The Science of Medicines

A massive mihi to for an incredible 4 days of culture, connection, community, and colour! Ngā mihi nui to everyone who came to kōrero with us at . An amazing celebration - mana motuhake in action!

Ngā mihi nui Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou for enabling The Science of Medicines Whakatere Waka and Otago Museum to be part of the 2023 Ngāi Tahu Treaty Festival at Ōtākou marae! Wonderful to see the curious and creative minds of our tamariki! Beautiful sun, smiles, and celebration - mīharo whānau!

Ngā mihi nui to the amazing staff and students at Waitara High School and Manukorihi Intermediate Waitara! A massive thank you for your manaaki and enthusiasm - mīharo! Remember to contact us if you come to Ōtepoti!

Ngā mihi maioha TARANAKI IWI - Taranaki Tū Mai 2022!! Hosted by Ngāti Ruanui, the festival in Te Hāwera was an incredible celebration of Taranakitanga and was attended by over 2000 people. What a privilege to be part of this. Me tōngai harakeke w'ānau!

Meitaki ma’ata Aitutaki and Otago Museum for enabling Science of Medicines Whakatere Waka to be part of the first ever Aitutaki Science Expo! With the theme of ‘Synergy between traditional knowledge and science’, and a collection of incredible interactive science, the expo went off with a bang!

"The hands-on activities have given our children the opportunity to know that science is fun and that they can make their dreams a reality. This was such an amazing experience and was so good"

Mīharo koutou!

Ngā mihi nui Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ōtepoti! Tino pai koutou - what an awesome pūtaiao session of Bug Busting, resisting antibiotic resistance, and creativity this week! Meri Kirihimete - ka kite anō!

Ka mau te wehi Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ōtepoti! We are loving our pūtaiao sessions with you. He mihi nui ki a koutou for your manaaki and enthusiasm - mīharo! Hei āpōpō!

Whakamihi nui ki a koutou! Well done and thank you to all of you who entered our Science of Medicines D-Bug Game Design Challenge, and a special congratulations to all our prize winners!
He mihi tino nui to our fabulous judges, L**h Szymanski (computer scientist extraordinaire), Ben Peters (game-making biochemist) and Lauren Saker (awesome creative at NZ’s Centre for Digital Excellence, CODE). In the words of our judges, ‘all the ideas are awesome – all of these kids are super awesome!’. We totally agree. Ka rawe everyone!
We will be in touch with prize-winners who were unable to attend today’s official prize-giving very soon!

The Science of Medicines Whakatere Waka D-Bug Game Design Challenge is on now!
Do you have an awesome idea for a game that teaches us about viruses and the medicines we use to defend against them? Enter the D-Bug Game Design Challenge and be in to win some awesome prizes!
Entries open: Now!
Entries close: 5pm Sunday 20 November 2022
Prize-giving: 12-2pm Sunday 27 November 2022 @ Otago Museum. See https://otagomuseum.nz/d-bug-game-design-challenge/ for Fun Fact sheets, and how to enter! Any questions just pātai mai!!

Kia Orāna kōtou kātoatoa! The Science of Medicines Whakatere Waka is with Otago Museum in Rarotonga! A huge meitaki to the beautiful Cook Islands!

Fa'afetai lava, Meitaki mā'ata, Mālō, Fakafetai, Vinaka vakalevu, Fakaue, Ngā mihi nui Moana Nui Festival and Pacific Trust Otago for an incredible day of celebration and sharing at Moana Nui 2022 on Saturday! Ka rawe!!

Can't wait for Moana Nui tomorrow! Mā te wā!!

Looking forward to Moana Nui Festival again this year - Mā te wā!!

Amazing imagination and inspiration at our D-Bug Game Design ‘Game Environments’ Workshop last Sunday! This workshop will run again on Sunday 28th August, before the final workshop to bring it all together on Sunday 11th September. Nau mai, haere mai - everyone is welcome! D-Bug Game Design Challenge webpage with entry details and more information coming soon!

Ka rawe! Another awesome day of curiosity and creativity at the D-Bug Character Design workshop! Fantastic to see those taking part sharing their knowledge and ideas with others - tino pai koutou!
We'll be doing more of this, and exploring game environments, at next Sunday's workshop - same place, same time. Drop-in anytime between 10am-4:30pm!

Drop-in anytime between 10am- 4:30pm whānau!

The Science of Medicines D-Bug Game Design Challenge Do you like sculpting, creating amazing stories, and gaming!? The University of Otago Science of Medicines Whakatere Waka invites you to take part in the D-Bug Game Design Challenge. We want you to design a game, or game concept, about vaccines and/or viruses and be in to win some awesome spot prize...

Drop in to our D-Bug Game Design 'Character Design Workshop' anytime between 10am-4:30pm this Sunday 7th August, upstairs at the Otago Museum HD Skinner Annex!
Look out for our banner with the The Science of Medicines waka at the entrance to the Annex.
Check out some of the awesome creativity from our workshop last Sunday!
Mā te wā!

Come along and Go Viral at the first of our free D-Bug game design challenge drop-in workshops! Character sculpting, 3D imaging, animating and more! Suitable for primary and secondary school-aged tamariki. Nau mai, haere mai - join us at the Otago Museum HD Skinner Annex this Sunday anytime between 10am-4:30pm!

