Professor Charles Eason has been congratulated by Minister for Research, Science and Innovation Megan Woods on his
appointment to the Champions of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
“Professor Charles Eason is an accomplished scientist, currently the Chief Executive of the Cawthron Institute. In 2017
he was awarded the Thomson Medal by Royal Society Te Apārangi for outstanding leadership in his research career and for
his achievements as head of the Cawthron Institute,” Megan Woods said.
“Professor Eason’s science speciality is toxicology, particularly in relation to drugs and natural compounds. He has
recently been involved in the development of new drugs derived from marine algae with European pharmaceutical companies.
“Under Professor Eason’s leadership as Chief Executive of Cawthron, new funding has been secured, including to support
building the world’s largest mussel hatchery, funded by Sanford, which opened in the Cawthron Aquaculture and Research
Park in 2015. These new facilities are allowing Cawthron to build on its expertise in aquaculture breeding, seafood
safety, nutraceuticals, and coastal and freshwater ecology,” Megan Woods said.