Staff Profile

Mike Legge

Mike Legge reckons he and his students share the same feelings about the courses he teaches as part of a medical laboratory science degree. “The best thing is that it’s a rapidly changing field. It’s topical, current, and there are always new discoveries and applications.”

Apart from being the course director, Mike teaches biochemistry and developmental genetics, to students who he reckons are now more focused than they might have been in the past.

“Otago’s good because unlike many universities where courses are blurring into each other, you can still come here and do a real science degree. Medlabsci integrates the science into a professional science degree course that specifically prepares students for medical diagnostic work and related areas.”

Mike has the background to know. After studying in the UK, he worked there in clinical biochemistry at a specialised reference centre. When he moved to Christchurch Hospital he helped set up New Zealand’s first computerised automated clinical biochemistry laboratory. At Christchurch Women’s Hospital he established the perinatal biochemistry unit, responsible for specialised biochemistry on premature babies and newborns, infertility services, and prenatal diagnosis.

In 1989 he moved to lecture at the University of Otago, and to continue research into early embryo development, infertility, the genetics of development, and cryopreservation of embryos.

“Otago has great research resources and equipment, especially for biochemistry as well as for developmental genetics. I’ve got some great colleagues teaching and doing research in those areas.”

It translates to better teaching and better degrees, according to Mike, who believes it’s important to adapt different teaching styles for different students - “it depends on whether you’re delivering a lecture to 250 new students or 20 advanced ones.”

He rates Otago as being a good place to study and for research. “For a student experience, Otago is second to none, and Dunedin is one of the best places in New Zealand.”