Liggins Institute

The Liggins Institute, the first large-scale research institute at The University of Auckland, was established in 2001. It is one of the worlds leading centres for research on maternal and child health, the impact of nutrition on health throughout life, the regulation of growth and development and evolutionary medicine. The Institute was named after Professor Sir Graham (Mont) Liggins, one of New Zealands most eminent medical scientists. His work, which led to a much deeper understanding of the birth process, dramatically improved survival rates among premature babies all over the world. His technique of giving mothers steroid injections during premature labour to stimulate the development of the babys lungs is now standard obstetric practice. The nutrition of mothers and children is arguably the most critical environmental factor in determining the long term health of populations. Much of the research at the Institute is focused on discovering how nutrition during critical s...