Rate My Professor Christina Needham

Needham has contributed to toxicology research via conference abstracts in Toxicology Communications. In 2023, with Lucy Shieffelbien, she presented 'Poisoning enquiries from New Zealand preschool, primary and secondary schools over a 10-year period (2010–2019)'. This analysis of 3389 calls involving 4151 patients and 4736 substances revealed increasing exposures, with preschoolers affected mainly by exploratory incidents involving plants (26.6%) and chemicals (28.1%), and secondary students by unintentional, intentional, or abuse cases with chemicals (31.8%) and analgesics (9%). Call volumes nearly doubled from 356 in 2010 to 608 in 2019, yet 78% needed no medical treatment. The work recommends education on substance abuse. In 2025, Needham detailed 'Copper overload with end-organ injury from intentional self-injection of calcium copper edetate', a veterinary product case causing hemolysis, kidney injury, and full recovery after prolonged hospitalization. In 2015, she advised the Otago Daily Times on a major mercury spill, highlighting chronic vapour risks leading to nervous system damage with flu-like symptoms, tremors, and memory loss.