About Us

LEAPS is a technology and digital health project based at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. We are developing low-cost diabetes technology that improves access to the gold standard of diabetes device management.

The team behind LEAPS was founded in 2021 after 5 years of award winning research, and were recently part of the Neonatal Glucose Studies Team awarded the 2021 Te Puiaki Pūtaiao Matua a Te Pirimia Prime Minister’s Science Prize. We are a team of engineers designing game changing devices, clinicians with a desire to improve health equity, and researchers with a passion to improve diabetes care.

Access to medical devices for people living with diabetes is limited by a vast wealth gap. We strive to close this gap using active community co-design, improved efficiency. LEAPS is excited to be shaping the future models of care.

Founding Team and Research Leads

  • Dr. Grace is a data scientist with a background in psychology. She has a passion for using data to represent communities realistically.

    Grace is also the director of a research consultancy, and will be the Māori research lead to connect the research team with the community to ensure we are meeting community needs.

  • Jake is the technical rangatahi co-lead with Dr. Holder-Pearson for Project LEAPS. He has expertise in medical technology design, with his role in LEAPS leading design of the non-invasive glucose monitor, as well as co-leading commercialisation.

    Jake is also working with Dr. Walker in Māori engagement, with the goal of increasing health equity and access to life saving medical devices.

    Jake’s background involves development non-invasive medical sensing, with all hardware released as open-source.

  • Founder, Research engineer

    Lui is strongly motivated to use his engineering abilities to see pumps in the hands of those who would benefit. The current inequities in access to diabetes technologies infuriates him. Through his work on the ambulance service he regularly sees individuals who would benefit from devices, but do not have access.

  • Jessica (Jessie) is the Quality and Regulatory manager for this project. Her role in LEAPS is to design all quality processes to ensure conformance with ISO13485 and all other relevant regulations to meet regulatory requirements for FDA and CE Mark. Jessie will also develop the regulatory strategies for the products going forward.

    Jessie has a background in mechanical engineering and completed her PhD involving the development of a non-invasive breast cancer screening device including modelling, data analysis, and diagnostic algorithm development.

  • Jennifer is the Social Science rangatahi lead for Project LEAPS with expertise in fostering innovation and change in organisations. Her role in LEAPS is to understand the socio-cultural and systematic barriers to medical technology uptake for patient, whānau, and their health providers.

    Working in collaboration with Dr. Walker, the social science leads will explore how LEAPS can overcome these barriers through participatory co-design and engagement with the rangatahi team.

    Jennifer’s background is in industrial-organisational psychology. She is a lecturer at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, and consults on selective organisational projects that align with her values.

The Research Team

  • Professor Chase leads the research team behind the insulin pumps and is co-lead on the non-invasive glucose monitor.

    Professor Chase received his B.S. from CWRU in 1986, with M.S. and PhD from Stanford University (1991, 1996). He spent 6 years working for General Motors and 5 years in Silicon Valley, including Xerox PARC, ReSound, Hughes Space and Communications, and Infineon Technologies, before joining the University of Canterbury, where he is its inaugural Distinguished Professor.

    His research focuses on the intersection of engineering and clinical medicine, primarily in intensive care, metabolic disease, and cardio-pulmonary diseases. These efforts have led to a range of model-based systems to improve care and outcomes, and reduce costs, which are in clinical trials or standard of care use. Dr. Chase has published over 1500 journal and conference papers and 20 US and European patents. He founded 3 startup companies, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of NZ (FRSNZ) and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (FASME), and Distinguished Fellow of Engineering NZ (DistFEngNZ).

  • Chris is a professor at the University of Canterbury, leading the research on the non-invasive glucose monitor. His research interests are predominantly focused towards bioengineering and mobile robotics.

    Within bioengineering, his primary interest is in model-based therapeutics, which is at the intersection of engineering, clinical medicine, and physiology. Chris is involved with the modelling, sensing, and control of dynamic physiological systems for clinical medicine, especially in the critical care environment.

