2025 MacDiarmid Medal: Providing new hope for people living with gut-motility disorders
Professor Leo Cheng, of Waipapa Taumata Rau – the University of Auckland, has been awarded the MacDiarmid Medal for developing techniques to record and analyse electrical activity in the body, enabling new ways to diagnose and treat gut-motility disorders.
Leo has combined mathematical modelling with experimental research to improve our understanding of the electrical patterns that coordinate the contractions in the gut, heart, and uterus.
Contractions in the gastrointestinal system are coordinated by electrical signals, and if these signals become disordered, patients can experience debilitating symptoms like persistent nausea and vomiting.
Leo has developed novel bioengineering techniques to record and map electrical activity in the stomach and other regions of the gut in high resolution.
His results have informed clinical practice through identification of biomarkers that enable non-invasive diagnostic methods.
He has also led development of technical advances that have enabled the development of new therapies for gut-motility disorders. Treatments that are currently being developed and trialled include gastric electrical pacing and ablation.
Reflecting on what motivated his decision to dedicate his research to this area of medicine, Leo said: “Gut motility disorders can be debilitating and are poorly understood.”
“These disorders are also notoriously hard to diagnose and there are limited therapies to treat these disorders.”
“My grand vision is for gut-motility disorders to be diagnosed and treated as accurately and efficiently as cardiac disorders.”
“New Zealand can take much pride in having made a huge contribution towards this endeavour.”
Leo said he was “immensely proud” to receive this award.
“I would like to acknowledge all the hard work and contributions from my students and colleagues (both past and present) and the support provided by the Auckland Bioengineering Institute, my friends and family.”
“Finally, my wife's patience and support has carried me throughout this journey – this award is as much hers as it is mine.”
MacDiarmid Medal:
For outstanding scientific research that demonstrates the potential for application to human benefit.
Citation:
To Leo K. Cheng for developing techniques for recording and analysing the electrical activity in the gut, enabling novel diagnostics and therapies for treating gut-motility disorders.