The Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer team has won the Prime Minister’s Science Prize for their research on inherited stomach cancer. This research, a collaboration between the McLeod family, geneticists from the University of Otago, and clinicians from Tauranga Hospital, has identified a genetic mutation that causes stomach cancer. As a result of their genetic testing and treatment, they have saved around 400 to 450 lives since 1995.
Dr. Samuel Mehr of the University of Auckland and Harvard University won the Emerging Scientist Prize for his research on how humans perceive and produce music. Professor Ben Kennedy won the Science Communication Prize for informing communities in volcanic regions about volcano hazards and how to manage the risks of eruptions.
The Science Teach Award was won by Madeleine Collins from Green Bay High School. Sunny Perry, a Year 13 student from Kerikeri High School, won the Future Scientist Prize for her research on soil naturally rich in iron sulphides in Northland and the risks it poses to humans, biodiversity, and infrastructure.
The awards were presented in Wellington by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins. Luxon praised the winners for their contributions to the growth of New Zealand’s science, innovation, and technology sector. Collins expressed her pride and excitement about the future possibilities in these fields.
