Focus Jan 2010
Happy New Year from all the staff at the Malaghan Institute!
The Malaghan Institute of Medical Research is recognised as New Zealand's premier vaccine and immunology research centre. Our success can be directly attributed to the high calibre and outstanding efforts of the staff that work at the Institute and in this edition of Focus we acknowledge two such individuals; Trust Board Chairman Graham Malaghan and PhD student Emma Dangerfield.
Trust Board Chairman honoured by Victoria University
At the end of last year Victoria University of Wellington conferred an honorary degree of Doctor of Science on Graham Malaghan, in recognition of his extraordinary vision and commitment to the Institute. Graham is the son of Len and Ann Malaghan, the namesakes of the Malaghan Institute, and has been Chairman of the Institute's Board of Trustees since 1990. Graham played a pivotal role in overseeing the successful relocation of the Institute to Victoria University's Kelburn campus in 2004, where staff numbers and research programmes have flourished. Furthermore, by actively fostering relationships with other organisations and universities, Graham has also championed the growth of the Institute's capital endowment fund, which will continue to support the Institute for years to come.
Recognition of excellence for Immunoglycomics PhD student
PhD student Emma Dangerfield is a shining example of the up-and-coming young scientists that Graham Malaghan and the Board of Trustees work hard to support. Although she only started her PhD with Immunoglycomics Group Leaders Dr Bridget Stocker and Dr Mattie Timmer in 2008, Emma's research has already led to publications in international scientific journals Organic Letters, Molecules and the European Journal of Organic Chemistry, and a patent application. Emma recently received a Postgraduate Research Excellence Award in Science, Engineering, Architecture and Design from Victoria University of Wellington for her 2009 Organic Letters publication. This cutting-edge research describes a new methodology that enables designer drugs, such as those being developed at the Institute for the treatment of tuberculosis, to be synthesised more efficiently and in a way that is better for the environment ("green chemistry").
On behalf of all the staff at the Institute we congratulate Emma and Graham on their achievements and thank them for their collective efforts in helping us reach our goal of improved treatment options for New Zealanders affected by disease.
