A Bay of Plenty graduate’s ambition to become a psychology researcher has taken an unexpected turn after a widely viewed TikTok video connected her with an international research team.

Bachelor of Arts graduate Jazz Nuku, who studied psychology and criminology at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington, has been invited to co-author a research paper after her video exploring connections between neuroscience, quantum mechanics and spirituality attracted about four million views online, a Victoria University statement said.

One of those viewers was a postgraduate student from Cornell University in New York, who reached out after seeing the clip, offering Nuku the chance to collaborate on a paper for the academic journal Neuroscience of Consciousness.

If accepted, the work could open doors to future research funding.

Nuku said the opportunity reflected a growing appetite for interdisciplinary approaches to understanding consciousness in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

“Together, we are pushing into the research of consciousness in an increasingly AI-dominated world.

“Do the AI systems being created have intelligence themselves? How do we even go about defining intelligence? People are looking at new frameworks to push out current knowledge and thinking.”

@jamijamzzz at risk of sounding nuts, this is all just an agreed upon matrix #spiritualtiktok #manifestation #quantum original sound - jazz maia nuku

Now based in the Bay of Plenty, Nuku said her interest in complex ideas about perception and cognition was sparked during her undergraduate studies, particularly through courses led by lecturers including Dr Jiun Youn and Professor Bart Ellenbroek.

Victoria’s diverse, international student community helped shape her thinking.

“Meeting people from different backgrounds helped me develop my perspective and my thinking. It’s what drew me to Wellington.”

Beyond academia, the video has also boosted her work in user-generated content, creating advertising material for brands, which she said now provided a stable income.

After her graduation, Nuku plans to move to Bali for six months to develop both her online work and research opportunities, joining a growing community of remote digital workers.

She hopes to develop a future venture focused on helping people better understand emotions and behaviour, drawing on both her studies and personal experience.

“I want to broaden my horizons … and combine personal growth and business growth, as well as furthering my research career.”