HPARC Webinar series: Insights from past pandemics, and preparing for the future

Te Rā | Dates: Monday 18, Tuesday 19, Thursday 21 and Friday 22 August 2025
Te Wā | Time: 12-1pm
Te Wāhi | Venue: Online zoom webinars

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Webinar details

Webinar 1: Monday 18th August, 12–1pm  

Theme: Insights from ancient pandemics: What the Black Death and other pandemics of the past can teach us.
Speakers:

  • Professor Rebecca Gowland (Durham University, England), Bioarchaeology
  • Professor Chris Gerrard (Durham University, England), Archaeologist and medieval historian 
  • Professor Frank Krauss (Durham University, England), Physicist and disease modeller

Webinar 2: Tuesday 19th August, 12–1pm

Theme: Insights from the 1918 influenza pandemic: Still more to learn
Speakers:

  • Professor Geoffrey Rice (University of Canterbury) - Social history of the pandemic in New Zealand
  • Dr Sarah Pirikahu (University of Otago Wellington) - The pandemic in numbers
  • Hampton Gaddy (Centre for Research on Pandemics & Society, Norway) - Islands in the Pacific that escaped the pandemic and those that did not

Webinar 3: Thursday 21st August, 12–1pm

Theme: Insights from Covid-19: Emerging clarity

Speakers: 

  • Professor Michael Baker (University of Otago Wellington) -  Emerging clarity about effective pandemic strategy, infrastructure, and engagement
  • Sir Collin Tukuitonga (University of Auckland) - Protecting Indigenous people and the Pacific
  • Dr John Kerr (University of Otago Wellington) - Planning for pandemics means planning for misinformation

Webinar 4: Friday 22nd August, 12–1pm

Theme: Future pandemic threats and how we can protect ourselves
Speakers:

  • Professor Dave Hayman (Massey University) - Reducing spillover events from zoonotic sources
  • Professor Raina McIntyre (University of New South Wales) - Preventing laboratory leaks and harmful Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC)
  • Professor Nick Wilson (University of Otago Wellington) - Anticipating and managing threats from artificial intelligence and bioweapons
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