Sugar babies and clever buoys make finalists

10 September 2014

Press release – For immediate release

Sugar babies and clever buoys make finalists

Deborah Harris PhD & Nurse Practitioner at Waikato Hospital, renown for her groundbreaking research with hypoglycaemia in newborn babies and Laboratory Technician, Chris McBride from the University of Waikato are among the 16 Kudos finalists announced recently.

The Kudos Awards continue to support and recognise outstanding achievement in scientific research and innovation from the Waikato region.

The awards, now in it’s 8th year provide cash prizes for winners in 7 categories who have stood out for their world leading scientific discoveries and contribution to science.

Winners of the Kudos Awards will be announced at the black tie awards dinner on Thursday 9th October at the Claudelands conference and exhibition centre. Tickets are available at www.thekudos.org.nz

Deborah’s research has focused on neonatal hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose concentrations) which is a common problem in newborn babies that can lead to brain damage. Babies at risk of hypoglycaemia require frequent blood tests which are painful. Deborah has investigated the usefulness of new methods to detect and treat hypoglycaemia.

A new category for 2014, the Hill Laboratories Laboratory Technician Award has highlighted some of the extraordinary talent supporting our Waikato scientists including nominee Chris McBride.

Chris has become a world leader in high-frequency monitoring of lakes. “He has almost single-handedly implemented high-frequency monitoring buoys in 10 New Zealand lakes, one lake in China and a reservoir in Singapore” says Prof. David Hamilton of the University of Waikato.

The categories include the prestigious University of Waikato Lifetime Achievement Award, the Gallagher Medical Science Award and the Hamilton City Council Agricultural Science Award.

The Kudos Awards opened two new categories this year - The Hill Laboratories Laboratory Technician Award - The New Zealand Fieldays Society Innovation Award

The Kudos finalists for 2014

Hamilton City Council Agricultural Science Award

Dr. David Pattemore - Plant and Food Research

Dr. Doug Edmeades - AgKnowledge Ltd

Wintec Secondary Science Teacher/Educator/Communicator Award

Dr. Simon Taylor - University of Auckland

Dr. Maria Fernanda de Mello Costa - WINTEC

Mrs Melissa Moore - Waikato Diocesan School for Girls

NZ Fieldays Society Innovation Award

Dr. Bruno David - Waikato Regional Council

Richard Upperton & IceCycle Ltd

Gallagher Medical Science Award

Dr. Nicola Starkey - The University of Waikato

Dr. Logan Voss - Waikato DHB

Deborah Harris, PhD - Waikato DHB

Hill Laboratories Laboratory Technician Award

Dudley Bell - The University of Waikato

Chris McBride - The University of Waikato

Environmental Science Award

Dr. Carolyn Lundquist- NIWA

Dr. Stephen Craig Cary - The University of Waikato

Dr. John Quinn - NIWA

The University of Waikato Lifetime Achievement Award

Winner announced at the awards dinner

The 2013 Kudos hall of fame include

Science entrepreneur, Dr. Johan Verbeek, who was responsible for developing Anduro Biopolymers Propriety bioplastic resin, Novatein – a bioplastic that uses bloodmeal a meat industry co-product. Dr. Verbeek’s work has contributed to the world’s solution to reduce the impact of plastics in the environment and shows how local communities can take responsibility for their industrial processes.

Lifetime Achievement Award winner Prof. Peter Molan, is world famous for identifying the healing properties in manuka honey, where hospitals all around the world use his methods to treat their patients.

ENDS

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