Otago students win grants

ODT, Thu, 7 Aug 2008

Gemma Dickson (Biochemistry Dept/School of Dentistry) and Ana Claasen (Anatomy & Structral Biology/Biochemistry Depts) win prestigious Top Achiever Doctoral Scholarships.

Three University of Otago students are among 31 people from around the country and overseas to be awarded the Government's top achievers doctoral scholarships.

The scholarships, administered by the Tertiary Education Commission, are awarded twice a year.

They provide a stipend and other costs for a three-year research project to be undertaken in New Zealand or at an overseas tertiary institution.

If the research is undertaken overseas, the student must return to New Zealand for three years on completing the scholarship.

Gemma Dickson received $102,960 for her research into the decomposition process for humans and animals dying in marine environments, Caroline Kuiper received $101,844 to study the role of vitamin C in cancer tumour growth and survival, and Ana Claasen received $81,115 to study the relationship between molecules occurring in the brain and Alzheimer's disease.

The other recipients were from the University of Auckland (10), University of Canterbury (8), Victoria University (3), Massey University (3), University of Waikato (2), University of Leeds (1) and Oxford University (1).

In total, $3.11 million was awarded.