Collective Decision-Making without Common Priors.”
Dr Daniel Hikuroa, an earth systems scientist from the University of Auckland, will be an associate investigator on a project titled “Melt inclusions as a ‘window’ through the crust: What drives the most productive region of silicic volcanism on Earth?”
Marsden Funds are highly competitive grants distributed over three years, paying for salaries, students and postdoctoral positions, institutional overheads and research consumables. The grants are managed by the Royal Society of New Zealand on behalf of the government.
In 2015, Te Pūnaha Matatini Principal Investigator Adam Jaffe from Motu Economic Research and Public Policy worked with the Royal Society of New Zealand to evaluate and identify opportunities to improve their decision-making processes around funding.
Adam demonstrated that receiving Marsden funding leads to higher productivity and impacts in terms of papers published and citations received. Adam and his team also found there is no reason to expect diminishing returns if Marsden funding were increased.
Read the Motu working paper on the findings or Te Pūnaha Matatini Director Shaun Hendy’s blog.
Māori social systems focus of novel research collaboration
Archaeology and modern network science are combining to investigate the development of Māori social networks over time as part of a new three year $705,000 Marsden-funded project.
The research draws upon the skills of archaeologist Professor Thegn Ladefoged and network scientists Dr Dion O’Neal and Associate Professor Marcus Frean from Te Pūnaha Matataini, a Centre of Research Excellence in complex systems and networks. The research team also includes Associate Professor Mark McCoy from the USA’s Southern Methodist University, and Alex Jorgensen from the University of Auckland who will use portable X-ray fluorescence to characterize and source obsidian artefacts. Assistant Professor Chris Stevenson from Virginia Commonwealth University will develop obsidian hydration dating of artefacts to establish tight chronological control of changing levels of interaction.
Professor Ladefoged from the University of Auckland explains that over centuries relatively autonomous village-based Māori groups have transformed into larger territorial hapū lineages, which later formed even larger iwi associations.
Information passed down through generations by word of mouth has traditionally provided the best evidence of these complex, dynamic changes in Māori social organisation. The research group’s novel combination of archaeological and network science skills aims to provide new insights into these social changes.
“By researching ancient obsidian tools and their movement across New Zealand we can reconstruct historical systems of inter-iwi trade,” Professor Ladefoged says.
The research group will then combine this archaeological and location data with social network analysis modelling and local iwi input to provide new insights into how Māori society was transformed from village-based groups to powerful hapū and iwi.
Network analysis will enable the group to look for patterns of how archaeological sites, artefacts and obsidian sources relate to one another, and how those relationships have changed over time, explains associate investigator Dr Dion O’Neale.
“Based on those changing relationships we can put forward hypotheses about the roles played by geography or social groupings in producing the distributions of obsidian that we observe,” Dr O’Neale says.
The collaborative research project also aims to connect or reconnect Māori with their taonga held in museums and university archaeology collections.
Te Pūnaha Matatini Director Professor Shaun Hendy says the project demonstrates the ability of New Zealand’s Centres of Research Excellence to connect and amplify the efforts of researchers across a wide range of fields and locations.
“We all know that research needs to become more interdisciplinary, but we also know that this is easier said than done,” Professor Hendy says.
“I am really pleased that Thegn and his team have taken advantage of Te Pūnaha Matatini’s diverse network of researchers to tackle such an exciting project.”
Murray Cox & his complex systems approach to DNA
Associate Investigator Professor Murray Cox is applying the tools and methodologies of complexity science to explore some of the enduring mysteries of human and agricultural genetics. His transdisciplinary DNA detective work could lead to new health treatments or the development of green pesticides.
“I find it really interesting that complex systems or complexity science has such a wide scope,” says Professor Murray Cox, a computational biologist based at Massey University’s Palmerston North campus.
