The Think & Drink

Dr Sara Buttsworth was born and grew up in Perth, Western Australia, and moved to New Zealand in 2003 after marrying her Kiwi husband and completing her PhD. She is a Senior Lecturer in History at Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland, where she has been teaching since 2004. While her training and much of her teaching are located in history, her research interests and approaches have always been a little un-disciplined. She has designed an entire course around unravelling yarns and how we knit monsters. Stitched to this is her research, which has focussed primarily on issues of gender and representation, expanding the ways in which we think about war, and the importance of understanding storytelling.

ABSTRACT: Mirror Mirror on the World: Wondering about Fairy Tales and War Stories - What does a story about two children lost in the woods, a house made of gingerbread, and a witch with a large oven have to do with war? What can a dystopian vision of teenagers fighting one another to the death possibly have to do with a most beloved fairy tale? How might the intertwining of these two stories provide commentary on war and society?

The overlap between fairy tales and war stories is undeniable. Stories that valorise certain people as heroes and cast others as ogres are definitely in fairy tale territory. Fairy tales directly reference the consumption of children, the decimation of environments, soldiers cast adrift, and the selfishness of ‘kings’ who are motivated by greed and power. From Hansel and Gretel to The Hunger Games, the parallels here to situations, particularly wars, past and present are unavoidable.

Professor Andrew Shelling is a geneticist whose research focuses on the molecular basis of breast and gynaecological cancers, reproductive disorders, and precision medicine. His work aims to improve disease prediction, early diagnosis, and personalised treatment. Andrew completed a PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Otago before undertaking a Nuffield Medical Fellowship at Oxford University. He joined the University of Auckland in 1996 and has held senior research leadership roles, including Associate Dean (Research) and Director of Research for the Centre for Cancer Research.

ABSTRACT: Genomics and Precision Medicine - Precision medicine is transforming healthcare, shifting us away from a one-size-fits-all approach towards treatments tailored to an individual's unique genetic makeup. In this talk, Andrew will discuss what genomics and precision medicine really means and why it is rapidly becoming one of the most important developments in modern healthcare.