Hot research

A new molecule was recently discovered that is critical for puberty to occur in all animals including humans.

Matthew Restieaux was recently awarded a "highly commended" award for his summer research project "Do vertebral veins have valves?".

Dr Sarah Baird from the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology was recently awarded $19,500 from the Dean's Bequest funds to support research on bone marrow-derived stem cells.

Alex McLellan (Microbiology & Immunology) was recently awarded $15,000 from the Dean's Bequest Funds to support research into characterisation of a host-vesicle receptor expressed in lymphoid organs.

Dr Stephanie Hughes from the Department of Biochemistry was recently awarded $14,400 to study the use of gene therapy in a childhood neurodegenerative disease.

Many people experience neck pain during their lifetime, sometimes as a result of injury such as whiplash.

The Otago School of Medical Sciences, like many other medical schools around the world, relies on the generosity of its body donors for teaching and researching human anatomy.

Dr Torsten Kleffman (Department of Biochemistry) was recently awarded a $21,700 University of Otago Research Grant for a project on Proteomics of Lipoprotein(a): Unravelling the Bad Side of Lipoprotein(a).

Dr Megan Wilson, Department of Biochemistry, was recently awarded $30,000 University of Otago Research Grant for a project on "The role of miRNAs in the evolution of body patterning.

Dr Pete Jones, Department of Physiology, was recently awarded $307,000 by the Marsden Fund for research into cardiac arrhythmias.