Professor John Windsor (left) will step down as Head of the Department of Surgery on 20 December and the role will be taken up by Associate Professor Ian Bissett. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge John’s contributions to the Department, School of Medicine and the wider faculty as Head of Department. Initiatives such as the establishment of the Surgical Research Network which promoted a dual clinician/scientist supervision model and John’s active promotion of academic surgery within the School of Medicine and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons have all contributed to an impressive growth in PhD numbers with the department. Currently the Department of Surgery has 30 doctoral candidates, 26 of whom are surgical trainees or fellows.

John, a general surgeon and HBP/Upper GI surgeon at Auckland City Hospital, was awarded a Butland Award for Excellence in Research Supervision in 2009, and in the same year he won the Innovation in Teaching Award at The University of Auckland Teaching Excellence Awards.

Ian Bissett (right) is an alumnus of The University of Auckland, an Associate Professor of Surgery and consultant colorectal surgeon at Auckland City Hospital. Ian trained in General Surgery in New Zealand, gaining his Fellowship in 1987. He then practiced surgery in a regional hospital in Nepal for eleven years having first found the region during his medical elective in 1978. Since returning to New Zealand in 1998, Ian has specialised in Colorectal Surgery, completing an MD involving research into the assessment and treatment of rectal cancer. Ian is actually due to return shortly from his now annual trip back to Nepal where he continues to run surgical camps and undertake procedures over three weeks in conjunction with an international volunteer team.

We are very proud of the news this week from the Vice Chancellor that five FMHS Professors have been appointed Distinguished Professor in The University of Auckland. It is a major accolade for our faculty that five of the 13 appointments made were from FMHS. Our warmest congratulations are extended to Professor Ian Reid (Acting Dean, FMHS), Professor Bruce Baguley (Co-Director Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre), Professor William Denny (Co-Director Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre), Professor Richard Faull (Department of Anatomy with Radiology, CBR, School of Medical Sciences), and Professor Jane Harding (Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research).

To become a Distinguished Professor means that the University has recognised that there are members of its professorial staff who, in their fields of study and work, have attained positions of international eminence of the highest order. From the faculty’s perspective we know that the research and leadership of our five new Distinguished Professors is a major contribution to the faculty’s local and international reputation. Recognising that each works with a creative and talented team, and the awards are to a degree an acknowledgement of the vibrant research environment within FMHS, we are very delighted to extend to each our warmest congratulations.

It is our intention to hold a function early in the new year to recognise and celebrate our new Distinguished Professors.

Ross McCormick Acting Dean on behalf of Ian Reid FMHS

It is with great pleasure that we can announce the five members of faculty who have been promoted to the role of Associate Professor here at The University of Auckland. These promotions recognise the tremendous workload each of our new APs shoulders, and the impact they are all having in their fields. Sincere congratulations go out to:

• Dr Dipika Patel, Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine
• Dr Helen Roberts, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Medicine
• Dr Janet Fanslow, Department of Social and Community Medicine, School of Population Health
• Dr Ralph Maddison, CTRU, School of Population Health
• Dr Mark Barrow, FMHS Associate Dean Education

Then faculty has had a number of specialist programmes approved in the latest round of CUAP and it is appropriate to bring these and the names of the programme coordinators or contacts to the attention of the wider faculty. The recently approved new programmes are:

• Food and Nutrition - a two year specialisation in the Master of Health Sciences which will prepare students for registration as a dietitian. Students will normally enter the programme from a new BSc major in Food Science and Nutrition. Contact Rhodi Bulloch for more information.
• Clinical Pharmacy - a new suite of postgraduate qualifications that replace existing programmes in Pharmacy Practice and introduce a new specialisation in Prescribing to meet the changing needs of the profession. Contact Maree-Ann Jensen for more information.
• Health Informatics - a new PGCertHSc level specialisation designed to bring health sector professionals /researchers to a high level of understanding with respect to health information management for improving performance of the health system. Contact Karen Day for more information.
• BHSc/BSc – a new conjoint that offers students the opportunity to match core courses in health with other areas of interest in science. Contact James Clark for more information.

Stuart Glasson, Manager of both the School of Medical Sciences and School of Pharmacy has received a Professional Staff Excellence Award from The University of Auckland for his overall leadership in the Grafton redevelopment programme. I am sure that all in faculty will join me in extending our congratulations to Stuart on this award.

The award was presented by the Vice Chancellor who read the following citation: "The 240 million dollar Grafton campus redevelopment has been one of the largest single reconstructions in the University’s history. The four year process began with the initial concept planning in 2007 and the construction and relocation is not scheduled for completion until early 2013. Stuart Glasson as Manager of the largest School on the Grafton Campus has played a central position in liaising and mediating between staff and contractor. He has won respect and admiration of all sides for his cool planning, knowledge and attention to detail. Stuart has developed best practice in how to balance the conflicting interests and demands of staff with the blunt realities and practicalities of budgets and space. He established a very well managed team dedicated to the planning and execution of decanting and relocation of staff from old research floors into renovated floors. Support for Stuart among both academic and professional staff throughout this process has been very high".

The Leaders in Indigenous Medical Education (LIME) biennial conference, LIME Connection IV was held in Auckland recently, the first time the indigenous health and medical education group had gathered in New Zealand. The first day of the conference was held at the University’s Waipapa Marae and following the opening powhiri, the first action of the conference was the signing of a collaboration agreement between Te Ohu Rata O Aotearoa (Te ORA) Māori Medical Practitioners Association with the Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand (Medical Deans). This agreement, similar to the one signed by the Medical Deans with the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association in 2005, aims to contribute to recruitment and retention of Māori students in medical training and to ensuring a relevant Māori health curricula as part of the medical school programme.

FMHS Tumuaki Associate Professor Papaarangi Reid said the 220 registrants made this the largest LIME conference, with eight medical school deans in attendance at various points over the three days. “There were attendees from Canada, Hawaii and Vietnam as well as Australia and New Zealand, and the quality of the speakers and the topics they covered made this a really successful conference. Topics ranged from curriculum development through to workforce development, capacity and leadership in the area of indigenous education".

The faculty’s Dr Rhys Jones received one of the prestigious LIMElight Awards over the conference, this for Leading innovation in curriculum implementation. Another award winner from the University was Ibrahim Solomon who collected a LIMElight Student Award. I would like to thank all faculty staff who participated in this conference and in particular our Tumuaki Papaarangi Reid, Dr Elana Curtis and Dr Sue Crengle who is the Chair of Te ORA.

There has been some confusion as to whether certain parts of the faculty are included in next Thursday’s annual FMHS barbeque which will be held in Outhwaite Park. I am delighted to clarify that this is open to all members of faculty who can make it, including of course our colleagues at the Liggins Institute. It promises to be a great day and let’s all hope the good weather holds (or reappears) for lunchtime next Thursday. FMHS barbeque 12-3pm Thursday 15 December.

• Postgraduate certificate awards: Professor Alistair Woodward invites all interested staff to attend the annual celebration for students who are completing the postgraduate certificate programme at the School of Population Health. Friday 16 December, 4.30-6pm, Seminar Room 730-220, Tāmaki Innovation Campus.  Add to your calendar