Shaun Cameron Hendy is a New Zealand physicist. He is currently a professor at the University of Auckland and director of Te Pūnaha Matatini, a centre of research excellence in complex systems and data analytics. During the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, he led a team of scientists developing mathematical models of the spread of the virus across the country that influenced the government's response to the outbreak.
After completing his PhD, Hendy went to work at Industrial Research Limited in Lower Hutt on a New Zealand Science and Technology post-doctoral fellowship. Hendy stayed on at Industrial Research until 2013. During that time, he also held a joint academic position at Victoria University of Wellington and served as deputy director of the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology based at the university. He continues to be involved with the institute on researching properties of advanced materials as well as the application of mathematical models to innovation. Hendy is currently a professor of physics at the University of Auckland. He leads research on the computer modelling of nanostructures and how they can be applied to nanotechnology.
Te Pūnaha Matatini
Hendy was motivated to study the science of complex systems after hearing about the work of physicist Geoffrey West on the link between population distributions and innovation. He is the founder and current director of Te Pūnaha Matatini, a centre of research excellence in complex systems and data analytics, since 2015. It is one of five centres of research excellence hosted by the University of Auckland. Te Pūnaha Matatini develops tools to analyse data from a range of social, economic and biological systems, to inform and evaluate government policy and decision-making.
Science communication
Hendy is known in New Zealand for his science communication, often contributing to publications such as The Spinoff and Sciblogs.co.nz to discuss his latest research and issues related to science policy. He was awarded the Prime Minister's Prize for Science Media Communication in 2012. He is also the current president of the New Zealand Mathematical Society. In 2013, Hendy co-authored his first book with late physicist Sir Paul Callaghan, discussing approaches to diversify and innovate New Zealand's economy. Since then, he has authored two further books on the role of scientists in public discourse and taking personal responsibility towards reducing the effects of climate change. He has written about his experience of cutting out all air travel for a year in an effort to reduce his carbon footprint and why individual action matters.
Coronavirus pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hendy led a team of scientists at Te Pūnaha Matatini to study the spread of infection under various mitigation scenarios. His team's modelling showed that if no measures were taken, the coronavirus could infect 89 percent of the New Zealand population and kill 80,000 people. Subsequently, his team's advice to the government contributed to strong suppression measures across the country. His team continues to update their models based on new information and demonstrate the impact of the government's strict lockdown measures. Towards the end of the country's four-week lockdown, Hendy recommended it to be extended by two weeks to achieve the goal of eliminating the virus. He expressed concern about New Zealand'sAnzac Day long weekend encouraging a rise in social activity if the lockdown were eased before then, potentially spreading the virus further. His data and recommendations were among those considered by the government on 23 April before announcing the decision to extend the strict lockdown until 11:59pm on 27 April.
