What's new New Postdoctoral Fellowship based in San Diego Following a recent visit by Minister Hodgson to the United States, an opportunity for a partnership initiative with the Salk Institute in San Diego allowing New Zealanders to take up postdoctoral fellowships at the Institute has been identified. The fellowship, aimed at the broad areas of Molecular Biology and Genetics; Neurosciences; and Plant Biology, will be offered every two years at the Salk Institute. Click here for more details. Pacific Health Roadshows launched The HRC's Pacific Health team received a warm welcome in Dunedin at their first roadshow, which attracted 140 participants. Full list of dates Award for excellence A team of researchers have won an award for excellence in medical writing for their paper on a HRC-funded project Trends in major cardiovascular risk factors in Auckland, New Zealand: 1982 to 2002–2003. The Richard Robinson Award was presented to Patricia Metcalf, Robert Scragg, David Schaaf, Lorna Dyall, Peter Black, and Rod Jackson by the New Zealand Medical Association. Launch of the HRC Strategic Plan The HRC has launched its Strategic Plan 2008-2013. The Strategic Plan responds to the HRC's mission statement -benefiting New Zealand through health research - and recognises that high quality health research is vital for health and well-being. Click here for details. Māori Health Research Roadshows The HRC has announced the dates for its annual Māori Health Research Roadshow and Writing Workshops for 2008. Details available from the new Māori Health Research database by clicking here. Other roadshow dates are available on Update click here. HRC News - latest edition online The June edition of HRC News is now online. Click here to view. Latest health research news Click here for the latest in health research news. Ninth Global Forum on Bioethics in Research (GFBR9) GFBR9 will be hosted by the HRC in Auckland, New Zealand from 3-5 December 2008. More information>> Quick links Funding opportunities Click here>> Conferences and events Click here>> HRC Online Reporting Click here to access HRC's online reporting system.

HRC News Double voyage of discovery for Māori Scholar When Melanie Cheung, pictured above, won a PhD Māori Scholarship from the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC), she was ready to embark on a voyage of discovery in science. But little did she realize just how strongly it would also be a journey through her own culture. Her project – the molecular studies of human neurodegenerative disease – required her to isolate and grow cells from the brains of cadavers. But in Māori custom, the head and brain are extremely tapu – a sacred body part that must not be tampered with. Full story in the latest edition of Panui

Last Updated : 25 July 2008 09:26:44.