Professor Emeritus Philippa Gander is one of New Zealand’s most respected scientists, internationally recognised for her pioneering research on sleep, circadian rhythms, and human performance in space and extreme environments. Her work has helped astronauts, shift workers, and medical teams understand how light and darkness affect our health, safety, and well-being.
Philippa’s career also resonates strongly with the Wairarapa Dark Sky Reserve, where protecting natural night skies is as vital for human health as it is for astronomy and ecology. Through decades of leadership in chronobiology and science communication, she has inspired both researchers and the public to see the night not as empty darkness, but as a resource essential to life on Earth and to our future in space.
At Carterton Space Week 2025, Philippa returns to share her insights in Good Night Wairarapa, the closing address of the festival — reflecting on the human challenges of living in space, the lessons we can apply here at home, and the importance of darkness for life on Earth and beyond.
