Scholarships fund innovative NZ technological research

Four scholarships just awarded will fund postgraduate research in New Zealand universities to improve technology for breast screening, develop needle-free injections, better target and kill cancer cells, and develop wireless implanted biomedical devices.

The Dick and Mary Earle Scholarships in Technology were established by husband and wife team, and Professors Emeriti, Dick and Mary Earle from Massey University.  Dick was the foundation Professor of Biotechnology and Mary was a Professor of Food Technology.

Their goal is to support and encourage postgraduate research in New Zealand universities into aspects of innovation and product development, or bioprocess technology.  The Earles hope that through this scholarship graduates will improve their own capacity to advance technology and also will make a contribution to technological knowledge relevant to New Zealand.

Four scholarships have been awarded this year:

Claire Bewley, aged 25 from Taradale in Hawke’s Bay, has been awarded $15,000 for 2016 to support her Master of Engineering in applied bioengineering at the University of Canterbury.  Claire has a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Mechanical Engineering.

Her Masters research will focus on improving the ergonomics and reliability of the digital imaged based elasto-tomography (DIET) breast screening technology.  This is imaging using the elastic properties of tissue and therefore has several advantages over conventional screening mammography including the ability to help detect breast cancer in women of all ages, greater accuracy, more safety and comfort, and cheaper costs.  Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer amongst New Zealand women.

Claire has three years industry experience in Christchurch including designing mechanical services for commercial buildings, and control systems for electric wheelchairs.

Kieran Brennan, aged 22 from Palmerston North, has been awarded $10,000 to support a three month doctoral research exchange with the bioinstrumentation lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston.

Kieran has completed a Bachelor of Engineering with First Class Honours in Engineering Science at the University of Auckland.  He is currently studying towards his PhD at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute within the University of Auckland.

His project on needle-free jet injection is being developed in collaboration with MIT.  He is exploring optical, acoustic and imaging solutions to monitor progress and rate of liquid drug delivery during needle-free jet injections into the appropriate tissue layer.

Kieran says his interest in technology was sparked by a DIY Dick Smith Electronics Kit his parents had bought him for Christmas when he was eight years old.

Abigail Sharrock, aged 25 from Hamilton, has been awarded $15,000 over three years to support her doctoral research in Biotechnology at the School of Biological Sciences at Victoria University of Wellington.  Abby has a Master of Science with First Class Honours from the University of Waikato.

Her PhD studies will focus on the engineering of microbial enzymes (nitroreductases) for use in biotechnical medical applications.  They are an important tool on the development of new cancer therapies and tissue regeneration.  Her goal is to develop an entirely new form of targeted chemotherapy that will enable effective killing of cancerous cells with only minimal damage to healthy tissues. 

She is working with researchers at John Hopkins University in the USA and hopes to bring this technology to human clinical trials within three years.

Lixiang (Jackie) Zou, aged 37 from Sunnyhills in Auckland, has been awarded $45,000 over three years to support her doctoral research in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Auckland. 

Jackie completed a Master of Engineering with First Class Honours from the University of Auckland.  Her PhD will focus on improving the capability of a relatively new contactless power transfer technology, called Capacitive Power Transfer (CPT) for implantable biomedical devices.  One device she will look at is the intracranial pressure (ICP) sensor used to monitor brain shunts in people with hydrocephalus.

She also studied mechatronics engineering at the University of Soochow and worked as an intern in China.  After moving to New Zealand, Jackie has worked as an intern and then became an employee with PowerbyProxi.  Jackie, who describes herself as a scientific explorer, plans to use her research into wireless power transfer in industrial, commercial and biomedical fields.

Chris Whelan, Executive Director of Universities New Zealand said these students all have the ability to develop innovative solutions to benefit New Zealanders and others around the world.

“Their research also has the potential to develop new opportunities where New Zealand innovation and design can compete in international export markets.”

Universities New Zealand, also known as the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors’ Committee, manages around 40 undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships totalling over $2M each year.

For further information or interviews contact: Hazel Dobbie, Communications Manager, Universities New Zealand, 027 838 2313, hazel.dobbie@universitiesnz.ac.nz