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Professor Dave Harper

Professor Dave Harper was appointed to the Trust Board in 2019.

Professor Harper joined Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington in 1994 as a lecturer in Psychology and was promoted to professor in 2013. He was head of the School of Psychology between 2006 and 2010, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Science between 2012 and 2014, and Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Faculties of Science, Engineering, Architecture & Design Innovation in 2019. Since 2021, Dave has been the Deputy Pro Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Division of Science, Health, Engineering, Architecture & Design Innovation with a role focusing on strategic project development.

Professor Harper’s research interests include the comparison of learning processes across animal species, laboratory analogues to study attention and decision making, the impact of drugs of abuse on cognition, and the comparative roles played by the brain’s neurochemical systems, serotonin, and dopamine in memory function.

BA (Hons) (Otago), MA, PhD (Cant)