Pacific Islands Health Research Symposium 2024 organising committee chair Dr Donald Wilson, left, with University of Otago PhD student Shivankar Nair holding his Early Career Researcher Award.
Otago neuroscience doctoral candidate Shivankar Nair’s research into improving recovery from stroke has been internationally recognised. Shivankar was awarded the Best Oral Presentation on Non-Communicable Diseases by an Early Career Researcher at the 2024 Pacific Islands Health Research Symposium.
This flagship event, hosted annually by Fiji National University’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences, brought together around 300 health researchers and policymakers from across the Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand, addressing pressing health challenges such as communicable and non-communicable diseases, mental health and health policy issues.
The symposium also proposed some collaborative solutions for Fiji’s current HIV epidemic.
Shivankar is in his final year of PhD studies and is supervised by Associate Professors Ailsa McGregor and Alesha Smith at the School of Pharmacy.
His research investigates how commonly used medications influence long term functional status after stroke.
Using health administrative data, he has consistently shown that Pacific peoples experience stroke rates at younger age and have poorer outcomes than NZ Europeans.
Shivankar, a proud born-and-bred Fijian, was thrilled to have his work recognised by his peers back at home.
“It was an honour to present my research alongside leading Pacific health professionals, researchers and policy makers from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, all working together to find solutions to the major health burdens facing the Pacific today,” he said.
His passion for stroke research is deeply personal, sparked by his father’s experience with a debilitating stroke. A former Member of Parliament in Fiji, his father faced long-term impacts from the stroke, driving Shivankar’s commitment to improving outcomes for stroke survivors.
“There is no cure for stroke yet, so it’s essential for us to maximise the effectiveness of treatment strategies we already have,” Shivankar says.
“By developing clearer prescribing guidelines and improving prescribing practices, we can better stroke recovery, reduce the economic burden on healthcare systems, and offer valuable guidance to clinicians in both New Zealand and the Pacific.”
Shivankar holds several leadership roles within the School of Pharmacy, including as a postgraduate student representative on the research, health and safety, and social and wellbeing committees. He also played a key role in founding the Otago Neuroscience Students Association, serving as its president in 2023.
Shivankar is committed to continuing his work in Pacific health research, fostering collaborations, and contributing towards finding solutions for some of the region’s most significant health challenges.
Kōrero by Claire Grant, Communications Advisor, School of Biomedical Sciences