For our final Breakfast Series event of the year, we invite you to join us for another morning of inspiration, insight, and connection.
A bee sting changed her path - Now Dr Megan Leask (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Mamoe) is reshaping how genetics connect to Māori and Pacific health.
Sit down with Dr Leask, a Rutherford Discovery Fellow and internationally recognised lecturer whose innovative research explores how genetics influences health in Mãori and Pacific peoples.
Her career began in honeybee genetics, but an unexpected turning point led her to connect science with culture, whakapapa and wellbeing. She's passionate about mentoring and empowering the next generation of Māori and Pacific tauira, helping them see the power of science as a tool for understanding who we are and where we come from. Her hard mahi has been recognised with her recently being awarded the Otago Māori Early Career Award for Distinction in Research for 2025.
She is committed to many leadership responsibilities in Otago, including being a member of the senior Māori roopu Te Amorangi at the Maurice Wilkins Centre, director of Otago Zebrafish Facility, and co-deputy director of the University Research Theme Genetics Otago. She also founded the Genetics Otago Zebrafish Hub and has roles in gout and Zebrafish research via the Gout Action Aoteoroa group and International Zebrafish Society committees. On top of this, she runs and manages the Leask Lab based in the Department of Physiology.
Come along and hear about her journey of inspiration, curiosity, international work, exploring her Māori whakapapa, and building the connection between science and culture. Tickets are limited and we expect to sell out, so don’t hesitate to grab yours!
Cost
DYP Members: $15.00
Otago Alumni: $20.00
General Admission: $25.00
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