New Zealand honored two research teams for impactful health innovations benefiting communities.

New Zealand honored two research teams at the 2025 Research Honours ceremony for groundbreaking health work. Professor Alice Theadom’s team developed a free, widely used screening tool for children and adults at risk of poor recovery after mild brain injury, cutting specialist wait times from 55 to 17 days and improving care consistency. The second award went to Paora Moyle and the Te Whāriki Manawāhine o Hauraki team for community-led, kaupapa Māori research using visual storytelling to center the experiences of Māori women, takatāpui, gang whānau, and state care survivors, directly shaping housing and health initiatives. Both teams prioritized collaboration with communities and frontline providers to create real-world impact.