UH Manoa
Institute for Biogenesis Research (IBR)
A researcher from the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) was recently featured in the new documentary film, KULEANA, which premiered at the 45th Hawaiʻi International Film Festival (HIFF) on October 23, 2025.
Dr. Rodrigo Weingrill, a scientist at the JABSOM Yanagimachi Institute for Biogenesis Research, was selected for the documentary due to his critical work on microplastics, including research that documented an increasing accumulation of microplastics in human placentas in Hawaiʻi. The film highlights the idea that plastic pollution is affecting more than our oceans – it’s become a human health concern.
A central moment in KULEANA follows professional surfer Kai Lenny as he gets a sample of his blood tested. In just a tiny 2 milliliter sample of Lenny’s blood, Weingrill’s team found 33 microplastic particles. Since the average adult human body contains about five liters of blood, Weingrill estimates that Lenny would have “around 80,000 particles in all his blood.”
The analysis included a clear link between the plastic and Lenny’s everyday life as a pro surfer, with some of the contamination coming from the chemicals used to make surfboards as well as the foam pads attached to boards.
This finding was a powerful message: if a top, healthy athlete can't avoid plastic, no one can.
In an exclusive interview with JABSOM, Weingrill stressed that the discovery shouldn't cause panic, but instead should lead to action.
"I think the message is to educate our communities to prevent this exposure," Weingrill said.
He suggested simple changes, like swapping plastic food containers for glass or stainless steel, to reduce how much plastic we take in every day.
As for his moment on the big screen, Weingrill humbly said, “I never expected that, I never wished that, to tell you the truth. I always wanted to do good science to help people.”
Recognizing his collaborators, Dr. Johann Urschitz, Dr. Men-Jean Lee, The Department of OB-GYN & Women’s Health, and Dr. Steve Ward— “They are the people that gave me all the tools to be here today and gave me the freedom to think and to develop this project,” Weingrill said. “We’re trying to do something good for everybody and that’s the everyday goal— to help our communities, to help our people, to have a healthier life, live longer and have a really happy everyday routine.”
KULEANA was directed and produced by Georgia Scott and narrated by Woody Harrelson.