Recent News
Nature Communications on Celebrating National DNA Day: Population Genomics
Phil Wilcox (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa, Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Rakaipaaka) features in an article by Nature Communications on Celebrating National DNA Day: Population Genomics. National DNA Day commemorates the discovery of the DNA double helix and the completion of the Human Genome Project. This year, Nature Communications and Communications Biology celebrate National DNA Day by highlighting researchers that have prioritized genomic studies in underrepresented groups.
April 25th marks National DNA Day, a chance to celebrate the initial discovery of the DNA double helix structure in 1953 and the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003. This year, editors at Nature Communications and Communications Biology wanted to celebrate National DNA Day by highlighting researchers that have emphasized genomic analyses in historically underrepresented populations. Here, we asked researchers about their own achievements, the importance of diversity when pursuing genomic studies, and how to achieve better inclusivity in STEM.
Phil outlines what motivates him in his research, some the issues he has run into, and why appropriate genetic resources and governance are needed to deliver health outcomes for Māori from genomic technologies.
Pedro Rossetto wins NZMS Aitken student prize
NZMS Aitken Prize (Student Prize) Pedro Rossetto
The Society offers a prize for the best contributed talk by a student at the annual New Zealand Mathematics Colloquium. This prize is known as the Aitken Prize, in honour of the New Zealand born mathematician Alexander Craig Aitken. The Prize was first offered at the 1995 Colloquium held in conjunction with the Aitken Centenary Conference at the University of Otago. Candidates for the Prize give a talk on a topic in any branch of the mathematical sciences.
The winner in 2020 was Pedro Henrique Barboza Rossetto (University of Otago) for the talk "Chaos in Plane Fronted Gravitational Waves".
The prize consists of a cheque for NZ$500, accompanied by a certificate.
Welcome back to Yiming Ma
After an incredibly difficult year abroad and several quarantines, we are delighted Yiming Ma is back in the Department to continue his PhD studies.
Yiming is one of Otago’s international PhD students who have made it to campus following the Government’s October decision to allow 250 international postgraduate students to enter New Zealand.
