Congratulations to Rhodri Harfoot and Da Yuan Chen who have received funding from the Maurice and Phyllis Paykel Trust. The Trust encourages the development of health-related research in New Zealand by providing funds for research support as well as studentships, scholarships andfellowships for the research training of students and graduates working in the health science faculties of selected New Zealand universities.
The Department also congratulates Htin Aung and Rowan Thomas who have been awarded 2014 Prof Sandy Smith Memorial Scholarships. These scholarships are administered by the Dunedin Basic Medical Sciences Course Trust and are awarded to students whose research has application to microbiology in relation to medicine.
Professor John M B (Sandy) Smith had an illustrious career in clinical microbiology. He graduated with an MSc in Microbiology at the University of Otago in 1961, completing his PhD under the guidance of Molly Marples in 1964. Sandy returned to the Department to take up the position of Senior Lecturer in Microbiology at Otago in 1967. His research included the mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria, the pathogenesis and laboratory diagnosis of opportunistic mycoses and the potential use of vaccines in the control of ringworm infection. He retained an active interest and publication record in these areas for more than 50 years.