Ngā mihi maioha Otago Museum for hosting and supporting the launch of our D-Bug Game Design Challenge yesterday. It was incredible to see the curious & creative minds of our young people in action!

We're looking forward to our D-Bug Game Design Challenge Workshops, running every Sunday until 4 September. These free workshops will be held in the Otago Museum Annex (next to University Book Shop) - for more info see https://otagomuseum.nz/whats-on/d-bug-design-game-challenge

Stay tuned for more information about how to enter, awesome prizes up for grabs, and a link to our D-Bug Game Design Challenge website!

Nau mai, haere mai! The Science of Medicines Whakatere Waka will be in the Atrium at Otago Museum tomorrow, 24 July, from 10am-4:30! Join us for a hands-on journey into the science of medicines, and GO VIRAL as we launch our D-Bug game design challenge! Mā te wā!

The Science of Medicines Whakatere Waka 2022 voyage has begun this week with a brilliant visit to Te Tai Poutini! From Kā Roimata o Hinehukatere in Franz Josef to Hokitika - 4 days, 4 towns, and fabulous whānau! Ngā mihi mō tō manaakitanga mai!

Kei hea mai!! Awesome to be part of this fantastic event Te Pae Māhuri He Waka Kotuia Dunedin City Council Protect What We Love Gravity Events! Ngā mihi nui to everyone involved - can't wait for the next one!!

Haere mai whānau! Join us at Dunedin wharf for MANU COMP 21 this Saturday! We'll be there with Te Pae Māhuri, Te Kāika, Protect What We Love, He Waka Kotuia and loads more!
Kōrero with us about vaccines and viruses, get your spot at the vaccination station, fill up at the kai stalls, chill to the live sounds of local bands, and pop the phattest manu for a cash prize!
Mā te wā!

Kei hea mai, Oamaru!! A brilliant day of manaaki & music at the St Pauls church hall vaccination clinic on Saturday. Ngā mihi nui Oamaru Pacific Island Community Group Inc., Tumai Ora Whānau Services - Aukaha Ltd and WellSouth Community. Amazing mahi!

The Science of Medicines will be in Oamaru with Oamaru Pacific Island Community Group Inc. and Tumai Ora Whānau Services - Aukaha Ltd this weekend! Mā te wā whānau!

Sun, sounds, and staying safe on Super Rāhoroi! What a fantastic day in the Octagon with Te Kāika, Otago Museum, Southern District Health Board and Dunedin City Council Amazing mahi and amazing turnout, Ōtepoti!

Haere mai whānau! Join us for SUPER RĀHOROI 10-3pm tomorrow in the Octagon! Kōrero with us about vaccines and viruses, get vaccinated at the Te Kaika vaccination bus, and chill to some live sounds from the music stage. Mā te wā!

Ngā mihi nui to the New Zealand International Science Festival and Otago University for a massive weekend of BUG BUSTING at the Science Expo in July! Hundreds of people joined us on a hands-on investigative mission into the world of bug-busting medicines. We discovered mould juice and exploding bacteria, learnt how to care for antibiotics so that they can care for us, tested our petri dish powers by staying one step ahead of the SuperBugs, and took on the COVID Kerplunk and Corona-bowling challenge! Ka mau te wehi!

SELECT PROTECT! Covid-19 vaccination will help protect you from getting Covid-19. Check out our Covid-19 'Vaccinate to Activate' information about how the Pfizer vaccine works and what to expect.
Kia haumaru te noho, stay safe!

Ngā mihi nui! A big thank you to the schools and rangatahi that have recently welcomed us to share about the Science of Medicines. Brilliant conversations and curious minds! Koia kei a koutou - you're awesome!

A big THANKS! to the Meridian Mall in Ōtepoti for enabling us to pop-up in the mall over several lunchtimes throughout May! We enjoyed hundreds of face-to-face and hands-on conversations about coronavirus, how mRNA vaccines work, what to expect from Covid-19 vaccination, and protecting ourselves and our whānau from Covid-19. Looking forward to further kōrero throughout Otago and Southland over the coming months! Ka pai!

The Science of Medicines was On The Street using Lab-in-a-Box in the Lower Octagon yesterday. What a brilliant day of conversation and hands-on engagement about coronavirus, Covid-19 vaccines, and community immunity!

What a brilliant day celebrating our South Dunedin community at the South Dunedin Street Festival today! A big thank you to the South Dunedin Community Network and to all of the whānau who stopped by to chat about VIRUSES & VACCINES. So many valuable conversations and a whole lot of hands-on fun!

The Science of Medicines is teaming up with Otago Museum for some hands-on BUG-BUSTING action at the South Dunedin Street Festival this Saturday!

Look out for the Science of Medicines waka and join us to explore VIRUSES & VACCINES. Get inside coronavirus and COVID-19 with Otago Museum's brand new coronavirus touchscreen, and take up the COVID Kerplunk challenge to discover how vaccines can protect you and your whānau! Mā te wā!

What a fabulous day spent celebrating whānau health & well-being at Ōraka, Colac Bay on Saturday! Thank you to Ngā Kete Mātauranga Pounamu Charitable Trust, Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka, and Korari for your manaakitanga and for inviting us to be part of Te Manawa Whānau. Tamariki enjoyed exploring Nature's Medicine Chest, creating Community Immunity against viruses, taking control on Paracetamol Patrol, and getting hands-on with Otago Museum's brand new coronavirus digital touchscreen! Ka pai!