Malaghan Institute of Medical Research

Malaghan Institute of Medical Research Together we can harness the power of the immune system and save lives.

Every year, our incredible volunteers, the Malaghan Friends, rally our communities together by organising events to rais...
26/11/2025

Every year, our incredible volunteers, the Malaghan Friends, rally our communities together by organising events to raise both awareness and vital funds for the life-changing medical research at the Malaghan.

Charity golf tournaments are one way they do this – a legacy that goes back decades. This year our Hawke’s Bay Friends celebrated their 25th tournament, and our Wellington Friends marked an amazing 26 years! With perfect weather and a brilliant turnout of teams, both events were full of friendly competition, connection, generosity and good laughs.

We continue to be blown away by the kindness of everyone who gets behind these tournaments – the individuals, businesses and partners who donate their time, prizes and passion to help make a difference.

A huge thank you to our wonderful Friends, and to our charity partners Lexus and JB Were. We’re so grateful to have you in our corner.

A big Malaghan welcome to our 2025/26 summer students! We’re excited to kick off another summer with a talented group of...
26/11/2025

A big Malaghan welcome to our 2025/26 summer students! We’re excited to kick off another summer with a talented group of students from universities around New Zealand.

Summer or practicum placements are an important part of any young scientist's training, and we thrive on the new ideas, energy and hard work these future leaders bring to our organisation.

This year we have a record-breaking 10 students joining us to work on projects ranging from cancer, allergy and infectious disease research, to gut health and RNA technology

Welcome all!

Our warmest congratulations to Malaghan PhD Student Rebecca Palmer who has been awarded the 2025 Brett Delahunt PhD Rese...
24/11/2025

Our warmest congratulations to Malaghan PhD Student Rebecca Palmer who has been awarded the 2025 Brett Delahunt PhD Research Prize! 🎓🔬🏅

This award recognises excellence at doctoral level and is a great testament to all of Bex’s hard work and dedication.

Bex was also recently awarded the Maurice Capstick Travel Award to present her research at the World Immune Regulation Meeting in Switzerland in 2026.

Congratulations Bex! Well deserved. 👏

It was a pleasure to welcome Professor Richard Ferrero from Melbourne's Hudson Institute of Medical Research to the Mala...
23/11/2025

It was a pleasure to welcome Professor Richard Ferrero from Melbourne's Hudson Institute of Medical Research to the Malaghan to discuss all things Helicobacter pylori – from pathogenesis to new therapeutic approaches to eradicating this stomach cancer causing bacterium.

Prof Ferrero has provided valuable advice on establishing preclinical models of H. pylori in our facility and will be a valuable collaborator as our own clinical programme gears up.

A huge congratulations to our cytometry superstar Sam Small who has been selected as an Emerging Leader by the Internati...
21/11/2025

A huge congratulations to our cytometry superstar Sam Small who has been selected as an Emerging Leader by the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

Flow cytometry is a key analytical technology that underpins much of the research at the Malaghan, enabling our researchers to study the properties and functions of immune cells. It requires specialised, highly trained technicians to get the most out of our cytometers.

The ISAC Emerging Leader Program is a highly competitive four-year initiative that supports and develops the next generation of leaders in this field.

Congratulations Sam - well deserved! 🌟

This week marks World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week. Antimicrobial resistance remains a significant global hea...
19/11/2025

This week marks World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week. Antimicrobial resistance remains a significant global health threat, contributing to longer illness, reduced treatment effectiveness and mortality.

At the Malaghan Institute, Research Officer Georgina Wheller is part of an important project aiming to better understand the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant H.pylori in New Zealand. Her research aims to inform more effective treatment approaches and ultimately help reduce the burden of stomach cancer.

https://www.malaghan.org.nz/news-and-resources/news/tracking-the-journey-of-the-shapeshifting-bacteria-behind-stomach-cancer

As we mark a milestone with the delivery of our 50th CAR T-cell dose this month, we celebrate a significant anniversary ...
12/11/2025

As we mark a milestone with the delivery of our 50th CAR T-cell dose this month, we celebrate a significant anniversary that helped set it all in motion – enabling the manufacturing of cutting-edge cell therapies and laying the groundwork for pioneering clinical trials.

Twenty years ago, in 2005, the Malaghan Institute achieved its first GMP – Good Manufacturing Practice – licence, the green light from Medsafe that our laboratories had met the exacting standards required to prepare, process and culture human tissues for advanced cell therapies.

Five years later, in 2010, Health Minister Hon Tony Ryall opened our state-of-the-art Keith and Faith Taylor Cancer Research Laboratories. At the time, director Professor Graham Le Gros spoke to the shared vision for the labs and the years invested in developing the necessary knowledge, techniques and protocols to translate cancer immunotherapies into a clinical setting.

