Jodie Bruning

Jodie's research work is underpinned by 3 logics she considers integral to underpin sound formulation of safe & effective public policies to protect human wellbeing and environmental health. Firstly, the obligations of publicly paid decision-makers in law to protect human wellbeing and environmental health; secondly the economic logic of safeguarding ecosystem services and human health; thirdly, by the degree to which science is resourced and empowered to understand and assess risk - and the mechanics of prevention. These logics acutely impact how society addresses risk as it relates to unanticipated, irreverseable and uncertain effects of stress on complex (and unbounded) biological systems - particularly stress arising from sustained diffuse pollution and toxicity.

Jodie's early studies were at Monash University, Melbourne (B.Bus Agribusiness), followed by masters research at the University of Auckland Jodie went on to develop an interest in the production of safe & nutritious foods; particularly concerning childhood health risk and now endemic problems of nutrition deficiency and chronic toxicity (particularly from pesticides) which directly impacts immune function, mental health & chronic comorbid disease risk. Research has explored machinery of government decision-making processes and the consequences of weak regulatory standards for toxic environmental chemicals at local, regional and national levels. Weak standards are problematic, but so are, additionally - absence of a national protocols and national funding for routine toxic chemical (EOC) monitoring (from diffuse origins) in the New Zealand environment; and the relative scarcity of toxicologists and environmental chemists with a mandate for cross-disciplinary research to address environmental pollution and human health (particularly in childhood) from chemical contaminants.

Throughout this, Jodie has developed absolute and utter respect for the scientists who work with scarce funding to illustrate and understand the complex interactions between our biological systems & the multiple environmental contaminants that surround us.

In 2019 Jodie was selected as recipient of the Robert Anderson Memorial Award, awarded by Amnesty International Tauranga Moana.

Recent projects:

Formulation of Rite-Demands.org, an informative international online platform dedicated to continuous improvement in toxicological pesticides risk assessment.
Primary author 2017 NZ Green Party White Paper 'Public Health Concern:Why did the NZ EPA ignore the world authority on cancer?'
Paper critiquing the NZ policy on freshwater, for neglecting chemical mixtures: 'Chemical Drains: New Zealand’s new NPS-FW freshwater policy is not watertight.' 2017
Currently undertaking an MA (Sociology) at University of Auckland

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