$12m in research funding achieved

Otago School of Medical Sciences 2014 awards recipients at the Hunter Centre. Front row (from...
Otago School of Medical Sciences 2014 awards recipients at the Hunter Centre. Front row (from left) : Justine Fuller, Annika Bokor, Pete Jones and Tony Merriman. Middle row: Stephen Sowerby, Neil Gemmell, Warren Tate, Sally McCormick and Peter Stockwell. Back row: Matt Bevin, Greg Cook, Kiel Hards and Chris Greening. Photo by Linda Robertson.
A researcher who has gained more than $12 million in research funding throughout his career has won Otago School of Medical Sciences' top award.

Anatomy head of department Prof Neil Gemmell, who won the distinguished researcher of the year prize, was one of 12 people recognised at the school's annual awards ceremony this week.

School dean Prof Vernon Ward said the awards were about recognising the ''outstanding'' contribution the school made.

''The contributions that we make in this city, around New Zealand and around the world are outstanding and we need to recognise that.''

The importance of the school was shown by the fact it had 2500 students, 400 full-time equivalent staff and in the past its staff had won $26 million in external research funding.

''That's outstanding by anyone's measure,'' he said.

Prof Gemmell said receiving the award meant a lot to him.

''This is for me and my team.

''I'm very proud to be Otago ... and I'm very proud to be in anatomy - it's a wonderful department.''

A summary of his achievements produced for the awards said Prof Gemmell had an international reputation as a leading researcher in the fields of ecology, population, conservation and evolutionary biology.

His articles had been featured in leading journals as ''papers of outstanding interest'' and have gained media attention including from the BBC and New York Times.

His career research funding exceeded $12 million. Prof Warren Tate, who had been at the university since 1967, received the service to the school award for ''sustained contributions ... above and beyond the call of duty''.

Prof Tate had gained a ''well-deserved international reputation'' as a top researcher, but ''remarkably'' had achieved this while contributing an enormous amount of time to less prestigious service to the school.

The other recipients were: Dr Stephen Sowerby (commercial research), Dr Pete Jones (emerging researcher), Associate Prof Sally McCormick (distinguished academic teacher), Dr Annika Bokor (distinguished teaching fellow) Dr Matt Bevin (distinguished teaching fellow professional programmes), Justine Fuller (research support staff award), Dr Peter Stockwell (distinguished research support staff award), Allan Mitchell (Sustained Research Support Staff Award), Prof Greg Cook (best paper award), Associate Prof Tony Merriman (Maori/Pasifika research award).

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