A Better Start’s annual Symposium, He waka eke noa: Better Together, was held on May 24, 2019.
It provided the opportunity to bring our research teams together to build on existing relationships and make new ones to boost research collaboration.
The Challenge has begun the second five years of its mission to bring together the research that will contribute to happy, healthy and successful lives, and there are currently more than 160 researchers engaged with A Better Start projects.
Our three health related themes – Healthy Weight, Resilient Teens and Successful Learning and Literacy – and the underpinning Big Data approach, have made significant progress.
The Symposium allowed researchers to share what’s been happening and contribute their insight and questions to ensure the Challenge research is high quality, robust and will make a meaningful difference to tamariki throughout Aotearoa.
The Challenge’s science leadership also outlined a high-level view of the direction of research for the next five years to 2024.
Read the Media Release – Better Together 2019 symposium focuses on ways to give our tamariki a better start in life.
From left to right: Professor Wayne Cutfield, Director, Professor Gail Gillon, Co-Director, Professor Barry Taylor, Co-Director
A Better Start is planning an exciting new Symposium for 2020.
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He waka eke noa Better Together 2019 presentations
The presentations from He waka eke noa Better Together 2019 Symposium that have been approved for publication on the website are listed below.
Keynote Speaker
Hoani Lambert – Joining up Ministries for Child Wellbeing
Theme Leader presentations
– Rick Audas – Future Directions – Big Data Team
– Barry Milne (PI Rick Audas) – Big Data: Research Outcomes
– Brigid McNeill – Successful Learning – Research Outcomes and Impact
Contestable Funding presentations
– Nick Pattison and students from Ormiston Junior College (PI Boyd Swinburn) – Obesity Prevention using systems science – children and adolescents
– Leonie Pihama – Te Taonga o Taku Ngākau: Ancestral Knowledge as a Framework for Wellbeing for Tamariki Māori
– Nigel Harris – High intensity interval training and mental health in adolescents
– Arezoo Malihi, Deborah Schlichting and Richard Portch (PI Cameron Grant) – Modifiable risk factors for obesity at age 4½ years
– John Everatt – Improving self-concept in children with literacy learning difficulties
International Expert Panel presentation on Future Science Direction and Pathways to Impact
– Maree Teesson – The challenges in delivering impact in resilience
– John Lynch – “Impact” from Childhood Interventions
– Rob Savage – Ensuring Impact in research: The case of reading intervention
– Laura Justice – Future Science Direction and Pathways to Impact: early childhood learning
Highlights from He waka eke Noa 2019
A Better Start Science Advisory Panel members
Watch the videos from He waka eke noa Better Together 2019
Mihi Whakatau – Angus Macfarlane
Introduction: He waka eke noa Better Together 2019 – Wayne Cutfield
Opening Address – Hon Minister Jenny Salesa
Keynote Speaker – Hoani Lambert
Students from the Ormiston Junior College Accelerator Programme
Keynote speaker
Hoani Lambert
Deputy Chief Executive, Oranga Tamariki, Ministry for Children
Hoani Lambert (Ngati Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa) is a career public servant and is currently the Deputy Chief Executive, Voices of Children at Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children.
In this role Hoani is responsible for advocating for children and young people’s interests across the government system, ensuring their voices are at the centre of government policy, service design and delivery. He is also responsible for overseeing his Ministry’s implementation of new legislative duties in relation to the Treaty of Waitangi.
As part of the current public service reforms in New Zealand, Hoani is leading a working group to develop a Māori cultural competency framework for senior public servants as part of the Leadership Success Profile (LSP).
Although a specialist in communications, public relations and social marketing, Hoani has had a diverse range of professional roles. He has worked in parliament, directed biosecurity border operations and, most recently, worked as a diplomat with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Hoani holds an Executive Masters in Public Administration through the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG).
Read Hoani Lambert’s Keynote Address – Joining up Ministries for Child Wellbeing.
