Unpacking the Science of Learning

Nina Hood

This presentation will provide a nuanced view of the science of learning, exploring what this body of research tells us about the cognitive processes involved in learning as well as the range of factors - social, environmental, emotional and individual - that impact our ability to learn. It will unpack the implications of the science of learning for teachers, particular in light of the current curriculum reform in New Zealand and changing pedagogical approaches.

Nina has a background as a secondary school teacher in Auckland. She has an MSc and DPhil in Education from The University of Oxford and worked as an academic at The University of Auckland for eight years. She is the founder of The Education Hub, a not-for-profit with a mission to bridge the gap between research and practice in education. She also is a co-founder of The Teachers' Institute, which offers school-based teacher training programmes. 

Cutting edge industry, from a kiwi "number eight wire" start

William Rolleston

William has advocated for science, industry and agriculture as the founding chair of Aotearoa New Zealand’s biotechnology industry association (now Biotech NZ) and the Life Sciences Network; as president of both New Zealand Federated Farmers and the World Farmers Organisation; and has advised local and central government on science strategy, economic development and biosecurity through the Science and Innovation Boards, Aoraki Development Trust and as external advisor to the Governor of the Reserve Bank.

Conservation in the Field

Andrew Digby

Andrew lives in New Zealand, though originally from the UK. He completed undergraduate studies in Natural Sciences (Astrophysics) at Cambridge University, followed by a Ph.D. in astronomy at Edinburgh University, where his research explored the structure of the Galaxy through low-mass stars.Following this, Andrew spent two and a half years in the United States on a NASA postdoctoral fellowship at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. In 2006, he moved to New Zealand and worked in meteorological research for three years before transitioning to ecology. Andrew completed a Ph.D. in Conservation Biology at Victoria University of Wellington, focusing on kiwi research at Zealandia Nature Reserve, where he also contributed as a tour guide and volunteer.Currently, Andrew is a scientist at the Department of Conservation in New Zealand, specialising in kakapo and takahe. His research and work can be followed on Twitter: @takapodigs.

Testing wastewater for Drugs and Bugs – understanding the health and behaviours of a community

Andrew Chappel & Brent Gilpin

There was a large information gap in understanding consumption of illicit drugs in Aotearoa New Zealand, due to the illegal nature of the activity. Seizures only confiscate a relatively small portion of what enters the country, and surveys can be unreliable. In 2016 the methodology to measure and estimate drug consumption was developed and implemented, filling this information gap with objective, unbiased data on drug consumption at the community level. This initiative has now expanded to become the most comprehensive programme of its type in the world, with approximately 80% population coverage. This testing objectively measures the temporary change in drug use due to festivals, impacts of sudden events like the pandemic lockdown, and the dramatic increase in methamphetamine consumption in 2024 leading to a Ministerial Advisory Group being formed to develop action plans. Ongoing monitoring supports drug policy development, and efficient allocation of harm reduction programmes.

During 2020 it became apparent that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 could be detected in wastewater. We established a national wastewater testing programme that during 2021 over 5,000 samples from 217 locations across New Zealand were tested. Wastewater surveillance was incredibly sensitive with the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater from communities with no known cases allowed public health officials and the community to focus resources, contributing to rapid containment of transmission. Testing also provided reassurance of the absence of disease across the community. Ongoing testing supports understanding of the levels of community infection and variants responsible.

Andrew is an analytical chemist, leading a team using mass spectrometry to perform trace organic analyses on food and environmental samples.
Brent uses molecular based tools to understanding water quality, and to investigate causes of infectious disease. Core to this is the use of quantitative PCR to detect specific organisms, and sequencing technology to characterise individual microorganisms or whole populations of microorganisms. 

Tim Woodfield

Details to come

Mythbusting de-extinction to sort fact from fiction

Nic Rawlence

De-extinction has hit the headlines recently with the ‘resurrection’ of the dire wolf and plans to de-extinct the moa. However, can scientists actually de-extinct animals, and more importantly, should they bring them back? In this talk and Q&A Nic will delve into the science, ethics, and Indigenous concerns surrounding de-extinction.

Associate Professor Nic Rawlence is Director of the Otago Palaeogenetics Lab in the Department of Zoology at the University of Otago. His research focuses on reconstructing prehistoric ecosystems whether hundreds of years or tens of millions of years old; how these ecosystems responded (and in some cases didn't) to Aotearoa dynamic geological, climatic and human history; and how this information can be used to inform evidence-based kaitiakitanga and conservation management of our taonga species. Nic has also become one of the world's leading critics of de-extinction and was awarded the 2025 Cranwell Medal for Science Communication by the New Zealand Association of Scientists. He is also the tertiary representative for BEANZ.

What Happens to Me—and Around Me: Rethinking School Climate, Belonging, and Achievement

Valerie Soltardi

In this presentation, Dr Valerie Sotardi (Associate Professor of Educational Psychology & Quantitative Research, University of Canterbury) discusses why secondary students with similar talents and abilities achieve differently both within and across schools, arguing that outcomes are shaped not only by individual experiences, but also by the broader relational climate of schools. Drawing on her international and New Zealand-specific findings from PISA, TIMSS, and the OECD’s Study on Social and Emotional Skills (SSES), the talk highlights how belonging—and its negative counterpart, bullying—influence social-emotional skills, mental health, and achievement in secondary science. 

Findings are also drawn from her recent Health Research Council-funded research project on mental health supports in secondary schools across the motu, grounding the discussion in school staff members' lived experiences within multi-level support systems. The presentation aims to bring together cultural understanding as the why-- grounded in values of manaakitanga and whanaungatanga--and scientific inquiry as the how, providing robust, evidence-based pathways for action. Dr Sotardi concludes with practical takeaways to create learning environments where students feel safe, connected, and able to succeed.

Dr Valerie Sotardi is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology and Quantitative Research at the University of Canterbury, specialising in youth mental health and student wellbeing. Her research focuses on how school climate—particularly psychological safety and teacher–student relationships—shapes learning, achievement, and mental health outcomes. She specialises in help-seeking behaviours among young people and the conditions that support them across adolescence into early adulthood. Using advanced quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods, her work aims to improve student outcomes, teacher practice, and evidence-based interventions linking education and mental health systems.