Siouxsie Wiles

Contributing writer

Dr Siouxsie Wiles is an Associate Professor and head of the Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland. She and her team make nasty bacteria glow in the dark to find new medicines and to study how bacteria evolve to cause disease. Siouxsie recently published her first book, Antibiotic Resistance: the End of Modern Medicine? She is also a keen blogger, tweeter and podcaster and was a finalist for the 2018 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year.

Society
Sep 15, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: Bridging the gap with someone who's been pulled in by disinformation

Approaching the person you’re concerned about with humility and kindness, and reminding them of the values you share, gives you the best chance of helping them.

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Society
Sep 8, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: Now let's flatten the infodemic curve

Just as we've fought back against the virus, it's crucial we stamp out the harmful spread of false information.

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Science
Aug 30, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: What is the Covid-19 'triangle'?

How Covid-19 plays out doesn't just depend on the relationship between the virus and the host – it also depends on the environment.

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Society
Aug 25, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: Why Covid elimination remains the best game-plan for NZ

Despite the re-emergence of the virus, and the sacrifices our response demands, it remains absolutely the best approach for us.

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Society
Aug 23, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: What does a robust Covid response look like for New Zealand?

A range of new measures are under consideration, covering the border, isolation and testing. Siouxsie Wiles assesses the options, and the opposition proposals.

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Science
Aug 22, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: Contacts, community transmission and clusters – explained

Here's what some of the most important Covid-19 terms we’re hearing actually mean.

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Society
Aug 18, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: They say, ‘learn to live with Covid-19’. Here’s what I say back

New Zealand has opted for an elimination strategy, but a vocal minority is calling for an alternative.

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Science
Aug 15, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: Why we’re adding masks to our Covid-19 toolkit

The simple rules for wearing face masks during levels two and three – and how they can effectively limit the spread of Covid-19

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Science
Aug 13, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: How genome sequencing could crack the case of the NZ Covid comeback

By sequencing the genome, we can try to work out which case is linked with another.

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Society
Aug 12, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: Don’t panic. We can do this. Together

The sneaky bastard called Covid-19 has got back into New Zealand. Here's why we're going hard.

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Society
Aug 4, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: Victoria’s lockdown ‘an endless game of Covid-19 whack-a-mole’

Without a state-wide lockdown, Victoria runs a very high risk of having to do it all again in a few months’ time.

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Science
Aug 1, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: Four possible scenarios for the Australian and South Korean travellers

Three travellers from NZ have tested positive for Covid-19 overseas. How could this have happened?

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Science
Jul 28, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: The race for a Covid-19 vaccine, explained

Well over 150 vaccine candidates for Covid-19 are in development, and they take a myriad of forms.

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Society
Jul 25, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: What the Victoria outbreak means for New Zealand

Crucially, Australia's ambition has been suppression, rather than elimination.

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Science
Jul 21, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: A ray of light amid Covid clouds – what the vaccine news means

Results of two vaccine trials are in and the news is encouraging. Here's what it all means, and what happens next.

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Society
Jun 25, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: Why I’m confident there is no community transmission in NZ

The most critical line of defence remains the isolation and quarantine system.

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Science
Jun 23, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: Why are we seeing these new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand?

Anxiety is totally understandable, and there have been a few own goals. But what we’re seeing is no great surprise, and it’s no time to panic.

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Science
Jun 15, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles to Paleo Pete: I’ll take medical qualifications over your ‘common sense’ any day

Every time Pete Evans talks about his 'wellness' beliefs, scientists and doctors line up to rebut them. That's because Evans' 'common sense' sounds a lot like utter nonsense.

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Society
May 31, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: Many want to go to alert level one right now. I get that. But we’d be fools to rush

With NZ on the brink of zero known active cases of Covid-19, the clamour for an immediate move to alert level one is growing.

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Society
May 23, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: Contact tracing apps, explained

Speed is of the essence when breaking any chains of transmission, and that's where contact tracing apps come in.

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Science
May 18, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: A note on noisy places and Covid-19

Covid-19 loves environments full of shouting and singing, so it's a good idea to avoid them.

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Society
May 14, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: Simple rules to play it safe at alert level two

Siouxsie Wiles explains the state of Covid-19 in New Zealand, the risks we face in alert level two, and some simple ways we can keep safe.

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Society
May 7, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: Why our run of low Covid-19 numbers does not mean jump now

It’s all about the lag. We’d be idiots to throw away what we’ve achieved.

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Society
May 6, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles & Toby Morris: What we don’t know about Covid-19

A crucial part of the puzzle is when, and for how long, are people infectious?

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Members
May 4, 2020
Science
May 4, 2020

Siouxsie Wiles: Toxic lies of the ‘church’ pushing bleach as a Covid miracle cure

If you think we are immune in NZ, according to its website, we have two 'chapters' of Genesis II. Both say they're selling MMS.

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