Participate in a study , Kia uru hei ako

Research groups and labs in the College of Sciences are always looking for people to help with our research.

If you would like to join one of our studies or volunteer your time to help with a research project, these research groups and labs are looking for participants.

New Zealand Indigenous Flora Seed Bank (NZIFSB)

We are always looking for people to help us. Join one of our seed collector's training events or expeditions – you will go to selected sites when seeds and herbarium voucher specimens are ready to be collected.

Volunteers are a vital part of the seed bank project and there is specific training available for those who volunteer to:

• collect seeds (anywhere in New Zealand)
• prepare the seeds for banking (Palmerston North)
• germinate a selection of seeds (Palmerston North).

As a volunteer collector, you'll be taught the protocol for collecting and sending seed, maintaining the integrity of the seeds and ensuring the seeds will be viable to store.

Once the seed reaches Palmerston North it needs to be extracted, cleaned and dried in preparation for banking. A small portion of the seed is x-rayed to make sure the seed is free of larvae and that the seed is in good physical shape.

Our volunteers germinate a portion of the seed collected to make sure it is viable. This is the last step before the seed is banked.

If you are interested in volunteering contact Craig McGill, NZIFSB project leader, at cmcgill@massey.ac.nz.

Thyroid in Pregnancy Study

The purpose of the study is to investigate thyroid function throughout pregnancy and the role of diet and micronutrient supplements in thyroid health. During pregnancy essential micronutrients are important for thyroid function and the health of both mother and infant. These nutrients include iodine, selenium, iron, zinc and sodium.

The study is an observational study, which means we would like to observe and document certain aspects of your pregnancy to get a better understanding of what happens during pregnancy. This study will give us a better understanding if pregnant women are obtaining enough of these nutrients for their own and their infants health.

We are recruiting 100 pregnant women, we need this number to get a valid set of data. Each participant will be invited to the Manawatu campus on three (3) occasions during their pregnancy. You will visit at 10-15 weeks, 24-26 weeks and 34-36 weeks of pregnancy.

Inclusion criteria

• Aged 18 years or older old
• Up to 15 weeks pregnant
• Singleton pregnancy (only 1 fetus)
• No history of Thyroid disease

At each visit we will:

• ask participants about their pregnancy, food intake, supplement use and lifestyle in questionnaire form.
• measure height, weight and body composition using bioelectrical impedance or BOD POD (air displacement plethysmography).
• ask for a small sample of urine (100ml)
• Collect a finger prick to measure iron status
• Collect a small volume of blood (25ml) obtained at Medlab Central by a trained phlebotomist to measure Thyroid function, selenium and zinc function.

Contact the study team via email: WOVEN@massey.ac.nz or phone number 06 951 6437.