Auckland biotechnology firm Living Cell Technologies has got the green light to continue human trials of its regenerative cell therapy for Parkinson's disease.

A gene linked to obesity which makes ice cream and sugary foods tastier for girls has been discovered by scientists.

Apart from the serious threats they pose to personal and community health, resistant infections also carry a large economic impost, says Kevin McCracken.

DNA extracted from the arm bone of a child who died in southern Siberia about 24,000 years ago has shed light on the origins of the first people to colonise the Americas.

Kiwi scientists are combining leading cancer drug therapy research with cutting-edge computer modelling to create a simple system that could speed up the development of treatment agents.

Everyone procrastinates. I became somewhat distracted by completely irrelevant websites while preparing this article, for instance, writes Reichelt.

It's been one of the mildest flu seasons in 20 years, but the young, elderly and Pacific Island and Maori people are still at serious risk from the flu.

Picture a car you can drive for as long as you like without ever having to fill it up or plug it in.

Scientists say they have made a breakthrough on possible treatments for diabetes and pancreatic problems.

We are usually told that daydreaming is a waste of time and mental power, but the ability to daydream offers us tremendous flexibility in our daily lives.

New Zealand scientists have unearthed what may be a main reason nicotine replacement therapy is not a failsafe cure for tobacco addiction.

Scientists found that men with masculine, low-pitched voices are better at attracting women - at least those looking for short-term flings.

Brain expert Jenni Ogden was one of handful of specialists granted access to the most studied patient in medical history.

The brain is the most complicated object in the known universe, writes Fred Mendelsohn. Its 100 billion nerve cells (nearly 20 times the number of people on earth) are each connected to thousands of other nerve cells in a bewilderingly complex network.

One in six of us is genetically disposed to gain little or no benefit from exercise. Still waiting for his six-pack, Patrick Strudwick took a test to find out if he's among them.

A Chinese man has had a new nose grown on his forehead. The man, who has only been named as Xiaolian, had the treatment to create a replacement for his original nose which was infected and deformed.

New research suggests people sick of waiting to be served at a bar can speed things up with their body language and by looking directly at serving staff.

Human trials of a locally developed Parkinson's disease treatment have begun in New Zealand after the first round yielded promising results.

When patients have a certain kind of brain surgery to treat epilepsy at Auckland City Hospital is sent over the road to the Auckland University for research.

British business executives, sports stars, celebrities and anyone else with £38,400 ($75,300) to spare will be able to freeze a backup of their adult selves for potential use decades later.

Australian doctors have achieved a world first by helping a woman become pregnant from ovarian tissue grafted into her abdomen.

Genetic testing and a vitamin supplement helped dietitian Dr Sylvia Escott-Stump find a stable path for her son after he was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Chopping wood has always been seen as one of the more "manly"' endeavours, but now researchers may be able to prove it.

There's a saying in autism circles that a worried mother does better research than the FBI.

Science writer Matt Ridley once described the human mating system as "monogamy plagued by adultery," which sounds a little judgmental.

Kiwi scientists have proven there's a reason why some people enjoy the smell of things that others might retch at.

A New Zealand-born archaeologist involved in the discovery of a new species of people, known as "hobbits'', has died.

Judy-Anne Osborn asks "Could a dire new infection sweep the world in a matter of weeks? Might the disease be so strange it alters the behaviour of people beyond recognition, making them predatory and fearless?"

A US scientist is convinced that it's possible for us to to become younger and live to be much older than we do now.

Parents can help boost their children's language skills by teaching babies to talk from birth, a new books claims - and local experts say the advice is sound.