Programme
He waka eke noa Better Together 2019
Friday 24 May, 2019 | 8:00am – 4:30pm
The Kelliher Estate, 600 Island Road, Puketutu Island, Mangere Bridge, Auckland
8:00am
Registration
Tea and coffee
8:45am
Mihi whakatau
Professor Angus Macfarlane, Vision Mātauranga theme leader
9:00am
Opening address
Hon Jenny Salesa
Minister of Building and Construction, and Ethnic Communities
Associate Minister of Education, Health, Housing and Urban Development
9:20am
Introduction: He waka eke noa Better Together 2019
A Better Start Challenge Director, Professor Wayne Cutfield
He waka eke noa Better Together 2019 presentations
Theme Leader presentations
Rick Audas: Big Data – Research outcomes and impact
Barry Milne – Big Data: Research outcomes
Brigid McNeill – Successful Learning: Research outcomes and impact
Contestable Funding presentations
Nick Pattison and Ormiston Junior College students – Obesity Prevention using systems science – children and adolescents (OPUSS Children & Adolescents
Leonie Pihama – Te Taonga o Taku Ngākau: Ancestral Knowledge as a Framework for Wellbeing for Tamariki Māori
Nigel Harris – High intensity interval training and mental health in adolescents
Arezoo Malihi, Deborah Schlichting and Richard Portch – Modifiable risk factors for obesity at age 4½ years
John Everatt – Improving self-concept in children with literacy learning difficulties
9:35am
Keynote Speaker: Joining up the Ministries for child wellbeing
Chair: Pat Snedden, A Better Start Board Chair
Hoani Lambert, Deputy Chief Executive, Oranga Tamariki
10:05am
Morning tea
10:30am
Healthy Weight: Research outcomes and impact
Chair: Barry Taylor
Rachael Taylor – Theme Leader
Karen Leong, Eadaoin Butler, Evgenia Golovina, and Hannah Rapata,
11:00am
Big Data: Research outcomes and impact
Chair: Barry Taylor
Rick Audas – Theme Leader
Barry Milne, Justine Camp and Rose Richards
11:45am
Successful Learning: Research outcomes and impact
Chair: Gail Gillon
Brigid McNeill – Theme Leader
12:15pm
Resilient Teens: Research outcomes and impact
Chair: Gail Gillon
Sarah Hetrick and Tania Cargo – Theme Leaders
Kaumatua Rawiri Wharemate, Professor Sally Merry and Professor Jim Warren
1:00pm
Lunch
1:45pm
Contestable Funding Presentations
Chair: Wayne Cutfield and Cure Kids representative, Dr Bruce Scoggins
1:45pm
Contestable Funding – Healthy Weight
Obesity Prevention using systems science – children and adolescents
Principal Investigator: Boyd Swinburn
Presenters: Nick Pattison and students from the Ormiston Junior College Accelerator Programme
Understanding barriers and facilitators to engagement in Whanau Pakari: an intervention for children with weight issues
Principal Investigator: Yvonne Anderson
Presenters: Cervantee Wild and Ngauru Rawiri
2:05pm
Contestable Funding – Resilient Teens
Te Taonga a Taku Ngakau: Ancestral Knowledge as a Framework for Wellbeing for Tamariki Maori
Principal Investigator: Leonie Pihama
High intensity interval training and mental health in adolescents
Principal Investigator: Nigel Harris
Health Intervention for Parents of Adolescents – preventing and reducing mental health problems in youth
Principal Investigator: Joanna Chu
2:30pm
Contestable Funding – Big Data
Principle Investigator: Cameron Grant
Presenters: Arezoo Malihi, Deborah Schlichting and Richard Portch
2:40pm
Contestable Funding – Successful Learning
Improving self-concept in children with literacy learning difficulties
Principal Investigator: John Everatt
Genetic diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Minds for Minds and Growing up in New Zealand cohorts
Principal Investigator: Jessie Jacobsen
3:00pm
Afternoon tea
3:20pm
International Expert Panel Presentation on Future Science Direction and Pathways to Impact
Chair: Andrew Sporle – Senior Research Fellow (Honorary), The University of Auckland
Maree Teesson – Professor and Centre Director, Sydney Medical School, University of New South Wales Sydney
Rob Savage – Professor and Head of Department of Psychology and Human Development, University College London
John Lynch – Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, The University of Adelaide
Laura Justice – Executive Director, The Crane Center for Early Childhood Research & Policy, The Ohio State University, US
4:30pm
Closing remarks
Wayne Cutfield
Location
The Kelliher Estate, 600 Island Road, Puketutu Island, Mangere Bridge, Auckland
Friday 24 May, 2019 | 8:00am – 4.30pm
The Kelliher Estate, 600 Island Road, Puketutu Island, Mangere Bridge, Auckland 2022
