Celebrating New Zealand Women In Science

To celebrate World Women in Science Day on 11 February, the Foundation is shining a light on four, inspiring New Zealand women working in the fields of respiratory research and technology.

Amy Chan Square

Imagine a future where you wake in the morning and your smart phone beeps with your daily asthma forecast. Senior research fellow Dr Amy Chan is working towards making that a reality. Amy, who is based at the School of Pharmacy at the University of Auckland, is currently leading a study to develop an asthma attack prediction tool. Read more.



Lucy Telfar Barnard Square

If you’ve ever wondered how we know that 1 in 7 New Zealanders has a respiratory disease, or that 350,000 school days were missed due to asthma, then researcher Lucy Telfar -Barnard can give you the answer. Lucy is a senior research fellow at the University of Otago’s Department of Public Health. She has been the lead author on the Foundation’s Impact of Respiratory Disease report since 2014. Read more.



Cheryl Davies Square

After more than two decades of involvement with research, Cheryl Davies still sees herself as an ‘emerging’ researcher. “I’m still on a learning journey and as a researcher that journey never really ends,” she says. Cheryl is the manager of Tu Kotahi Māori Asthma Trust and a senior Māori researcher with the University of Otago. Her journey in respiratory research began as a parent. Read more.



Dervla Dyson

Dervla Braem combines her love of science and engineering with practical creativity in her role as a Design and Development Engineer at technology company Dyson. Dervla designs the next generation of Dyson vacuum cleaners, air purifiers and other home appliances. Read more.

Useful Resources

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Checklist For Healthy Lungs Cover

Better Breathing: A checklist for healthy lungs

A useful checklist identifying three aspects of health for healthy lungs including lifestyle, environment and healthcare.