Outstanding research rewarded
AN expert in genetic conditions affecting children won one of the most prestigious prizes at the Health Research Council Excellence Awards in Dunedin last night. .
University of Otago Curekids Professor of Paediatric Genetics Stephen Robertson was awarded the ‘‘Dean’s Medal for Research Excellence’’.
Prof Robertson, a clinical geneticist and lecturer at the university, has identified several genes leading to malformations in children, with a particular focus on conditions affecting the skeleton and the brain.
The annual awards ceremony recognises outstanding research from the University of Otago and the Southern District Health Board.
Between 1999 and 2002, Prof Robertson held a Nuffield Medical Fellowship at Oxford University, and the dean of the Dunedin School of Medicine, Prof Barry Taylor, said he was ‘‘one of the school’s outstanding clinician scientists’’.
The Research Development Investment prize went to Karitane Fellow in Early Childhood Obesity and Edgar Diabetes and Obesity Research Centre director Prof Rachel Taylor, who received $100,000 for an international collaboration investigating the role of sleep in child health and wellbeing.
Consultant and senior lecturer in respiratory medicine Dr Ben Brockway and colleagues Associate Prof Yoram Barak and assistant research fellow Kristina Aluzaie received a $100,000 grant to look into the effects of naturalseeming light on patients’ wellbeing and recovery.
Dunedin Hospital consultant general surgeons Jon Potter and John Woodfield and Dunedin School of Medicine surgical sciences mana ger Tracey de Woeps also received $100,000 to investigate a new postsurgery followup system for patients.
Clinicians and researchers led by hospital pharmacy manager Craig MacKenzie and Associate Prof Rhiannon Braund received the award for ‘‘Best Collaboration’’ for a project identifying patients at risk of readmission to hospital.
Other researchers recognised at the awards were Prof Philip Hill, Dr Judith Marsman, Dr Lianne Parkin and Michael Meier.
School of Medicine departmental awards went to Bronwyn Hughes, Merrilee Williams, SarahJane Robertson, Katie Young, Dr Amy Richardson, Dr Lauralie Richard, Dr Carol Atmore, Dr Gloria Dainty, Associate Prof Yoram Barak, Dr Steve Johnson, Dr John Woodfield, Dr Kate Morgaine, Sharmaine Sreedhar, Nicholas Hall and Isabelle LomaxSawyers.