13/04/2026
Congratulations Vincent!
Two Māori early-career researchers will investigate different aspects of health equity, supported by the NZUK Link Foundation. They will travel to the United Kingdom to visit and collaborate with universities and research institutes for 2–3 months. They will also be supported to apply for the European Educational Programme in Epidemiology, a 3-week residential summer course.
Dr Nicole Edwards (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu, Taranaki) is a neuroscientist at Waipapa Taumata Rau – the University of Auckland who has additional expertise in Indigenous data sovereignty and data governance.
“As a Māori neuroscientist working with Māori communities affected by inherited neurological diseases, my motivation is to accelerate a practical, equity-centred genomics pathway for neurological and rare diseases in Aotearoa New Zealand.”
Nicole will tackle gaps in both data and implementation as well as investigating the barriers to delivering better health outcomes for Indigenous peoples through genomics and precision care, visiting the Centre for Health, Law, and Emerging Technologies at the University of Oxford.
Vincent Lomas (Ngāi Tahu, Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe) is a PhD student at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha – the University of Canterbury. Vincent’s PhD is titled ‘Modelling the interaction between ethnicity and infectious disease transmission dynamics’.
“My research aims to create modelling methods that allow us to explicitly consider ethnic effects (and other sociodemographic effects) in disease spread,” Vincent says.
In the UK, Vincent will work with Professor Rosalind Eggo of the Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Read more: https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/news/inaugural-fellowships-from-the-nzuk-link-foundation
