Research News

Read the latest news from our world-leading researchers.

21 Sep 2021 3 min read

New study on kava drink-driving shows impact on brain function

New research into the effect of drinking kava on driving has revealed it has a significant impact on temporal order judgement - or how well the brain is able to keep track of the order of events.

20 Sep 2021 2 min read

Waikato to host Sustainability Summit in 2023

The University of Waikato has taken up the mantle of hosting the 4th Aotearoa New Zealand Sustainable Development Goals Summit in 2023.

08 Sep 2021 3 min read

New $1.5 million spectrometer boosts research capacity

A recent arrival at the University of Waikato will play a vital research role in identifying mystery compounds.

08 Sep 2021 3 min read

Waikato researchers receive massive boost for environmental projects

Researchers from the University of Waikato will now be able to advance projects to model the ecosystems of New Zealand’s 3820 lakes, seek keys to climate change in our deepest caves and bring nature back to our cities and towns.

03 Sep 2021 3 min read

World’s first Bachelor of Climate Change launched at University of Waikato

The world’s first Bachelor of Climate Change degree has been launched by the University of Waikato, delivering graduates that will lead future climate change solutions, as New Zealand works to meet its target of net zero emissions by 2050.

02 Sep 2021 2 min read

Waikato research recognised for international impact in latest world rankings

The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings, released today placed the University of Waikato in the top 401-500 universities worldwide, out of more than 1,500 universities from 93 different countries. The University has moved up a band from being ranked in the 501–600 band, in 2020.

25 Aug 2021 4 min read

Fish detector dogs helping to sniff out pest fish in Waikato and Bay of Plenty lakes

There’s some fishy business going on in the Schools of Science and Psychology at the University of Waikato, some might even say it’s gone to the dogs as Dr Clare Browne and her team of canine colleagues work to rid New Zealand’s waterways of pest fish.

Hannah Robinson and Ashlee Cooper, two of the six Sparling Travel Award recipients

18 Aug 2021 3 min read

Six University of Waikato Environmental Science students receive Sparling Travel Award

Six masters and doctoral students have been given the opportunity to travel throughout New Zealand to present their research findings at conferences, and gain valuable insight into the research economy, thanks to the generosity of Dr Graham and Ruth Sparling.

17 Aug 2021 4 min read

3MT event puts PhD research centre-stage at Waikato

A speech on the development of ancestral Waikato pā using both a mātauranga Māori and archaeological approach won the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Doctoral Final at the University of Waikato last week.

06 Aug 2021 3 min read

A passion for sports science: Dr Shannon O’Donnell

While the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are playing out half a world away, a group of University of Waikato researchers are watching on with eager interest.