Welcome to STaR Centre
The STaR motif speaks of excellence, light, direction and to Hiwa i te rangi, the wishing star, which was used in pre-European times to help local Māori recognise their hopes, dreams and aspirations. It encourages us to hold firm to our goals and seek out opportunities, see them realised and to serve a purpose greater than ourselves.
Our mission is to harness the power of science, engineering, surgery and research to address the global burden of surgical disease. Our interdisciplinary synergies equip us with diversity of perspectives, knowledge and determination to deliver state of the art, advances in surgical care to improve outcomes for patients with surgical diseases within Aotearoa, New Zealand and beyond.
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Our Research Platforms
About STaR Centre
Latest News and Highlights
Honorary Life Membership: Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland Council
In July 2020, the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland Council (ACPGBI) awarded Honorary Life Membership to Professor Ian Bissett. Congratulations! This award recognises Prof....
Meet our STaRs: Tim Angeli, PhD, a biomedical engineer
A centre focused on surgical disease does not mean we are centre of clinicians alone. We are lucky to collaborate with a talented and diverse group of people. Tim Angeli is a Rutherford Discovery...
Elbaware – STaR Spinout demonstrates MedTech in action
STaR Centre directors Prof. John Winsor, Anthony Phillips and lead Engineer Bruce Stokes have developed an innovative solution, adding to the suite of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the...
Come on the journey with us!
We are always interested in working with new researchers, new industry partners and our community, we invite you to contact us!

Support the STaR Centre
Our supporters play a key role towards life-changing research that will improve health outcomes for members of the community affected by surgical disease.
With your support we can do more to bring the benefits of surgical innovation into the lives of patients and those who love them.