She was awarded the inaugural Dame Joan Metge Medal and the Liley Medal, honouring her ground-breaking research into housing and health, at the annual Royal Society of New Zealand honours dinner in Wellington last night.
The Metge Medal recognised her significant contributions to research capacity building, creating beneficial relationships with study participants, mentoring new researchers and contributing new knowledge, society officials said.
The Liley Medal, awarded by the Health Research Council, is for research which has made a clear difference to people's lives.
Prof Howden-Chapman is based at Otago University's Wellington campus.
Her research had quantified the benefits of the recent $1 billion Government initiative to retro-fit the houses of low-income earners with insulation and more sustainable heating, university officials said.
Both medals were also awarded jointly to Auckland University scientists.
Prof Diana Lennon, a leading expert on infectious diseases in children, received the Metge Medal and Prof Edward Baker the Liley Medal for research on molecular structure, which could enhance vaccine development.
Prof Howden-Chapman, who is the acting head of the Otago public health department in Wellington, said she was "very honoured and very excited" about the awards, which had provided "really great recognition" for her work and that of fellow researchers.
Officials said she had devoted her career to developing new ways to reduce inequalities in New Zealand and her research had led to major Government investment in more sustainable housing.
She leads two major research groups in Wellington: He Kainga Oranga/Housing and Health Research Programme and the New Zealand Centre for Sustainable Cities.
Distinguished Professor David Parry, a structural biophysicist at Massey University and a leading authority in the field of biophysics, received New Zealand's top science award, the 2008 Rutherford Medal for Science and Technology.
His research on fibrous proteins has led to major advances in understanding the structure of hair, the working of muscles and connective tissue, and how the shape of proteins affects their function.
Dr Ross Ihaka, of Auckland University, received the Pickering Medal, the society's top award for achievement in technology.
Dr Ihaka has developed a software package for statisticians called R, which has been utilised extensively by universities, industry and the Government.
Dr Tina Summerfield, a Foundation for Research, Science and Technology postdoctoral fellow in the Otago University biochemistry department, received the Roger Slack Award.
The New Zealand Society of Plant Biologists award recognises an outstanding contribution to the study of plant biology by a young scientist.
Otago University physics doctoral student Will Catton won The Royal Society of New Zealand Manhire Prize for Creative Science Writing, in the non-fiction category, with an entry titled Progress, Laughter, Sex'Wellington freelance writer and producer Dave Armstrong won the fiction section with a work titled Waimate.
Jessie Lineham, of James Hargest High School, Invercargill, received a Gold Crest Award, to encourage innovation and creativity in problem solving, for her three-year project investigating the effects of riparian planting on a farm stream.
Emma Adlam, of the Auckland Diocesan School for Girls, also won the award.
Other awards were:Fonterra Prize for Industrial and Applied Chemistry, Associate Prof Simon Hall, Massey University; NZ Marine Sciences Society Award, Dr Malcolm Francis, Niwa, Wellington; McKenzie Award for educational research, the late Emeritus Prof John Codd, Massey; NZ Mathematical Society Research Award, Prof Michael Hendy, Institute of Fundamental Sciences and Allan Wilson Centre, Massey; Dan Walls Medal for international recognition in physics research, Prof Paul Callaghan, Victoria University, Wellington; Cooper Medal for research in physics or engineering, Industrial Research Ltd superconductor cable team: Dr Nicholas Long, Dr Rod Badcock, Peter Beck, Marc Mulholland, Nigel Ross, Dr Michael Staines, Dr Henry Sun, Dr James Hamilton and Dr Robert Buckley; Thomson Medal, Dr Andrew West, chief executive, AgResearch.
