IRANZ news briefs
Professor Kjesten Wiig has been appointed Director of the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research. Photo: Malaghan Institute of Medical Research.
Kjesten Wiig appointed Director of Malaghan Institute
Professor Kjesten Wiig has been appointed Director of the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research at the organisation's AGM in December. Professor Graham Le Gros continues in a leadership capacity as Deputy Chair of the Trust Board and advisor to the new Director.
Cawthron summer scholars
In late November, Cawthron Institute welcomed four university students to join its team as they start their summer research placements.
Cawthron summer scholarships provide an opportunity to experience the challenges and rewards of research and are part of Cawthron's outreach and education activity to inspire the next generation of scientists by sharing our research.
Established in 2016, and open to students enrolled at a New Zealand tertiary institution, the $7,500 scholarships provide students with 10 weeks of full-time research on a project at Cawthron Institute. The scholarships are funded in part by bequests and donations to Cawthron Institute.
All summer scholars are very high academic achievers, have contributed to community activities, and are strong advocates for the environment and science-led research. The 2024-25 scholars are:
Anna Parsons - Kathleen Curtis Scholarship.
Annabelle McQuillan - Madge Johnston Scholarship.
Charlotte McDonald - Sir Theodore Rigg Scholarship.
Jessi Gould - Te PitauWhakareiKarahipi.
Mātai welcomes 15 Summer interns
For the summer of 2024/25, Mātai has offer local summer internships to 15 students. With support from ANZ, the Hugh Green Foundation, QUEST Trust, Trust Tairāwhiti, Pultron Composites Ltd, the University of Auckland, and the Health Research Council (HRC), Mātai's interns will dive into medical research, leadership, scientific learning, community engagement, and Mātauranga Māori.
Two-time Mātai intern Braden Fowell is stepping up as Junior Project Coordinator.
BRIght Outlook: Dr Juliet Ansell
Juliet Ansell was in her early teens when she colonised her mum's linen cupboard with a batch of fruit flies, 50 test tubes and a hankering to understand genetics. “A few clouds of drosophila would escape now and then,” says the new Chief Executive of Bragato Research Institute (BRI), who grew up just outside London with a novelist father, poet twin sister, media-focused elder sister and seamstress mother, whose clients have included Kate Middleton.
“They're all artistic,” says Juliet, who knew early on that she was cut from a different cloth. “I always knew I wanted to be a scientist… What that means for me is I've always gone a little bit against the grain.”
Dragonfly Data Science: Begroeting Amsterdam!
Dragonfly team member Henry Zwart has relocated to the other side of the globe to study towards a masters of computational science at the University of Amsterdam. His course of study will take two years to complete, and will culminate in a thesis.
“I'm most interested in combining a passion area of mine, urban science, with statistical modelling to look at how cities can be more resilient towards climate change.
“I'd like the work I do to be supportive of decision-making, and to be part of bringing science into policy,” he says.
Lincoln Agritech: Dutch students spread their wings
The allure of wide-open spaces and the recommendation of a friend have brought two Dutch students to Lincoln Agritech for five-month internships.
Dèstn Mulder and Rens van Heeringen are both final year students studying for a Masters in Biosystems Engineering at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands. A compulsory internship is part of their degree, but where they go for that internship is up to them.
Wlla Abbad - Winner of the Women in STEM HERA/ACM CRC Scholarship
HERA are thrilled to celebrate the achievements of Wlla Abbad, a talented PhD student at The University of Sydney, and the recipient of the prestigious Women in STEM HERA/ACM CRC Scholarship.
This award highlights Wlla's remarkable dedication to advancing innovation in sustainable manufacturing and her commitment to research with real-world impacts.
Malaghan visiting researcher: Dr Alex Spencer
Dr Alex Spencer is an immunology lecturer at the University of Newcastle and leads the vaccination and infection immunology research group at the Hunter Medical Research Institute in Australia. Her extensive experience in translational vaccine immunology played a pivotal role in developing the Oxford-Astra Zeneca Covid-19 vaccine during the recent pandemic.
Spencer recently visited the Malaghan Institute to share her insights gained over 16 years at the University of Oxford, developing vaccines against a range of infectious diseases, including malaria and Covid-19.
Malaghan: Lifetime Achievement Award for landmark discovery
Professor Mike Berridge has been honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his pioneering work on horizontal mitochondrial transfer and its impacts on human health.
Presented at the inaugural International Symposium on Horizontal Mitochondrial Transfer and Dynamics in Prague, Czech Republic, the award recognises Prof. Berridge's groundbreaking 2015 discovery that challenged long-standing assumptions in cell biology. He found that mitochondria, the tiny powerhouses within our cells responsible for producing energy, can transfer from healthy cells to that lack functioning mitochondria, such as cancer cells. This ability for mitochondria to 'jump' between cells is called horizontal mitochondrial transfer and has profound implications for our understanding of cell biology and disease.
Malaghan: Zephyr Consulting to fund PhD scholarship
The Malaghan Institute recently partnered with Zephyr Consulting Limited to help support future leaders in ground-breaking cancer therapies.
Inspired by Malaghan's ground-breaking cancer research and its potential to enhance the health and wellbeing of the community, Zephyr are passionate about supporting emerging scientific talent. As a result, they have generously committed to fund Malaghan PhD student Paul Owaci's tuition for three years.
Paul is working within the CAR T team investigating 'exhaustion' of CAR T-cells - a phenomenon that could be why some people's lymphomas do not respond to, or relapse after, CAR T-cell therapy. He is exploring alternative CAR T-cell manufacturing processes that could help reduce exhaustion, and to re-engineer CAR T-cells to knock down genes linked to this exhaustion.
Lincoln Agritech interns gain new career insights
Lincoln Agritech internships have helped two undergraduate students from the University of Canterbury learn more about the many careers open to them as scientists.
Aniisa Firdaus and Aidan Murray both enrolled for the university's Professional and Community Engagement (PACE) course. This places them in unpaid internships where they can apply what they're learning and develop workplace skills and confidence.
Cawthron Laboratories named Service Supplier of the Year
Cawthron Laboratories has been named as Services winner by Natural Health Products New Zealand as part of their annual 'Suppliers of the Year' awards.
These awards recognise excellence within the vital services sector of the natural health products industry. Members vote for suppliers who have made a significant contribution to their business or the sector, and according to the organisers, the nominators did not hold back with their glowing praise.
Entrepreneur Douglas Steiner joins Cawthron's Board of Directors
Cawthron Institute has announced that Doug Steiner, an entrepreneur with an international background focused on the design of new business models, has joined the Board of Directors.
Date posted: 12 December 2024