Rutherford Foundation awards $190,000 to research

Rutherford Foundation awards $190,000 each to two emerging researchers

The Rutherford Foundation of the Royal Society of New Zealand has announced the successful recipients of two postdoctoral fellowships valued at $190,000 each.

Geologist Rose Turnbull from the University of Canterbury and bioengineer Ben O’Brien from the University of Auckland will each receive two years’ salary and research costs to undertake further research work at New Zealand institutions.

The Foundation’s chairperson, Professor Margaret Brimble, said: “Both these researchers are outstanding young scientists who we are keen to retain in New Zealand. The fellowships provide funding for early career scientists such as Rose and Ben to stay here and contribute to New Zealand’s science efforts.”

Geologist Dr Rose Turnbull was awarded her PhD earlier this year from the University of Canterbury. Under the Rutherford Foundation fellowship she will study at GNS Science’s Dunedin research centre.

Her project will investigate whether a series of large granite intrusions (fossilised magma chambers) that occurred in ancient Westland can help us understand the processes that operate within the Taupo Volcanic Zone, and possibly predict its future development. It will also contribute towards a global understanding of how the Earth’s crust is formed and possible links between granite magmatism and gold formation in Westland.

Professor Brimble said the Rutherford Foundation is pleased to be able to support Dr Turnbull as she has an excellent academic record with a keen understanding of the geology of New Zealand. Her expertise became particularly useful recently in the emergency response to the Canterbury earthquake, where Rose was involved with mapping and data collection of areas badly affected by liquefaction in Christchurch.

“While her postdoctoral studies will be focused on fundamental geological processes, they also have significant potential for social and economic benefits to New Zealand.”

Ben O’Brien, whose PhD studies were undertaken in the Biomimetics Lab of the Auckland Bioengineering Institute, draws inspiration from nature to create new devices and technologies including artificial muscles.

His project, entitled ‘Building the Artificial Muscle Computer’ aims to solve problems associated with circuitry for controlling artificial muscles. Currently this circuitry is bulky, and needs to be miniaturised before artificial muscles can be applied to biomedical devices. He has already developed original technologies for artificial muscles, and he is the named inventor on several preliminary patents.

Ben recently submitted his thesis, and his post-doctoral fellowship is contingent on him passing an oral exam.

Professor Brimble said the Rutherford Foundation considered it a great opportunity to support an “academically excellent, engaging, entrepreneurial person, who is passionate about his innovation and optimistic about its future”.

“Ben’s project will have applications for many types of artificial muscle devices, which are only now emerging from the lab into reality.”

ENDS

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