It’s a statement that easily embodies Murray’s own work: half of his research looks at human DNA to help determine historical migrations around the world, and the other half investigates agricultural genetics to explore the differences between pathogens and beneficial organisms. It’s the kind of research that’s not necessarily mainstream to complexity science but, as Murray points out, a lot of his work is interested in transitions or feedback mechanisms – things that pop-up regularly in complex systems.
Murray initially trained as a biochemist at the University of Otago before venturing overseas to study for a PhD in Norway. After a stint at the University of Cambridge, he moved on to the University of Arizona and held an adjunct position for two years at the Santa Fe Institute, a world-renowned complex systems research centre.
Working at the Santa Fe Institute proved influential to Murray’s work and he has maintained his international connections. It was the advent of Te Pūnaha Matatini, though, that had him excited about the future of complexity science in his home country.
“There really wasn’t a lot happening in regards to complex systems in New Zealand until Te Pūnaha Matatini came along.
“Te Pūnaha Matatini is not only driving a lot of new professional connections, but it’s also introducing many underexposed fields, like genetics and anthropology, to the powerful tools of complex systems to help solve some really challenging problems.”
Studying human DNA
It’s a combination of genetics, anthropology and computational biology that has enabled Murray and an international team of researchers to investigate the origins of the first people to settle in the Pacific. Their findings confirm Asian farming groups were the first to reach Pacific Islands, with later migrations bringing Papuan genes into the region.
The really interesting part of the findings, explains Murray, is the feedback between social dynamics and demography: “Farmers move into the environment but they don’t mix with existing people, often for one to two thousand years. Then society changes and all of a sudden mixing occurs.”
The research, says Murray, demonstrates an interesting dynamic between how society operates and how genes respond – a case of social norms determining who can marry whom and therefore influencing genetic mixing. “That’s obviously a complex system, although geneticists probably wouldn’t have naturally thought of it in that way.”
The international study, recently published in Nature, also gave the first basic picture of the genomic make-up of Pacific Islanders. Unlike European New Zealanders, where scientists can leverage off research done in the UK and USA, very little was known about the genomes of Pasifika and Māori.
“We knew that they had a mixture of both Asian and Papuan ancestry, but had no idea how this came about or when,” Murray says.
“Knowing this is important because some of the genetic variations caused by this population mixing will likely be linked to health outcomes. Ultimately, understanding this DNA may give us new ideas for health treatments.”
Agricultural genetics
The other side of Murray’s work explores the interactions between the environment and agricultural genes to explain the spectrum of beneficial and non-beneficial pathogens. For instance, the Epichloë fungus found inside some grass species can produce compounds to deter insects, preventing the need to spray insecticides.
Ordinarily the grass might attack such a fungus, deterring it from taking hold inside the plant. “Complex feedback systems where chemicals signal between parties may explain how the symbiotic interaction between the grass and the Epichloë fungus arose, and how it is maintained,” Murray says.
Investigating those complex interactions and underlying genetics could lead to the development of new natural pesticides. “We spray lots of quite nasty chemicals to get rid of pests,” Murray says. “But there are some natural pesticides already developed by microbes that we can perhaps co-opt.”
Whether he’s studying human or agricultural genomes, or combining anthropology with biology, mathematics and statistics, a common thread in Murray’s work is a complex systems approach.
“Sometimes researchers such as biologists are working on complex systems but they’re not trained in it so they don’t see it when it’s right in front of them.
“When complex systems approaches are applied to many of these questions, it’s exciting to see how those approaches can drive science in completely new directions.”
About
Professor Murray Cox is a computational biologist in the Institute of Fundamental Science at Massey University and an Associate Investigator of Te Pūnaha Matatini.
In 2015, he was awarded the Association of Commonwealth Universities Titular Fellowship to spend three months in early 2016 at St John’s College, University of Oxford. Professor Cox has also received a 2016 Fellowship from the Humboldt Foundation for sabbatical visits in 2017 and 2018 to the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.
