Prime Minister Opens New Facility at Faculty

1 December 2005

MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Use

Prime Minister Opens New Facility at Faculty of Medical And Health Sciences

The Prime Minister Helen Clark will open the new Auckland Medical Research Foundation Medical Sciences Learning Centre at The University of Auckland on Friday 2 December.

The Centre has been possible through a $500,000 donation from the Auckland Medical Research Foundation (AMRF) to mark 50 years of support for medical research. It is the largest single donation ever made by the AMRF.

Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences Dean Iain Martin said the donation typified the AMRF’s dedication to supporting high quality medical education in conjunction with international quality research.

“The AMRF – from the time of its formation in 1955 – has held the view that genuine advances in patient care and improved medical treatments come from new knowledge gained through research.

“Fifty years ago, the AMRF recognised that there were serious shortfalls in funding for medical research and decided to do something about it.

“Today, they grant awards for scientific research projects at a value of more than $1.3M annually. In addition, a further $350,000 is directed each year towards travel grants to allow researchers to present their findings internationally, scholarships for emerging researchers, and summer research studentships for medical students.

“Our new Auckland Medical Research Foundation Medical Sciences Learning Centre is purpose-built for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in anatomy, radiology, pathology and clinical skills. It houses a comprehensive tissue, specimen and anatomical collection in a formal museum-like setting. Display shelving is organised in a circular arrangement around a central core that depicts da Vinci’s classic symmetrical image of man – the Vitruvian man.

“Its primary users will be University of Auckland medical students, but the facility will also be available to post graduate doctors, clinicians and researchers, as well as anatomy, optometry, and speech language students and students from some other Auckland tertiary institutions.

“The Centre will be an invaluable resource, and is a further example of the Faculty’s drive to redevelop its infrastructure so that all research is supported by state of the art facilities and technology,” said Professor Martin.

ENDS

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