John Hubbard Award for PhD Excellence

The John Hubbard Memorial Prize is awarded annually in recognition of excellence in studies towards a PhD. 

Eligibility:

• Applicants must be in their final year of PhD study at a Tertiary Institution in New Zealand or no more than one year should have elapsed since the PhD was conferred.

• Supervisors must be a member of the PSNZ at the time of presentation.

• Students must also be members of the PSNZ at the time of presentation. 

How to Apply:

Send your application, consisting of the following, to the secretary of the PSNZ by 1st of July.

A summary of the PhD work to-date (no more than 4 pages total) placing it in the context of its contribution to the associated research field. Particular care must be placed to outline the PhD components, their logical progression, and the variety/complexity of techniques used. Applicants are also encouraged to highlight their contribution to published findings/ outcomes. The supervisor(s) should have minimum input into the writing of this summary.

1. An abstract of a substantial component of the PhD. The abstract should be formatted according to the template provided for MedSci abstract submission. Again, the supervisor(s) should have minimum input into the writing of the abstract.

2. A curriculum vitae

3. A brief report/reference should be submitted separately by the supervisor(s). It should include:

(i) a fair assessment of the input from student/supervisor/other people into the protocol design, conduct of experiments and scientific interpretation and

(ii) a statement about the degree of input from the supervisor(s) into the writing of the submitted summary.

After Application:

• Applications will be assessed by a committee appointed by the PSNZ Council.

• A short list will be compiled, and all applicants will be notified of the results of the preliminary screening at least three weeks before the MedSci Meeting

• Short-listed applicants (typically 2) will be expected to present a talk (usually 20min + 10min questions), at the MedSci Congress. 

• The quality of the presentation and the ability to answer questions will be judged by the above Committee and will contribute to the selection of the winner.

• The winner will be announced at the MedSci dinner. 

• The prize is a certificate and $500.

• No award shall be made if none of the applicants merits such recognition.

Previous Recipients

• 2023 Dhananjie Chandrasekera, University of Otago (joint award)

• 2023 Benjamin Lear, University of Auckland (joint award)

• 2022 Marco Annandale, University of Auckland (joint award)

• 2022 Kelly Zhou, University of Auckland (joint award)

• 2020 Yukti Vyas, Dept of Physiology, University of Auckland

• 2019 Bradley Jamieson, Dept of Physiology, University of Otago

• 2016 Christopher Lear, Dept of Physiology, University of Auckland

• 2014 Aleisha Moore, Dept of Physiology, University of Otago - Investigating changes in the gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuronal network in a model of polycystic ovarian syndrome

• 2013 Simon de Croft, Dept of Physiology, University of Otago - Elucidating the properties of arcuate nucleus kisspeptin neurons through electrophysiology

• 2012 June-Chiew Han, Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland - Does the heart really operate at ‘isoefficiency’.

• 2011 Rachel Cheong, Dept of Physiology, University of Otago - Investigating the role of estrogen on the brain's control of reproduction

• 2010 Isuru Jayasinghe, Dept of Physiology, University of Auckland - Resolving the structural basis of cardiac excitation-coupling

• 2009 Rosemary Brown, Dept of Anatomy and Structural Biology and Dept of Physiology, University of Otago - Mechanism of hyperprolactinaemia-induced infertility

• 2008 Karen Peebles (Co-winner), Department of Physiology, University of Otago - Changes in cerebral vasoactive factors during acute alterations in arterial blood gases in humans.

• 2008 Lindsea Booth (Co-winner), Department of Physiology, University of Auckland - Renal sympathetic nerve actiivity in the preterm fetus.

• 2007 Jenny Clarkson, Department of Physiology, University of Otago - Kisspeptin activation of GnRH neurons at puberty

• 2006 Natalie Harfoot, Department of Physiology, University of Otago – The Expression of Secretory NBC and CFTR in the Ileal Epithelium of the Australian Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula)

• 2005 Kevin Webb, Department of Physiology, University of Auckland – Membrane Properties of Differentiating Fiber Cells in the Rat Lens

• 2004 Robert S. Kirton, Department of Physiology, University of Auckland - Does Strain Soften the Heart?

• 2004 Adèle J Pope, Department of Physiology, University of Auckland - Ventricular Remodelling as a Mechanism for Heart Failure

• 2002 Gareth B Miles, Department of Physiology, University of Auckland - Differential Expression during Postnatal Development of Voltage-Activated Calcium Channels in Functionally Distinct Motoneurons Controlling Airway and Extraocular Muscles

• 2000 Bridget L Leonard, Department of Physiology, University of Auckland - Sympathetic Neural Control of Intrarenal Blood Flow

• 1999 Fayez Hammad, Department of Physiology, University of Otago -- The Role of Endothelins in Cold Ischaemia -- Reperfusion Injury in Renal Transplantation

• 1997 Refik Kanjhan, Department of Physiology, University of Auckland -- The Conundrum of P2X2R Expression in the CNS.