He also highlighted the critical role of philanthropy in ensuring ground-breaking research translates into improved health outcomes for New Zealanders – something that has remained a constant.

https://www.malaghan.org.nz/news-and-resources/news/celebrating-milestones-in-bringing-life-saving-cell-therapies-to-new-zealand

It was fantastic to have Dr Danika Hill visit the Malaghan last week. Dr Hill, who is a Laboratory Head in the Departmen...
11/11/2025

It was fantastic to have Dr Danika Hill visit the Malaghan last week. Dr Hill, who is a Laboratory Head in the Department of Immunology at Monash University, gave a talk on how different antigen types affect how B-cells respond to bacterial infections.

A big shout-out to Pauline Scahill, who is hiking the Routeburn Track this month to raise funds for the Malaghan!Pauline...
08/11/2025

A big shout-out to Pauline Scahill, who is hiking the Routeburn Track this month to raise funds for the Malaghan!

Pauline, who is living with lymphoma, is combining her love of the outdoors with her drive to support life-changing research.

“I’m walking the Routeburn Track as a fundraiser to support the Malaghan Institute and the ground-breaking work being researched here in Wellington. Amazing people doing much-needed research. Thanks for your support – by cheering me on, passing on my link or a donation. All helps to make our world a world with hope.”

We’re so grateful to Pauline for her generosity and determination – and for her supporters walking alongside her for a future where cancer can be prevented, treated and cured through harnessing the power of the immune system.

Support her here 👉 https://donate.malaghan.org.nz/fundraisers/paulinescahill/a-great-walk-for-the-malagan

It’s Measles Immunisation Week, and our scientists are standing with others across Aotearoa New Zealand to share an impo...
06/11/2025

It’s Measles Immunisation Week, and our scientists are standing with others across Aotearoa New Zealand to share an important message: vaccines save lives.

The measles virus can cause severe and deadly infections. It is one of the most infectious human diseases on the planet, but it is also one of the most preventable – the MMR vaccine generates a strong, long-lasting immune response, providing near-complete protection against measles after two doses.

It takes all of us to protect our loved ones and vulnerable people in our communities. Strong community immunity is built through widespread vaccination.

Find out more or book your vaccination:
• Book online: bookmyvaccine.health.nz
• Call the Vaccination Helpline: 0800 28 29 26
• Find a clinic or check your immunisation status: info.health.nz/measles

It was a pleasure to welcome the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology Hon Dr Shane Reti MP to the Malaghan Ins...
05/11/2025

It was a pleasure to welcome the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology Hon Dr Shane Reti MP to the Malaghan Institute yesterday to celebrate our scientists' recent Marsden Fund successes and share the science the funding is supporting – from fine-tuning cancer-killing CAR T-cells and protecting the lung from respiratory diseases, to improving liver cancer treatment with an mRNA vaccine and targeting metabolic pathways to treat allergies.

Minister Reti toured the institute to meet our scientists leading the research and discussed with director Professor Kjesten Wiig and general manager Mike Zablocki the importance of visionary, sustained government investment in health research if we are to see real health and economic benefits for Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Malaghan Institute has been awarded four grants from the prestigious Marsden Fund to explore bold new ideas in cance...
05/11/2025

The Malaghan Institute has been awarded four grants from the prestigious Marsden Fund to explore bold new ideas in cancer, allergy and infectious disease research.

The contestable grants, worth more than $2.6 million over three years, will support projects ranging from enhancing CAR T-cell therapies and reprogramming allergic responses to exploring protective microbes and developing a therapeutic liver cancer mRNA vaccine.

Director Professor Kjesten Wiig says being awarded four highly-competitive Marsden grants speaks to the exceptional calibre of the Malaghan Institute’s scientists and the breadth of research driving new insights to prevent, treat and cure disease.

“Blue-sky research is vital for an independent biomedical institute like ours – it fuels the discoveries that will eventually become real-world treatments with sustained investment.”

Read more 👉 https://www.malaghan.org.nz/news-and-resources/news/marsden-funding-to-drive-discovery-and-innovation-in-cancer-allergy-and-infectious-disease-research

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Gate 7, Victoria University, Kelburn Parade
Wellington
6012

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Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

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+6444996914

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Our Story

The Malaghan Institute of Medical Research is New Zealand’s world-leading independent biomedical research institute with a focus on breakthrough discoveries in immunology and immunotherapy.

Our cutting-edge research and clinical trials are advancing understanding of the immune system to improve human health. Our key areas of research and discovery include cancer, asthma and allergy, infectious diseases, gut health and brain health. Our reputation as a cutting-edge biomedical research and training facility sees us house New Zealand’s brightest and most creative scientists, doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows. This drive to make a difference to human health means we attract and train the best, which strengths the educational and career pathways for future New Zealand scientists and clinicians. Our work is recognised internationally and ongoing collaborations ensure our scientists keep abreast of the latest developments, and maintain our research at a world-class level.

As a registered charity, we are owned by New Zealand, for the benefit of all New Zealanders.

Charity Registration Number: CC 10357