Outstanding New Zealand researchers have been awarded prestigious medals at the Royal Society of New Zealand 2015 Research Honours event, held in Auckland last night.
The Royal Society of New Zealand presented 11 awards and the Health Research Council awarded two medals.
The Rutherford Medal, the Society’s premier science award, was awarded to to Distinguished Professor Ian Reid, University of Auckland, for his contributions to the understanding and treatment of metabolic bone diseases such as osteoporosis and Paget’s disease. In addition to the medal, he received $100,000 from the Government, presented by Minister of Science and Innovation, the Honourable Steven Joyce.
“Nanogirl” Dr Michelle Dickinson, University of Auckland, was awarded the Callaghan Medal, awarded to individuals who have “made outstanding contribution to science communication, in particular raising public awareness of the value of science to human progress”. Dr Dickinson has been awarded the medal for her passion and dedication to communicating the value of science, particularly to young people. She was awarded both the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science Communication and the New Zealand Association of Scientists Science Communicators Award last year.
You can read the full list of recipients on Scimex.org. Coverage of the awards includes:
Stuff.co.nz: Life-saving cot death research recognised
RNZ: Science’s brightest lights honoured
Otago Daily Times: Honours for Otago
Yahoo NZ News: Nanogirl Michelle Dickinson sweeps science awards
New Zealand Herald: Professor honoured for life-saving SIDS research
Marlborough Express: Blenheim academic honoured