06/08/2026
We were delighted to welcome members of the Maunuhanga–Wellington Postdoctoral Society to the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute this week.
The Society brings postdoctoral and early career researchers together from across the region, helping them build relationships, exchange ideas and support one another as their careers develop.
While established researchers often have strong networks across research institutes, universities and other organisations, opportunities for early career researchers to form similar connections can be harder to find. Events like this create space for researchers to share their work, meet their peers and discover new possibilities for collaboration.
During the visit, we heard presentations from:
Dr Sam Siljee, who shared his findings on early changes in lung squamous cell cancer.
Dr Yonathan Lukito, who spoke about fungi and pharmaceuticals.
Dr Kaitlin Buick, who discussed her investigation into the role of type I interferon signalling in the immune response to mRNA-LNP vaccination.
Dr Jochem Vink, who presented on building capability and developing novel RNA technologies.
Our PhD students also gained a great deal from the presentations and the discussions that followed. It was a valuable opportunity to ask questions, explore the research in more detail and exchange perspectives with early career researchers.
The group also enjoyed a tour of our laboratories, where they were introduced to the facilities, research capabilities and expertise that support our work at the Institute.
We were pleased to hear that the rest of their Wellington research tour went well too. They visited Te Kāuru-The Ferrier Research Institute and the Paihau–Robinson Research Institute, making it a rewarding day of science, learning and connection across the region.
Thank you to our speakers and everyone who joined us. It was a pleasure to spend time with such a thoughtful and enthusiastic group of researchers.
