Maarire Goodall was born in Murihiku in Western Southland and grew up in Fiordland. He was educated at Otakou Marae, Otago Boys’ High School and the University of Otago where he studied science and graduated with a research degree in medicine. His qualifications include Cert. Statistical Mathematics (Univ. Otago 1954), M.B., Ch.B (Univ. NZ 1959), and M.D. (Univ. Otago 1963). From 1957-60 he was Clinical Assistant at Dunedin Hospital/Otago Medical School. From 1961-63 he was a Research Fellow in the Hugh Adam Department of Cancer Research at the University of Otago Medical School. In 1963 he was Visiting Lecturer at Siriraj University Medical School in Bangkok and Visiting Lecturer at Thammasat University, Bangkok in 1963 and 1965. Goodall was awarded a Post-Graduate scholarship to Chicago where he studied at the Institute of Medical Research. From 1963-1966 he worked as a Research Associate and Professor at Chicago Medical School and was a Visiting Professor at the University of Chicago in 1967. In 1967 and 1968 he was also Visiting Professor and Research Fellow at National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health (U.S.A.). On returning to New Zealand he founded the New Zealand Society of Oncology and presided over the society for many years. He was Director of Cancer Research, and Director of National Cancer Research Laboratory, Cancer Society of New Zealand [later renamed Tumour Biology Research Unit] from 1966-1985. He was Head of the Hugh Adam Department of Cancer Research at Otago Medical School, University of Otago from 1966-1986. From 1967-1970 he was a member of the International Commission on Environmental Carcinogenesis, WHO/UICC (World Health Organisation, United Nations, & Union Internationale Centra le Cancer). He was also member of the international WHO Expert Advisory Panel on Cancer from 1973-78; 1979-82, 1983, 1984, and 1985. He retired in 1986 as their youngest and longest serving member. From 1986-1989 he was Senior Research Officer and judicial assistant for the Waitangi Tribunal, helping establish and direct tribunal procedures under their new legislation. Goodall belonged to Otakou Marae and Murihiku, and was a founder of the multi-tribal Araiteuru Marae in Dunedin. With George Griffiths he wrote Māori Dunedin for the opening of Araiteuru Marae. From 1962-1986 he wrote and co-authored 114 scientific publications and numerous reviews and addresses to international conferences. He was a composer of whakatauaakii, waiata and instrumental music. From 1990 he was Director and Editor of Aoraki Press Ltd, a small company that publishes Māori and English literature, music, history, and material of relevance to Ngāi Tahu and to New Zealand Māori interests. He was a director of several small Māori companies and worked with the Ngāi Tahu Māori Trust Board on major tribal projects.
Over a 25 year period of active scientific research, the main topics in Goodall’s work were: Genetics: human & animal studies of natural variation, unusual human and developmental syndromes, discovery of very rare spontaneous tumours of the heart and vena cavae in rats, and rare intestinal lymphoma in mice, both also with human parallels; mutagenicity assays & statistical evaluation methods; susceptibility to cancer; Carcinogenesis studies: original organic chemical syntheses & newly discovered carcinogens, novel molecular structures & functional groups (N-nitramines, N-nitroso alkylamines with aromatic and alicyclic substituents, alicyclic N-nitroso imines, aromatic Carbon-linked nitroso compounds); Biochemical & biophysical studies: enzymatic reactions and metabolism of carcinogenic chemicals, detoxification, activation of procarcinogens, interactions with genetic materials, organ distribution of toxins, nutrients and radiolabelled therapeutic compounds, cytohistological spectroscopy. Biology of carcinogenesis: familial or inherited excess cancer incidence (dimethylbenzanthracene), skin & lung cancer (ethylcarbamate, urethanes), liver cancer (aminofluorenes, N- and C- nitroso compounds, aflatoxins), stem cell (clonogenicity) studies in human and animal bladder cancer & transplantable tumours, endocrine hormone & receptor studies in humans & animals, diagnostic studies with radioactive tracers; naturally occurring endocrine tumours & paraendocrine syndromes in humans, clinical case studies; Modification of the carcinogenic response: effect of natural or injected hormones and endocrine organ failure in either limiting, permitting or often exacerbating cancer occurrence after exposure to carcinogenic toxins (thesis subject for his second doctoral level degree); Effects of inheritance, of immunologic defects or treatments, of dietary metals or organic toxins. Biochemistry of carcinogenesis: molecular & enzymatic mechanisms leading to genetic damage & eventual cancer, or to disposal of toxins; Epidemiology of cancer: Age incidence studies in humans & animals, actuarial analysis; lack of effect of fluoridation; tumour recurrence & stem cell assays, environmental carcinogenic pollutants, mutagenicity studies of suspect chemicals; new diagnostic methods (scintigraphy, biochemical markers, computer assisted image analysis). Pathology of cancer: cytohistology & computer imaging by radiography, scintigraphy & light microscopy; tumour invasion and metastasis; tumour vasculature and angiogenesis (now 30 years later the subject of huge interest for new cancer treatments - see Time magazine etc); biomathematical analysis of oncological data and efforts to quantify the oncologic response in animals and humans related to causes & treatment. Theoretical studies: computer science (compiler design, efficient algorithms, image analysis), organic chemical syntheses, cell culture in vitro & stem cell and mutagenesis fluctuation assays, new statistical mathematics, virology & immunology, clonogenicity, animal physiology. Titles of the scientific papers listed are indicative of their subject matter.
Biographical sources
- Correspondence and phone conversation with Maarire Goodall, 3 Nov. 1991 and 19 August 1998.