In 2010, Professor Cox was awarded an inaugural Rutherford Discovery Fellowship by the Royal Society of New Zealand. The five-year Fellowship enabled him look both at human prehistory in the Pacific and gene regulation in fungi, which are important for controlling insect pests in New Zealand’s pastures.
Read more
Professor Murray Cox’s work has appeared in two Nature publications and a number of media articles in September and October 2016.
Research articles
Genomic analyses inform on migration events during the peopling of Eurasia, Nature 538, 238–242 (13 October 2016).
Genomic insights into the peopling of the Southwest Pacific, Nature (Published online 03 October 2016)
In the media
NZ Herald: DNA detectives rewrite human history
NZ Herald: Skeletons reveal ancestors of Maori
TVNZ: Study of ancient DNA finds first Pacific settlers were Asian
Stuff.co.nz: New research on ancient Pacific skeletons reveals Maori ancestors
Radio NZ: Ancient DNA shows Asian farmers first Pacific people
The Guardian: DNA shows first inhabitants of Vanuatu came from Philippines and Taiwan
ABC News: DNA reveals Lapita ancestors of Pacific Islanders came from Asia
InfectedNZ
New Zealand – we’re not immune.
InfectedNZ, an online campaign running from November 21-25, is set to spread the message about the impacts of infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance in Aotearoa New Zealand with a series of data-driven blog posts and social media conversations.
Following on from World Antibiotic Awareness Week, the campaign draws upon a range of experts to discuss the health, social, economic, and environmental impacts of infectious diseases and the growing threat of ineffective antibiotics.
Dr Siouxsie Wiles, Deputy Director (Outreach and Engagement) of Te Pūnaha Matatini and Head of the Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland, says the campaign is relevant to all New Zealanders: “The recent outbreak of Campylobacter in Havelock North reminds us New Zealand is far from immune, and that infectious diseases have a broad impact across our society.”
Dr Wiles says the growing rate of antibiotic resistance means today’s easily treatable diseases could have devastating impacts in the future. Already an estimated 700,000+ people worldwide die each year due to drug-resistant infections. The World Health Organisation characterises the problem as one of the biggest threats to global health today.
“Bacteria and other pathogens are evolving to resist existing drugs and their evolution is outpacing the development of new medicines,” Dr Wiles says.
“InfectedNZ is an opportunity for us to explore the current and future impacts of infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance and have a national conversation about how the public, health workers, policymakers, and the agriculture sector can make a difference.”
Catch the conversation from November 21-25 at tepunahamatatini.ac.nz and watch it spread with #infectedNZ.
Featured bloggers
Dr Siouxsie Wiles – Te Pūnaha Matatini and University of Auckland
Professor Shaun Hendy – Te Pūnaha Matatini and University of Auckland
Associate Professor David Ackerly – Victoria University Wellington
Professor Michael Baker – Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington
Dr Jess Berentson-Shaw – Morgan Foundation
Dr Peter Buchanan – Landcare Research
Ryan Chandler – Cure Kids
Dr Adam Heikal – University of Oslo
Dr Heather Hendrickson – Massey University
Dr Karen Hoare – University of Auckland
Callum Irvine – veterinarian
Associate Professor Lance Jennings – University of Otago
William Leung – Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington
Dr Anita Muthukaruppan/Dr Andrew Shelling – University of Auckland
Nick Pattison – school teacher
Dr Helen Petousis-Harris – University of Auckland
Dr Wendi Roe – Massey University
Dr Peter Saxton – University of Auckland
Dr Jonathan Skinner – paediatric cardiologist/electrophysiologist
Dr Rachel Webb – the New Zealand Initiative
About
InfectedNZ is an online curated conversation by Te Pūnaha Matatini, a Centre of Research Excellence in complex systems and networks. Data used in the discussions is collated and provided by Figure.NZ, a charity devoted to getting people to use data about New Zealand.
View the InfectedNZ data board on Figure.NZ for more insight into the data behind infectious diseases in New Zealand.
