Hemi Cumming, hailing from Gisborne and holding iwi affiliations with Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Ngāti Toa, and Ngāti Koata, is an organic chemist whose PhD work included synthesising a cancer-fighting compound from Fiordland marine sponge, and who now advances microcapsule technology and Māori-centered biochemistry at Plant & Food Research. His work blends kaupapa Māori with cutting-edge science—developing innovative microcapsule systems, oil-soluble antioxidants, and supporting Māori stewardship of genomics data in Aotearoa.
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