John Reynolds - one of 17 academics to be promoted to Professor.
Being promoted to full Professor is the icing on the cake of an incredible year for John Reynolds of Anatomy.
Associate Professor Reynolds is one of 17 leading academics from the University's Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington campuses to be promoted to Professor; a further 27 academics are being promoted to Associate Professor level.
Associate Professor Reynolds, a neuroscientist with an interest in brain cell activity in the normal and disordered brain, recently returned to Dunedin from Oxford University. He spent the year in Oxford's Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics (DPAG) and the MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit, investigating the use of light to activate the release of the brain chemical dopamine, and measuring how it affects circuits in the brain that go wrong in Parkinson's disease.
"Otago's promotion processes are extremely rigorous and involve thorough evaluation of an academic's record of contributions in research, teaching, and service to the University and community."
He says working with some of the world's top dopamine neuroscientists was a “fantastic” experience. He learned an “incredible” amount and formed some new exciting collaborations.
“It is always good to return home, however, where our community of Parkinson's neuroscientists is small but punches at an international level.
“Receiving the phone call from the Vice-Chancellor to announce the promotion was like the icing on the cake.”
Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne warmly congratulated the all of the academics on their promotions, which take effect from 1 February 2017.
“Otago's promotion processes are extremely rigorous and involve thorough evaluation of an academic's record of contributions in research, teaching, and service to the University and community.”
Associate Professor Reynolds says he is grateful to a community of people who underpin his promotion, including many past and present laboratory staff, postgraduate and undergraduate students, colleagues, and his wife Jane and family, who “collectively form the hidden 9/10 below the iceberg that keep the work and me as a person afloat.”
The new Professors (from 1 Feb 2017) are:
Margaret Briggs (Law)
Hallie Buckley (Anatomy)
Anthony Butler (Radiology, Christchurch campus)
Neil Carr (Tourism)
Nicholas Chandler (Oral Rehabilitation)
Gerard Closs (Zoology)
Alison Cree (Zoology)
Gregory Dawes (Philosophy)
Shelley Griffiths (Law)
Robert Hancox (Preventive and Social Medicine)
Janine Hayward (Politics)
Jing-Bao Nie (Bioethics Centre)
Ross Notman (College of Education)
Nigel Perry (Chemistry)
Susan Pullon (Primary Healthcare and General Practice, Wellington campus)
John Reynolds (Anatomy)
Rachael Taylor (Medicine)
The new Associate Professors (from 1 Feb 2017) are:
Barry Allan (Law)
Caroline Beck (Zoology)
Jonathan Broadbent (Oral Rehabilitation)
Rachel Brown (Human Nutrition)
Alan Carne (Biochemistry)
Nicolas Cullen (Geography)
Ivan Diaz-Rainey (Accountancy and Finance)
Liz Dennett (Surgery and Anaesthesia, Wellington campus)
Anne-Louise Heath (Human Nutrition)
Chris Hepburn (Marine Science)
Christopher Holmes (Theology and Religion)
Rajesh Katare (Physiology)
Roslyn Kemp (Microbiology and Immunology)
Diane Kenwright (Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Wellington campus)
William Levack (Medicine, Wellington campus)
Mark Lokman (Zoology)
Jevon Longdell (Physics)
Eileen McKinlay (Primary Healthcare and General Practice, Wellington campus)
Tony Moore (School of Surveying)
Neil Pickering (Bioethics Centre)
Anna Ranta (Medicine, Wellington campus)
Tony Savarimuthu (Information Science)
Andrew Tawse-Smith (Office of the Dean (Dentistry))
Tiffany Trotman (Languages and Cultures)
Greg Waite (English and Linguistics)
Ros Whiting (Accountancy and Finance)
Rachel Zajac (Psychology)
The new Research Associate Professor (from 1 Feb 2017) is:
Bridget Robson (Public Health, Wellington campus)