I am a natural products chemist, studying the compounds that give colour and flavour to our foods, scent to flowers, and that are the inspiration for many of our life-saving drugs. Much of my research is on taonga species, native to Aotearoa New Zealand, working with Māori on discovering new compounds in native plants, animals and microorganisms. The aim is to gain new understanding of natural systems, and to apply this to cultural, social, environmental and commecial benefits. One recent example is the discovery of kānuka compounds effective against the cause of kauri dieback. I also work on bioactives of other foods and flavours, especially chemical crops like hops and cannabis. A recent discovery was a stable vitamin C derivative in apples. I am based in the Chemistry Department of the University of Otago in Dunedin. My team and I supervise students researching bioactive natural products, such as Samoan medicinal plants, and bioactive lipids of traditional kaimoana.

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