New board for Allan Wilson Centre

massey-university

Thu Mar 01 2007 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

New board for Allan Wilson Centre

Thursday, 1 March 2007, 9:47 am
Press Release: Massey University

http://masseynews.massey.ac.nz February 28, 2007

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Judith Kinnear, has announced the formation of the new Governance Board of the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution to cover the period of extended funding for the Centre until June next year.

Massey University is the host institution for the Centre, which was established in 2003 in conjunction with the Universities of Auckland, Canterbury and Otago and Victoria University of Wellington. It is one of seven Centres of Research Excellence set up to encourage the development of world-class research in New Zealand, by providing incentives for researchers in the tertiary education sector to conduct research that is excellent, contributes to New Zealand's future development, and incorporates knowledge-transfer activities.

The Allan Wilson Centre comprises world class ecologists, evolutionary biologists and mathematicians who work together to unlock the secrets of our plants, animals, and microbes, including questions such as: How fast does evolution happen? What are the underlying processes that explain the evolution of our biota? How might these processes affect us in the future?

“Members bring to the new board a range of relevant skills, experience and interests that will enhance the governance of the Allan Wilson Centre and I am grateful to each of these persons for their willingness to contribute in this regard,” Professor Kinnear says.

Confirmed members of the Allan Wilson Centre Governance Board are:

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Professor Carolyn W Burns, BSc (Hons), PhD, CBE, FRSNZ

A Professor of Zoology, University of Otago, where her research centres on biological processes in lakes, particularly in relation to plankton and microbial food webs, water quality and the management of freshwater ecosystems. She is best known for her work on trophic interactions and population dynamics of zooplankton, that form important links between primary producers (algae) and fish in lakes. She pioneered the use of radioisotopes and micronic beads to characterize trophic processes and develop quantitative models that are still in use today. Through her university teaching, membership of editorial boards of international journals in aquatic science, and work with national and international nature conservation and limnological organizations, Carolyn has promoted, supported and strengthened scientific research on indigenous flora, fauna and lakes in New Zealand and throughout the world. For many years Carolyn has played a major role in NZ science and technology, including her Presidency of the Royal Society's Academy, and membership of the NIWA Board.

Professor Garth Cooper, DPhil (Oxon), MB, ChB, FRCPA, FRSNZ

One of New Zealand’s foremost biological scientists and biotechnology entrepreneurs, he is currently Professor in Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry in the School of Biological Sciences and the Department of Medicine at the University of Auckland, where he leads the Proteomics and Biomedicine Research Group. He is also a Principal Investigator in the Maurice Wilkins Centre of Research Excellence for Molecular Biodiscovery, and an Academy Councillor of the Royal Society of New Zealand. Professor Cooper was named in 2003 as North and South New Zealander of the Year (jointly) and in 2005 as NZ BIO’s inaugural Biotechnologist of the Year.

In 2005 his Auckland laboratory was recognised for its “overall research excellence in the field of metabolic diseases” with a global Frost and Sullivan corporate award.

While pursuing doctoral studies at Oxford University, he discovered the hormone amylin, developed amylin-replacement therapy for diabetes using an engineered homologue, and founded Amylin (UK) Ltd. and the NASDAQ-listed US biopharmaceutical company, Amylin Pharmaceuticals. Professor Cooper is listed as inventor on more than 40 issued US and European patents. In 1993, he founded a privately-owned start-up company, Endocore that he incorporated in 1998 as Protemix, which is currently an Auckland-domiciled biopharmaceutical corporation. He stepped aside as Protemix’s CEO in 2005 but remains a scientific adviser to the company.

Professor Cooper’s research has led to major advances in the understanding of disease mechanisms in diabetes and related syndromes, and, based on these mechanisms, to the discovery of several new experimental therapies for these conditions.

He has served as a member of numerous committees, including the New Zealand Government’s Biotechnology Taskforce; the Maori Health Committee and the Research Policy Advisory Committee of the Health Research Council (HRC) of New Zealand; the Scientific Committee of the Heart Foundation of New Zealand; and committees to recommend the award of the Oxford Nuffield Medical Fellowships, the Wellcome Trust’s International Senior Fellowships, the Logan Campbell Medical Trust grants, Lottery Health (New Zealand) grants, and the Girdlers’ HRC Fellowships.

Mr Rauru Kirikiri, DipTchng, BA, MA (Auckland)

Mr Kirikiri, has considerable public service background, both nationally and internationally with extensive Mäori and science networks and experience in the assessment of research proposals and quality assurance audits in both New Zealand and Australia. He is a Consultant with RK Associates Limited and prior to this he spent 12 years as the Treaty Responsibilities Manager, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, increasing Mäori engagement in science research generally. He also worked at the State Services Commission (Special Assignment to the Department of Justice’s Treaty Policy Unit), Manatä Mäori (Ministry of Mäori Affairs) as Director Policy, Department of Māori Affairs as Deputy Secretary – Policy and Planning, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, Auckland University as a Lecturer in Māori Studies.

Mr Kirikiri has also served as a member on: several Foundation for Research Science and Technology committees; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Advisory Committee of External Aid and Development; NZ Academic Audit Unit for NZVCC, Research committee on Ngä Pae o te Märamatanga (Mäori Centre for Research Excellence Auckland University); and, a Founding member of Te Ara Pütaiao – Senior Mäori Managers association for Crown Research Institutes.

Mr Jim McLean, BSc(Hons), CA

A director of Genesis Research and Development Corporation Limited, Chairman of NZBio, the New Zealand biotechnology industry body, and Deputy Chair Foundation of Research Science & Technology. He is also the Chair of HortResearch, and a member of the New Zealand Government Taskforce for the commercialisation of biotechnoloy. Jim has previously worked with firms including Ernst & Young and Dunlop New Zealand Limited. He has a BSc (Hons) in chemistry and is a chartered accountant.

Distinguished Professor David AD Parry, BSc(Hons), PhD London, DSc London, FNZIC, FNZIP, FRSNZ, CNZM

Former Head of the Institute of Fundamental Sciences at Massey University, Vice President of the International Council for Science (ICSU), and President of the International Union for Pure and Applied Biophysics (IUPAB, and New Zealand's leading researcher in the area of structural and functional studies on fibrous proteins. His pioneering work includes that on the conformation of intermediate filaments in hair and their dynamic assembly in vivo; the role of tropomyosin in the regulation of vertebrate skeletal muscle; the assembly of collagen molecules to form fibrils in tendon, skin and cornea, and the biomechanical attributes of those fibrils in connective tissues. In addition, David Parry has taken a leading role in devising methods to analyse sequences in order to determine the structure and function of (mainly) fibrous proteins. David Parry was Chair of the NZVCC Scholarships Committee over a nine-year period.

Mr Paul Rieger, QSO, JP

Mr Rieger has considerable background in local government, education governance, and has made significant and enduring contributions to community, professional, social and service organisations. He is a former member of the Massey University Council and served from 1987 to 2004, for most of that time as a ministerial appointment. Mr Rieger was a Palmerston North City Councilor for 27 years, two of them as Deputy Mayor and 14 as Mayor until 1998. He is currently involved in a number of organisations including: Estendart Limited (Board Member of a Massey University company); Manawatu Wanganui Regional Council (Councillor); International Pacific College (Member of Advisory Committee); and, Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) – Dental Technicians Chairman (Under Health Practitioners Competence Act 2003).

ENDS

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