$1 million in Prime Minister’s science prizes presented

Media Release 11 November, 2015

$1 million in Prime Minister’s science prizes presented

The 2015 Prime Minister’s Science Prizes, which provide a total of $1 million across five categories, have been presented in Wellington today.

The prizes recognise the impact of science on New Zealanders’ lives, celebrate the achievements of current scientists and encourage those of the future.

The top prize of $500,000 has been awarded to a team of University of Auckland professors whose bone research has saved billions of dollars internationally in reduced prescription costs.

Studies by Distinguished Professor Ian Reid and Associate Professors Mark Bolland and Andrew Grey of Auckland University’s School of Medicine have revealed the ineffectiveness of treating osteoporosis with calcium and Vitamin D. Their research has also shown that calcium supplements increase the risk of heart attacks in older people, at times by as much as 30 percent.

As a result of the team’s work, calcium and Vitamin D are no longer routinely recommended to prevent osteoporosis.

Other prize winners are:

The Prime Minister’s 2015 MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist Prizegoes to Dr Alex Taylor from the University of Auckland, whose research focuses on trying to understand how humans think differently from the rest of the animal kingdom by studying the cognitive and problem solving ability of birds, particularly New Caledonian crows. His research is at the forefront of a shift in understanding animal intelligence and has fundamentally changed how intelligence across the animal kingdom is viewed.

The Prime Minister’s 2015 Science Teacher Prize has been won by Tania Lineham who leads the Science department at James Hargest College in Invercargill. Tania is focused on teaching science skills for the 21st Century to students of all abilities. She has helped

James Hargest build an outstanding track record of students succeeding in local and national science-based competitions and being selected to attend international events and has also introduced science courses for those intending to take up trade apprenticeships.

The Prime Minister’s 2015 Future Scientist Prize has been won by 18 year-old, Georgia Lala from Auckland’s Diocesan School for Girls for the development of an innovative aquaponics system for growing edible plants indoors, enabling families to reduce the amount of commercially grown crops that they purchase each week. The roots of the lettuces Georgia grew were able to take up nutrients from water in the gold fish tank she was using, recycling the fish waste and the bacteria that naturally occurs in a tank. She will study biomedicine at the University of Auckland next year.

The Prime Minister’s 2015 Science Media Communication Prizehas been presented to Doctor Ian Griffin, Director of the Otago Museum and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Otago’s Department of Physics. Under Dr Griffin’s leadership, science communication has become a key focus for the Museum which is investing $3.5 million in the next two years to create a world-class science engagement facility. Outside of work, Dr Griffin is a self-described evangelist for astronomy and the beauty of the night sky.

The 2015 Prime Minister’s Science Prizes were presented to winners on Wednesday 11 November at the Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington.

To find out more about the Prime Minister’s Science Prizes visit:

www.pmscienceprizes.org.nz

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