MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Use
7 February 2005
New Government Fund Benefits Auckland Medical Researchers
Two University of Auckland medical researchers have been awarded funding totalling nearly $1.5 million to conduct
collaborative obesity and diabetes research with overseas colleagues.
Dr Kathleen Mountjoy and Professor Peter Shepherd from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences are among the first
recipients of the International Investment Opportunities Fund (IIOF) which seeks to raise the profile of New Zealand's
research capability, forge international collaborations, and attract top research talent to work here.
Dr Mountjoy and her team will receive $573,670 over two years to collaborate with the Western Australian Institute for
Medical Research on the causes of obesity and type II diabetes.
"Over the past decade, a lot has been learnt about the role of leptin in regulating body weight and metabolism. My work
delves further into this area," says Dr Mountjoy.
"It is known that some obese people have high levels of leptin in their body, but are resistant to it. My team and I are
studying the mechanism of action for two melanocortin peptides known to be regulated by leptin and mediating many of
leptin's affects in the brain. This is a major area of international drug development research.
"A few years ago, we established a relationship with Associate Professor Karen Eidne at the Western Australian Institute
for Medical Research, who has expertise in the area of peptide hormone signalling and state-of-the art equipment
required for this type of research. The IIOF grant will help us continue this collaboration, and advance an important
aspect of our research."
Professor Peter Shepherd, named London's Young Biotech Entrepreneur in 2002, is an international biotech expert and a
recently returned New Zealander who spent the last fifteen years at prestigious institutions in the USA and England,
including Harvard, Cambridge and University College London.
His distinguished research career has focused on understanding how insulin regulates the highly complex pathways that
control the function of cells, and how defects in these pathways lead to the development of insulin resistance and type
II diabetes.
"My IIOF proposal involves the development of a new technology platform in New Zealand that will provide researchers
with more advanced 'tools' to research the highly complex signalling pathways that regulate the function of the cell,"
says Professor Shepherd who was awarded $886,000 over two years.
"The 'Signalomics' platform will be of enormous value in basic research, drug development, and development of new
strategies to diagnose disease.
"Successful completion of this project requires critical mass. The IIOF grant will assist in developing a trans-Tasman
consortium of academic cell signalling researchers, and Symansis Ltd - a UK-New Zealand biotechnology company that will
move its operations to New Zealand."
Dean of Medical and Health Sciences Professor Peter Smith says the grants underscore the calibre of faculty researchers
who are doing internationally significant work.
"I understand this new government research fund was substantially over-subscribed, with grant applications well in
excess of the money available. The recognition given to Dr Mountjoy and Professor Shepherd is a tribute to the quality
of their work, the research reputations they have forged, and the international standing they have in their respective
fields."
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Tom Barnes says The University of Auckland's success in the IIOF fund will assist in
achieving a greater level of collaboration with other research teams.
"In a small country like New Zealand collaboration in research endeavors is essential in order to leverage the small
resource base for research. The University of Auckland is therefore actively committed to developing collaborative
relationships with other research institutions both nationally and internationally.
"The successful collaborations we have with other universities in New Zealand, CRIs, and research institutions abroad
such as the Universitas 21 international university network, place us in a unique position to capitalise on
international research collaborations for the benefit of New Zealand.
"This success in the IIOF will provide key resources to enable our researchers to extend and deepen their international
collaboration efforts and we are most grateful to the Government for its foresight in establishing the scheme."
The International Investment Opportunities Fund is jointly administered by the Foundation for Research, Science and
Technology (FRST) and the Health Research Council of New Zealand (HRC). It was established last year, and its aims are
to:
* Support participation in international research programmes with a high relevance to New Zealand's economic,
social and/or environmental development;
* Increase the ability of New Zealand researchers to participate in research collaborations that attract
international co-funding; and
* Recruit highly experienced researchers from overseas.
In this first funding round - targeted specifically at building international research collaborations - University of
Auckland researchers gained two of six awards made.
ENDS