Professor Ian Wright

University of Canterbury
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation)

Professor Ian Wright is a marine scientist with research interests in physical and chemical exchange between the seafloor and ocean, and relevant engineering technologies to undertake this research. He received a PhD from Victoria University of Wellington before joining NIWA and its predecessor entities where he was the inaugural Centre Leader for NIWA’s National Centre for Coasts and Oceans. In 2008, he moved to the UK, to initially lead a research group at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) / University of Southampton, but latterly was the Director of Science and Technology at NOC for four years. During this time he led groups across all facets of marine science, including global scaled ocean modelling, underwater autonomous vehicle development, and chemical micro-sensor development. In 2016 he returned to New Zealand to take the post of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation) at University of Canterbury. Ian has had extensive research and innovation governance experience, including the UK Natural Environment Research Council Science Board, and is currently a board member of the Canterbury Medical Research Foundation, the New Zealand Brain Research Institute, the Brain Research New Zealand CORE and the MedTech CoRE.