Bad Science and Beyond
“I just don’t care!” the doctor said, in response to a query on a personal health-related issue during a recent New Zealand television interview.
I certainly had never heard a doctor speak in this way – and it made me curious to hear more in his live talk.
I was not disappointed. The thought-provoking comments kept coming: “The right way to build public trust is to earn public trust, and to share data” 
and, “The paradigm of medicine has somewhat shifted”.
In his unique and energetic style, Dr. Ben Goldacre got his message across to the audience at the Mercury Theatre in Auckland this September. A British physician, researcher, columnist, and author, Dr. Goldacre has made it his mission to tackle “bad science”, whether it is used by drug companies, politicians, journalists, or researchers.
Dr. Goldacre explained the misrepresentation of the research life cycle (objective – data collection – data analysis – publication – evaluation), showing the audience the easiest way to mispresent science and the shortcomings of medicine.
Using statistical data taken from newspapers, advertisements, and the research reports, the audience learned how so-called “in-depth scientific research” can be used as a clever marketing tool and how defined research objectives can often by driven by profit.
Photo credit: Dr Michelle Dickinson
One telling example of misrepresented data is the sudden drop in the number of tonsillectomies carried out on children in Hornsey, North London. There was a big discrepancy before and after 1929 – that is, from a few hundred cases down to almost nothing. After some investigation, it was revealed that the decline in the number of tonsil operations coincided with the retirement of one individual medical officer at a particular school, replaced by someone with a different opinion as to the merits of the treatment. Such a case reveals the power of doctors’ choices, rather than patients’ needs. It also shows that how unreliable the data will be if the full picture is not disclosed.
Sharing a more recent case, Dr. Goldacre explained the use of statins, a medicine to lower cholesterol in the blood. Many treatment options are available to lower cholesterol against a placebo, but these have not been tested against one another to determine “real world effects”, including death. Dr. Goldacre and his team approached the UK National Health Service (NHS) to collect patient information. If patients agreed, doctors would be able to randomize the treatment options, ultimately finding the optimal treatment for considerably less resource compared to the traditional “door knocking” data collection method. Nevertheless, this was thwarted by opposition from ethics groups arguing that patients should have a choice.
Dr. Goldacre’s presentation led me to wonder; what role does the general public play in formulating bad science? Surely it is not just the domain of motivated organisations, unreliable researchers, and sensationalist media. Bad science can, and often is, disseminated by all walks of life.
How can we stop its spread? Transparency may be the answer – including that of research objectives, processes, and publication. If research objectives are set for the benefit of all, or purely for the improvement of a company’s bottom line, the public should know – and in a language they can understand. Let consumers make up their own minds.
Unfortunately, providing scientific data to the wider public and expecting people to reach their own conclusions may not be sufficient. Effective communication is also a critical element in combatting bad science. Nowhere is this more eloquently stated than in Professor Shaun Hendy’s timely book, Silencing Science: “The job of the scientist is not just to deliver the facts, but also to engage democratically to assist the community to weigh the full breadth of evidence” (p96).
Indeed, scientists and research providers should communicate well, working together in the best interests of the public.
As a consumer and a citizen in a world of information overload, it can be easy to be misled by a well-packaged data snapshot. We need to embrace a reliable and complete picture, and in terms we can understand. This will allow us to make our own choices in areas as broad as health, education, career, life-style, and more.
As a student of science and maths, I am beginning to grasp the moral imperative of the scientific community. Scientists should not only be answerable to their fund providers, but to everyone. A good start would be the publication of research findings representing the whole truth.
About
14-year-old Tristan Pang is a maths and physics major at the University of Auckland. He is also the creator of Tristan’s Learning Hub, producer and broadcaster of Youth Voices, founder and webmaster of several community websites, frequent speaker at schools, organizations and conferences, and tutors students from primary school level through to university. He aspires to make a difference in the world.