    His research has particular emphasis on solutions that provide significant, improved clinical outcomes for patients and reduced cost/effort for clinicians.

  • Jennifer’s research centres on managing elevated blood sugar concentrations (hyperglycaemia), which commonly occur in very premature infants in neonatal intensive care.

    Jennifer has been developing the mathematical models of glucose-insulin physiology and statistical forecasting to determine safe and effective insulin dosages.

  • Katharina supports the Social Science stream of Project LEAPS. Katharina's research focuses on employee well-being and factors which lead to psychologically healthy workplaces, using psychology.

    She often collaborates with organisations in the diagnostic of stress and wellbeing, along with the implementation of initiatives aimed at increasing health and wellbeing at work, applying psychological principles and knowledge about human behaviour and emotions.

    She has worked on several projects on psychosocial recovery after disasters, as well as project on how organisations and managers can make a positive difference and contribute to employee wellbeing.

  • Sanna Malinen is an Associate Professor in Organisational Behaviour at University of Canterbury’s Business School. She draws from social and organisational psychological principles to support workplaces and communities where people can thrive.

    She’s interested in improving healthcare technology adoption, and is part of the social science stream of this project

  • Jennifer is a PhD Candidate at the University of Canterbury in the Centre for Bioengineering with a background in engineering and epidemiology. Her research focuses on physiological modelling of glucose and insulin in critical care patients, athletes, and people with Type 2 Diabetes. She has a great interest in the use of continuous glucose monitoring and reversal of Type 2 Diabetes.

  • Josie Dixon is a PhD candidate at the university of Canterbury.

    Josie’s research centres on further development of the non-invasive glucose monitor, specifically extending the capability of the sensor to measure other analytes in blood.

  • Matthew (Matt) Payne is a PhD candidate at the university of Canterbury. Matt is developing the ultra-low-cost insulin pump.

    Matt is also collaborating with Francis Pooke to develop additional validation and verification techniques for insulin pumps.

  • Francis Pooke is a PhD candidate at the University of Canterbury. Francis is responsible for developing the mechanical insulin pump, taking the design from paper to clinical validation.

    His research interests include 3D printing and designing for low cost manufacturing.

  • Lucy is a prospective master's student at the University of Canterbury.

    Lucy will be a part of the social science stream of this project, to further understand the systematic and socio-cultural barriers and enablers relating to diabetes technology uptake.

    Specifically Lucy's research will focus on the role of whanaungatanga, health beliefs and health behaviours for Māori with diabetes, their whānau and health care providers. She also has a strong interest in supporting kaupapa Māori research and the use of Māori models of health.

  • Jake is a second year I/O Psychology Masters student in the social science stream of this project. Jake’s role is to engage with clinicians and healthcare professionals, helping increase clinical uptake of LEAPS.

    His interests include organisational change and exploring potential enablers and barriers to technology adoption.

    Simultaneously, Jake is exploring the concept of a social or organisational ‘tipping point’, which sees rapid increases in group adoption of new ideas.

  • Jordan Hill is a final-year mechanical engineering student at the University of Canterbury.

    Jordan is a summer intern helping the team with the development of the non-invasive glucose sensor. Her project focuses on investigating differences in the sensor signal between patients.

The Clinical Team

  • Paediatric Endocrinologist

  • Chris McKinlay is a neonatologist at Kidz First Hospital, Te Wahtu Ora Counties Manukau, and Associate Professor in the Department Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland, New Zealand. His clinical and research interests focus on the early determinants of metabolic and respiratory health and learning and school achievement, including pregnancy and neonatal care and infant nutrition and growth.

  • Paediatrician, Dept. of Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland

  • Intensive Care Specialist

  • General Practitioner

  • Taylor is a research nurse working closely with the social science team. Taylor’s role is to accelerate clinical and patient end-user uptake of novel EWIP diabetes devices via nurse-led usability analysis.

    This uptake includes clinical trials, multiple hui, and interviews to maximise Māori co-designand usability of the LEAPS devices.