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Michael Plank

Professor in Mathematics, University of Canterbury
Michael Plank is a Professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and Principal Investigator at Te Pūnaha Matatini, New Zealand's Centre of Research Excellence in Complex Systems and Data Analytics. He obtained his BSc(Hons) in Mathematics from the University of Bristol in 2000 and his PhD in Applied Mathematics from the University of Leeds in 2003. He started at the University of Canterbury as a postdoctoral research fellow in 2004 and as a permanent academic staff member in 2006. Professor Plank's research lies at the interface of Applied Mathematics and Biology, spanning scales from intracellular signalling and collective cell behaviour, through to large ecosystem dynamics and ecological and social networks. His research is application-driven and focuses on mechanistic mathematical and stochastic models that capture emergent behaviour and offer qualitative insight into underlying mechanisms.

With COVID now endemic, modelling suggests targeted protection will be more effective than blanket measures

Aug 24, 2023 07:10 am UTC| Insights & Views

Interventions designed to limit the spread of COVID have been rolled back around the world. In New Zealand, the government removed all remaining public health measures last week. But although the emergency is over and...

It's still too soon for NZ to relax COVID-19 border restrictions for travellers from low-risk countries

Feb 08, 2021 12:30 pm UTC| Health

Relaxing border restrictions for travellers from low COVID-19 risk countries would increase the risk of community cases in New Zealand by around 25%, says an article published today in the New Zealand Medical...

Why the COVID-19 variants are so dangerous and how to stop them spreading

Jan 22, 2021 07:26 am UTC| Health

With new, more infectious variants of COVID-19 detected around the world, and at New Zealands border, the risk of further level 3 or 4 lockdowns is increased if those viruses get into the community. These include a...

Economy

Trump Threatens 100% Tariffs on Countries Imposing Digital Services Taxes on U.S. Tech Firms

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the United States will impose a 100% tariff on imports from any country that enforces digital services taxes (DSTs) on American technology companies, significantly...

US Dollar Slips After PCE Inflation Data as Fed Rate Hike Expectations Stay Elevated

The U.S. dollar edged lower on Friday, extending its decline for a second consecutive session after a six-day winning streak pushed the greenback to its strongest level since May 2025. Despite the modest pullback, the...

Gold Price Ends Lower for Fourth Week Despite Rebound as Fed Rate Hike Bets Strengthen

Gold prices rebounded more than 1% on Friday but still finished the week in negative territory, as renewed expectations of Federal Reserve interest rate hikes and a stronger U.S. dollar continued to pressure the precious...

Wall Street Ends Lower as AI Stocks Drag Markets, Fed Rate Outlook Shifts

Wall Street closed slightly lower on Friday, capping a difficult week for U.S. equities as technology stocks led the decline. With geopolitical tensions easing following diplomatic progress in the Middle East and oil...

South Korea’s KOSPI Plunges as Apple Price Hikes and OpenAI IPO Delay Shake AI Chip Stocks

South Koreas benchmark KOSPI index suffered a steep selloff on Friday as investors dumped technology and semiconductor stocks following Apples latest price increases and reports that OpenAI may delay its highly anticipated...

Politics

US Seizes Nearly 400 Illegal World Cup Streaming Domains in Global Anti-Piracy Crackdown

U.S. authorities have seized nearly 400 internet domains that were allegedly used to illegally stream FIFA World Cup matches, marking one of the largest anti-piracy enforcement actions tied to the global soccer tournament....

Iran Revolutionary Guards Claim Strike on U.S. Military Positions After Fresh U.S. Attack

Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Saturday that it had targeted U.S. military positions across the region in retaliation for what it described as a fresh U.S. military strike against Iran,...

Texas Approves Bible-Inclusive Reading Lists for Public Schools Starting in 2030

Texas has approved new mandatory reading lists for public school students that include passages from the Bible, marking the latest move by state leaders to incorporate conservative and religious values into public...

US Strikes Iran After Strait of Hormuz Attack as Ceasefire Tensions Escalate

The United States launched military strikes against Iran on Friday following an Iranian drone attack on a commercial cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, further escalating tensions despite a ceasefire agreement reached...

NATO Strengthens Arctic Defense as Russia Expands Military Presence

As NATO ramps up efforts to reinforce its Arctic defenses, alliance members are investing in military capabilities to counter Russias growing presence in the strategically important High North. The initiative comes as...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Italy Investigates Microsoft Over Microsoft 365 AI Subscription Price Hike

Italys antitrust authority has launched an investigation into Microsoft over allegations of unfair commercial practices tied to the pricing changes for its Microsoft 365 subscription service. The probe focuses on whether...

SpaceX, Charter Communications Explore Mobile Partnership to Expand Starlink Wireless Service

SpaceX and Charter Communications are reportedly in executive-level discussions about forming a strategic partnership that could accelerate the expansion of consumer mobile services across the United States. According to a...

OpenAI IPO Delay Weighs on SoftBank Shares as AI Valuation Concerns Grow

SoftBank Group (TYO:9984) shares tumbled sharply on Friday after a report suggested that OpenAI is considering postponing its highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO), delaying what many investors had expected to...

Apple Supplier Stocks Slide as Samsung, SK Hynix Lead Selloff After Apple Price Hikes

Apples major Asian suppliers came under heavy selling pressure on Friday after the iPhone maker announced significant price increases for its MacBook and iPad lineup, fueling concerns that rising semiconductor costs are...

Samsung, SK Hynix to Unveil Record AI and Semiconductor Investment Plans Worth Over $646 Billion

South Korean technology giants Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are preparing to unveil sweeping long-term investment strategies centered on semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and next-generation technologies,...