Ecology and Health Research Group
Why Ecology and Health?
The past 50 years have been an era of extensive environmental change – driven largely by the impacts of human activity & population growth. Anthropogenic changes, in particular changing land cover, shifts in biodiversity, and climate shifts, combined with the industrialisation of agriculture and mass international movements of people and other organisms (intentional & otherwise), are creating new ecological and human scenarios for emerging pathogens and nuisance organisms.
The ecological perspective recognises concerns articulated by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (WHO Synthesis 2005, Health Synthesis 2005) that human impacts on the physical and biotic environment are far reaching and mostly irreversible. This is a peer reviewed consensus from more than 1300 authoritative authors (including E&H) from 97 countries. Such environmental change has major implications for health and well-being in developed and developing areas. These encompass direct effects on health, ecosystem-mediated effects on vector organisms & pathogens, and indirect effects from the social and economic consequences of such change
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People
 Dr
Mary McIntyre MSc PhD, Convenor
email mary.mcintyre@otago.ac.nz
Director, Ecology & Health Laboratory
Research interests: mosquito ecology, wetland ecohealth, ecological
change & enviornmental sustainability, 'green' urban space
 Dr
Simon Hales MB BChir, MPH, PhD Research Fellow
email shales@otago.ac.nz
Research interests: climate change - temperature & rainfall,
vulnerable populations
Associates
Associate Professor
Michael Baker - epidemiology, infectious diseases, zoonotic
disease
Associate Professor
Nick Wilson - epidemiology, responses to climate change
Tim Rochford - Maori health & environment
Research Associates
Dr Amy Wakefield-Snell - mosquito ecology
Dr
Jose Derraik - vector ecology, invasive mosquitoes, biosecurity
issues relevant to human health
Enrique Mundaca - bioindicator insects, larval ecology of mosquitoes
Flavia Prospero - urban open space, outdoor activity & health benefits
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Research
We have a mix of skills in entomology, ecology and environmental
health and epidemiology. Areas of particular interest include:
- vector ecology
- public health entomology
- ecosystems & emerging pathogens
- zoonotic disease
- water-borne pathogens
- environment, well-being & 'quality of life', urban 'green'
space
- climate change & health impacts
Ecology & Health Laboratory
Jaime Pizarro
Entomology Student Visitor in Ecology &
Health 2008, Universidad Catolica del Maule, Chile - mosquitoes in peri-urban and dairy farm environments.
Javad Nazemi
Entomology Visitor 2007, Ecology
& Health Laboratory, Tarbiat Modares University, Teheran- Diversity of malaise-trapped hymenoptera (Insecta) in insect assemblages on remnant wetlands in the Kapiti area.
Environmental Health & Global
Change
Postgraduate
Students with skills from a relevant health or science fields,
and can be supervised jointly with other departments or institutions
as appropriate. Possible projects range from entomological and ecological
topics to environmental health & epidemiology, and may cut across
usual discipline boundaries in addressing topics that link environment
with human health and well-being.
The burden and management
of water-borne diseases in the Maldive Islands, Indian Ocean. MPH
thesis
Nada Hanna
Yersiniosis in New Zealand: what is the problem?
MHealSc thesis
Malin Nordwall
New Zealand as a temperate climate model
for vector borne disease emergence: effects of social and environmental
factors on dengue. MSc in "Ecosystems,Governance & Globalisation'
joint with University of Stockholm.
Flavia Prospero
MHealSc 2008 Park
usage and perceived benefits for health & well-being: Belmont
Regional Park case study.
Emma Britton
MPH 2008 Climate variability & enteric
infection in NZ
Alison White
MPH 2008. Chloropicrin incident at Kohupatiki.
Jose Derraik
by exotic vector
species.
Amy Snell
BSc(Hons), PhD 2006 Identification and distribution
of endemic and exotic mosquitoes in New Zealand: a case study of
land-use and mosquito distribution in the Wellington region and
a pilot health promotion project.
Luis Villa
MPH 2005. Bee and wasp injuries in New Zealand.
Paul Leishnam
MSc, PhD 2004. Anthropogenic land use change
and mosquitoes of public health importance in New Zealand.
Reena Singh
MBChB, MPH 2004. The impacts of climate variability
on diarrhoeal disease in the Pacific Islands.
Undergraduate Medicine - Public Health Project
These are 5-week investigations usually undertaken for an external
agency by a group of 10-12 students. This extends medical education
to a research environment and to a population or community health
issue.
Recent environmental health projects include:
2008. Health impacts from energy price rises (Gp5 electricity,
Gp4 petrol) (Dr S.Hales, Dr M.McIntyre)
2007. Threats from zoonotic disease in New Zealand. (Supervisors
Dr M.McIntyre, Dr M.Baker)
2006 New Zealand Red Cross: vulnerability and capacity assessment.
(Prof P.Crampton, Dr D.Johnston GNS, Dr M. McIntyre).
2006 A.Sanders.Volcanic activity:health risks and implications
for emergency management in New Zealand. Auckland case study.
Report to GNS 19pp. Summer project 2005-2006. (Dr M.McIntyre,
Dr D.Johnston GNS).
2006 Health impacts of traffic on the Wellington Western Corridor.
(Dr M.McIntyre, Dr S.Hales)
2005 Shellfish collecting in Porirua Harbour: What is the best
way to manage the health risk from industrial contamination? (Dr
M.McIntyre, T.Rochford)
2004 A study into health communication issues relating to flooding
in Feilding, Feb.04 (Dr M.McIntyre, Dr N.Wilson).
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