Scholarships for Otago quartet

University  of Otago students Zoe Williams, Benedict Fleming, Malcolm Jones and Bridget Watson have been awarded national Freemasons university scholarships, totalling $28,000.

The Otago recipients were due to be formally awarded the scholarships at a function at Parliament today.

They are among 27 undergraduate and postgraduate students from the country's eight universities who have received a total of $194,000 in the latest round of annual Freemasons scholarships.

The parliamentary function also marks the 40th anniversary of the Freemasons scholarship programme, through which scholarships amounting to nearly $5.2million have been awarded to 1162 of the country's most talented university students.

Miss Williams, a microbiology and immunology PhD student, has gained a $10,000 postgraduate scholarship, and is studying ``next generation inhibitors to combat drug-resistant tuberculosis infections''.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of Tb, kills 1.5 million people a year throughout the world, and the spread of drug-resistant Tb is a major threat to global public health.

She is a member of a research team partnering with laboratories in the United States and China, and hopes the collaborative research will help develop new antibiotics reduce the incidence of Tb.

Mr Fleming, who is a bachelor of applied science student, BSc student Mr Jones, and bachelor of physiotherapy student Miss Watson have received $6000 scholarships to support undergraduate study.

The scholarship recipients are all completing a degree, achieving consistent A-grades and undertaking voluntary and community service.