A message from the Head of School
Dear Colleagues,
It has been an interesting time as the acting Head of School for the last two months. I freely admit that I had not realised just how much is happening!
We have circulated the 2017 review of SMS. It is very supportive of our exceptional progress while also highlighting important research, pedagogical and structural challenges that we need to address.
The SMS careers event on Thursday was very successful, with lots of enthusiastic feedback from students and staff. This will be closely followed by a postgraduate opportunities meeting today, 3 October. I encourage supervisors to be there and discuss their projects.
PBRF portfolios are gradually coming through, thank you to those who submitted theirs. The deadline is Sunday, 8 October, except by personal agreement. It sounds early but it is very little time if we are to have the first drafts reviewed internally, revised, and ready for full University review. Remember that the results of the HRC EOI round are about to be released, so many of us will be consumed getting grants ready. You will be so much more focused if your portfolio is already submitted.
Finally, with the upcoming shift of Population Health from Tamaki to Grafton, we want your ideas on how to accommodate the growth of the School and the wider FMHS faculty. Please send your Head of Department any suggestions for better use of space.
With the very best,
Alistair Gunn
‘Bionic’ pacemaker reverses heart failure
Professor Julian Paton, Department of Physiology and a lead researcher and director of Manaaki Manawa, the Centre for Heart Research at the University of Auckland.
Professor Cristin Print wins prestigious cancer research award
Professor Cristin Print, Department of Molecular and Pathology has been awarded the premier award for cancer research in Aotearoa New Zealand.
New staff
Dr Jemila Caplan Kester has joined the Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab in the Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology as a Research Fellow.
Link between high blood pressure and diabetes
Scientists at the universities of Auckland and Bristol are preparing to test a novel medication on patients with a potentially fatal combination of high blood sugar and high blood pressure, after promising findings in animal studies.
High impact paper
Pratik Thakkar, Igor Felippe and Julian F.R. Paton, published a paper entitled, ‘GLP1R Attenuates Sympathetic Response to High Glucose via Carotid Body Inhibition’.
Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences
Dr Sibusiso Mdletshe, was recently recognised as one of the five outstanding reviewers (Editor’s Choice) for the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences (JMIRS) for 2021.
New staff
Dr George Laking has joined the Centre for Cancer Research as Manutaki Haumanu Māori (Clinical Director Māori).
PhD success
Hannah Darroch name has been placed on the Dean of Graduate Studies List
Professor Emeritus Janusz Lipski
Professor Janusz Lipski has been made ‘Professor Emeritus’ by the University Senate.