Mātai Medical Research Institute is growing capability in Tairāwhiti

The Hugh Green Foundation is a significant supporter of the Mātai Medical Research Institute (Mātai) whose main area of focus is world-class MRI imaging research. They actively support the community by offering a pipeline and opportunities for students to engage in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. One of the multi-year projects the Foundation supports is the Mātai Training and Education Programme which provides support and guidance for students returning from university, including a ten-week summer internship which provides training and mentorship while inspiring students along their individual career pathways in STEM, computer sciences, medical sciences, and health.

Interns are typically enrolled in medical & health sciences, computer sciences, physics, or engineering degrees at a national university, and are typically from Tairāwhiti or have strong ties to the region. The ten-week summer internship programme provides students with the opportunity to be involved with cutting-edge projects in a region of need, working alongside a team of expert scientists, clinicians, research staff, PhD students, and Iwi health providers.

Mātai aims to align the interns with their choice of research projects that closely fit their skill-set and interests, and that will empower the students to make a real difference in the community. This helps Mātai develop stronger links in the community through the work that they do, and then in their future careers.

Workshops and sessions are given with top researchers, ranging from research design, medical imaging, bioengineering tools, ethics, Mātauranga Māori, data management, how to work with computers, and how to reconstruct advanced brain imaging data. The students are given the tools to help build their confidence as future leaders and role models. This includes leadership, science communication sessions, and opportunities to be involved with the media.

The summer interns of 2023/2024 shared their experiences in a final report, writing collectively that the programme “has been a transformative journey for our intern cohort, revealing stories of personal growth, rediscovery of purpose, and the unlocking of life-changing opportunities and friendships. It is our hope that this can be amplified significantly, so that others may not only experience what we have, but also to guide and make it easier for rangatahi as it can be a tumultuous, lonely and scary journey.” One student also shared “Once confident and focused, I found myself lost, unsure about my life’s direction and felt mentally drained from the demands of my studies. It was not until I returned to my roots that I realised this is my ‘why’, and Mātai played a pivotal role in helping me rediscover my purpose and gaining back my mana in a safe space. Another student shared “I am extremely appreciative of the Mātai internship, as it opened my eyes to different pipelines, and allowed me to discover new things.”