UC researchers named among nation’s rising leaders

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) researchers Dr Liam Turk, Dr Taylor Winter and Dr Helena Cook have received Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowships, it was announced today. 

Funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and administered by the Royal Society Te Apārangi, the Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships awarded 20 Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowships to promising early-career researchers. The Fellowships aim to empower emerging research leaders to push boundaries and deliver real-world impact.

Dr Helena Cook, from UC’s Faculty of Arts, will explore how Pacific youth in Aotearoa New Zealand understand and experience politics. Through talanoa — a Pacific approach to open, inclusive dialogue — her research will amplify Pacific voices, providing insights for government, schools and communities to strengthen civic engagement and representation.

Dr Liam Turk, from UC’s School of Biological Sciences, is tackling one of the world’s most urgent health challenges—antibiotic resistance. His research focuses on understanding bacterial TAXI transporters, a little-known class of proteins that could hold the key to developing new, more effective antibiotics. 

Dr Taylor Winter (Ngāi Tahu), from UC’s School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing, will develop an innovative approach to address Aotearoa New Zealand’s growing loneliness epidemic. His research will blend social psychology, Bayesian statistics, and mātauranga Māori to explore how group-based activities—such as the Māori martial art Mau Rākau and the tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons—can strengthen belonging and cultural connection. By fusing these approaches, Dr Winter aims to create and test new tools that foster wellbeing, social identity and inclusion.

The fellowships provide $820,000 over four years, supporting not only the researchers’ projects but also their leadership and professional development through national collaboration networks.

The Chair of the Selection Panel, UC Professor Renwick Dobson said the fellowship “ensures New Zealand’s research landscape remains vibrant, inclusive and globally competitive”.  

Two Mana Tūārangi Distinguished Researcher Fellowships were also awarded.