Waikato University-based academic Apo Aporosa has won another grant from New Zealand's Health Research Council to investigate the effects of kava.

Photo: RNZ / Daniela Maoate-Cox

Dr Aporosa has been granted US$190,000 to further study kava's effects on driving and cognitive performance under one of the Council's Pacific Health Research Career Development Awards.

Dr Aporosa told RNZ Pacific last year that his earlier findings in this area did not match up with widely-held assumptions that kava impairs a user's skills behind the wheel.

The grant is for a 30-month research project.