19 September 2024

“Women’s Suffrage is an important time to remember in New Zealand’s history. We have the unique privilege of being the first country that gave women the vote, thanks to Kate Sheppard and her friends who fought so hard for the right of New Zealand women to vote” said Karena Brown, Chairperson of the Kate Sheppard Memorial Trust.

“That is why the Trust chose to announce the successful recipient of the 2024 Kate Sheppard Memorial Trust Award on NZ Women’s Suffrage Day, the day we commemorate women in New Zealand getting the vote. This year’s recipient is Olivia Gold, a 25-year-old PhD student at the University of Auckland.”

“Olivia is an impressive young woman who completed her Bachelor of Biomedical Science in 2019 and earned First Class Honours in 2020 at the University of Otago. She is now pursuing her PhD in Biomedical Science within the Translational Cardio-Respiratory Research Laboratory, led by Professor Julian Paton. Olivia’s research focuses on the carotid body—a small, rice grain-sized organ that plays a vital role in controlling breathing. This function is essential for life but can be compromised by conditions such as sleep apnoea, COVID-19, and opioid misuse, which can lead to life-threatening outcomes. Her work emphasises the critical need for new mechanisms that can enhance respiratory function when it is most needed.”

“Olivia’s PhD research focuses on developing an innovative therapeutic tool to stimulate breathing. Building on a recent breakthrough in modulating the carotid body, her work addresses the critical issue of opioid-induced respiratory depression that occurs during both its licit and illicit use. While New Zealand has not yet experienced an opioid crisis on the scale of that in the United States, concerns are growing about the rising use of opioids and the associated risks. International policy experts have highlighted New Zealand’s increasing vulnerability, particularly to powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl. By targeting a mechanism that could potentially reverse opioid-induced respiratory depression, Olivia’s research aims to advance scientific understanding and tackle both a clinical and a pressing public health challenge.”

“The Trust is very pleased to be able to continue to assist talented women achieve their dreams. Developing the ability to counteract the respiratory depressant effects of opioids could save lives by providing crucial interventions for medical teams treating patients with pain and those suffering from opioid overdoses. Therefore, the research being undertaken by this year’s recipient will be very important not only to New Zealand but to overseas as well. We are sure that Kate Sheppard would be proud to lend her name to such a worthwhile area of study.”

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