Speaker: Dr. Peter Heenan, Principal Scientist at the Bioeconomy Science Institute, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research
Date: Tuesday, 23 September 2025
Time: 6:00pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre 1, EIT Taradale, Napier
Free entry – reservation required to secure your seat

Royal Society Te Apārangi, together with the Hawke’s Bay Branch, is delighted to present a talk by Dr Peter Heenan, winner of the 2024 Leonard Cockayne Lecture Award, which commemorates the life and work of Leonard Cockayne, New Zealand’s greatest botanist.

In his decades-long career, Peter has explored and researched New Zealand flora, especially the alpine plants of New Zealand, studying how our native plants have evolved, spread, and adapted to their dramatic mountain landscapes. But recently, his journey has taken a tropical turn – to the small Pacific island of Niue.

In this presentation, Peter will share what he’s discovered so far about Niue’s plants and fungi: how many species there are, what kinds of forests grow there, which plants are unique to the island, and which ones are invasive. He’ll also look at how climate, culture, and conservation all come together to shape the island’s living landscape.

Peter will reflect on how the deep knowledge we’ve built in New Zealand could help support new research in Niue – like protecting rare species, tracking invasive weeds and insects, and understanding the crops and plants important to local people. In Niue, plants and people are closely connected, and both traditional knowledge and modern science are essential for future success.

With fresh insights from visits to other Pacific Islands, Peter will show how Niue – though small – is a powerful example of the challenges and wonders of tropical botany in the Pacific today.

Speaker: Associate Professor Samantha Holdsworth, Associate Professor at University of Auckland and Research Director of the Mātai Medical Research Institute, Tairāwhiti-Gisborne
Date: Thursday 9 October 2025
Time: 6:00pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre 1, EIT Taradale, Napier
Entry: Gold coin donation

How can advanced MRI help us better understand the brain and tackle some of our biggest health challenges? In this talk, Associate Professor Samantha Holdsworth shows how cutting-edge MRI is reshaping our understanding of the brain – from concussion to better detection of multiple sclerosis, from methamphetamine-related recovery to non-invasive measures of brain pressure. She’ll also share how community-embedded science in Tairāwhiti–Gisborne is inspiring young people, building research capability, and creating opportunities for New Zealand.

Join us for an evening that connects science, technology, and people – and highlights Aotearoa’s leadership in global imaging research.

Associate Professor Samantha Holdsworth is a world-leading MRI physicist at the University of Auckland and Research Director of the Mātai Medical Research Institute in Gisborne. After completing her physics degree at the University of Canterbury, a PhD in Queensland, and a fellowship at Stanford, she returned home to pioneer world-first MRI research in Aotearoa. At Mātai, she leads a multidisciplinary team working with iwi, schools, scientists, and clinicians to advance health, education, and innovation in the regions. Samantha is passionate about ensuring that cutting-edge science delivers benefits both to communities in Aotearoa and to the wider world.