Nurturing future leaders: Transformative journey for Mātai interns

Mātai’s summer interns are, back row (from left): Kyle McVey, Rikki Noble, Olivier Cassidy, Braden Fowell, Aorere Waaka, William Batten, Paige Richter, Tyler Lillis, Jade Keelan, Jakob Brown and Tom Talbot. Front: Daizee Rawls, Jacquie Shanks, Breanna Ferris, Imogen Amor-Bendall, Sofia Zame, Zara Potter, Phoebe Wynands, Holly Flyger and Joseph Ross-Ward. Absent: Tumanako Jones and Oli Gillies. Picture by Liam Clayton

Tairāwhiti-based Mātai Medical Research Institute has celebrated the success of its 10-week summer internship programme and farewelled those involved.

Chief operating officer Leigh Potter says the interns undertook a transformative journey of research discovery and personal development.

“What makes this internship unique is its strong focus on community engagement, and providing the students with opportunities to reconnect back home to their whenua and whānau after periods of study elsewhere,” she said.

The interns came from diverse educational backgrounds — engineering, medicine, physics, psychology, neuroscience, health science and Māori studies.

They were given the opportunity to work alongside leading researchers such as Mātai director of research Dr Samantha Holdsworth, Mātai senior research fellow Dr Josh McGeown, Waikato University Professor Holly Thorpe and many more.

“Many interns noted that the 10-week programme provided them with new skills to progress their studies and reinforced their desire to continue in medical research or STEM fields.

“The programme featured insightful presentations by world-renowned experts, opening students’ eyes to different fields.”

A key component of the programme was a journal club aimed at improving abilities in scientific communication.

This was supported by a course on comprehensive research methods, a highlight for many interns as it went hand in hand with their studies.

The course spanned the entirety of the research process — from formulating research questions to effectively communicating scientific findings to the public.

“Other activities ranged from waiata at Te Whatu Ora Tairāwhiti chapel, socialising at the Manawarū café in Elgin and being exposed to pūrākau (stories) that captured the rich local history and its relevance to the aspirations of the Turanga Health team for the Manawarū space.

“Interns also had the opportunity to engage in virtual reality at Tāiki E.

“The Mātauranga Māori sessions were another favourite for the cohort. These sessions included kōrero with many guest speakers, who enlightened our interns with their views and knowledge in te ao Māori and were able to relate it to the mahi being done at Mātai.

“This enriched the cultural experience of many of our interns and allowed for a deeper understanding to be formed.”

Leadership workshops led by Stu Potter were a major highlight, providing interns with invaluable insights into leadership, design thinking and community engagement.

Mātai Medical Research Institute also awarded 11 scholarships to Tairāwhiti secondary school graduates seeking tertiary education, thanks to the support of Turanga Health, QUEST Trust, the Holdsworth Family Trust, and Pultron Composites.

These scholarships are to help support emerging talented students pursuing careers in bioengineering, medical imaging, medical physics or health and medical sciences.