Central Otago residents will soon get a chance to hear from medical Professor Garry Nixon, who will share his vast knowledge of rural health.

The Earnscleugh-based doctor of 31 years is Associate Dean of Rural Health in the Department of General practice at the University of Otago.

He also works at Dunstan Hospital in a clinic role and teaches cardiorespiratory medicine in rural hospitals, as well as supervising PhD and masters’ students.

On Monday he will be giving an inaugural professorial lecture at the Earnscleugh Hall on ‘Rural Health in Aotearoa New Zealand - ‘On Solid Ground.’

Dr Nixon is leading a project to develop a geographic classification for health that will improve our understanding of urban vs rural differences in health outcomes and access to services in New Zealand.

When asked what he was most looking forward to with his lecture, Dr Nixon said, “this is where the ivory tower, including its traditions, meets the day to day realities of rural healthcare delivery. My job will be to demonstrate how this can be a relevant and useful meeting.”   

His other research interests include workforce development, the management of cardiovascular disease in the rural context and the role of rural hospitals. 

The focus of his MD was rural diagnostics, including point-of-care ultrasound and laboratory testing.



Dr Nixon has collaborated closely with rural researchers in other parts of the country, including the far north and Waikato.

He has PhD students researching rural chest pain assessment pathways, the scopes of practice of rural allied health professionals, healthcare consumption across the urban rural spectrum and the workforce outcomes of rural interventions in the undergraduate medical programme.

The free event is already booked out, but you can watch the livestream on Monday at 5:30pm.