Surgical Trust gets key to the door

19 August 2013

The Wellington-based Surgical Research Trust comes of age this week and has much to celebrate after funding more than 90 research projects in its 21 years.

The Surgical Research Trust was established in 1992 by Professor Geoffrey Horne to fund local and national surgical research.

The Trust funds research projects for members of surgical teams throughout the country, including surgeon Prof Swee Tan at Hutt Hospital, paediatrician Prof Kevin Pringle at Wellington Hospital and diabetes and obesity expert, Prof Richard Stubbs.

Each year the trust also funds three or four students to undertake surgical research during the summer. These often result in international research papers. In addition the Trust has an initiative with its main sponsor, buggy manufacturer, phil&teds, to give a teddy bear to every child undergoing surgery at Wellington, Hutt and Waikato Hospitals.

The Trust relies fully on philanthropy to fund the research projects.

Chair of the Trust, Prof Horne, says establishing the Trust has been one of his proudest achievements during his extensive career in orthopaedics.

“Surgical research benefits all members of the New Zealand community and is also of tremendous significance to the international surgical community. New Zealand researchers have been punching above their weight in this area and the Trust wants to ensure that this research excellence continues.

The Trust is hosting its 21st anniversary dinner on Wednesday August 21 in Wellington where local business and medical people have been invited to hear about the latest research funded by the Trust.

It will be the first Trust event to involve Museum Art Hotel, which has come on as a new sponsor. Another new sponsor Wellington communications company, Ideas Shop, will also be announced.

ENDS

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