Returning to Aotearoa for good

Photography by Image Services, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

A public health and musculoskeletal expert with a love for the New Zealand outdoors is bringing a focus on integration, diversity, and digital innovation to the Wellington Faculty of Health.

Professor Markus Melloh started as the new dean of Health in early September. He took over from acting dean Associate Professor Kathy Holloway, who had been at the helm since the retirement at the end of last year of Professor Gregor Coster, foundation dean of the Faculty and one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most respected and experienced academic and health sector leaders.

Markus comes to the role from Zurich University of Applied Sciences’ School of Health Professions, where he was the associate dean research and development, as well as the foundation director of the Institute of Health Sciences and a professor of public health.

But this is not his first time down under.

Image of Professor Markus Melloh in front a window.

He trained as an orthopaedic surgeon and rheumatologist at the Free University Berlin and then completed a PhD in sports medicine at the Charité/Humboldt University Berlin, before joining the University of Bern in Switzerland. He then made a lifestyle choice to enjoy the great outdoors of New Zealand.

Between 2007 and 2014, Markus worked at universities in both Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia, and says these experiences are key to his decision to return. He completed his second PhD in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Otago while also working in the Dunedin School of Medicine.

“The openness and friendliness of the locals, and the ability to be in the wilderness within minutes, made me fall in love with New Zealand more than 10 years ago—a love that continues to this day,” he says.

“In later years, as I moved up in academia in Australia and Switzerland, I always had in mind to return to New Zealand for good.

“From my position at Zurich University, I began building bridges back to New Zealand by signing a memorandum of understanding between my faculty in Switzerland and the then School of Nursing and Midwifery in 2016.”

He also acted as international examiner for the Bachelor of Health proposal in 2017.

Markus says he was attracted to the University due to its position in the Pacific Rim—“a region with a bright future”—and the opportunity to lead and expand a relatively new faculty based in a strong, growing division.

“What excites me most is that the expansion of the Faculty, and its integration into the division of Science, Health, Engineering, Architecture and Design Innovation (SHEADI) at Te Herenga Waka, is happening at a time when Government is driving the strengthening of primary and community healthcare, equity for all New Zealanders, and Māori health.

“I’m a strong believer in diversity in science and in working across sectors.

“I’m looking forward to seeing more co-creative collaborations between the Faculty and areas such as the biomedical sciences, biotechnology, psychology, computer science, and architecture and design, with a focus on digital health innovations in fields such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, e- and m-health, augmented and virtual reality, user-centred design and usability.”

Markus has plenty of experience and passion for both integration and digital innovation. He was also deputy director of Zurich University’s Digital Health Lab, of which he will remain an associate international board member, and he will continue to hold a similar role for the Zurich Digital Initiative.

“At a global level we are currently rethinking what health is and how it can be achieved and sustained. AI [artificial intelligence], as the umbrella term for digital health, will be the driver for equity and sustainability in New Zealand and globally in the coming decades.”

When asked about a career highlight, he mentions the development of a dynamic real-time 3D pressure measurement device for biological systems with colleagues from different sectors—health, physics, engineering, life sciences—which resulted in the founding of a spin-off company holding patents from the United States and Europe.

This passion for innovation also drew Markus to health in the first place.

Victorious

Professor Markus Melloh, an internationally respected academic with a track record of delivering contemporary and innovative programmes, has taken up his new role as dean of Health.

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