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Top Achiever Doctoral scholarships awarded to Christchurch PhD candidates4 September 2007Two PhD candidates at the University of Otago, Christchurch have been awarded Top Achiever Doctoral scholarships by the Tertiary Education Commission. The three year scholarships recognise and reward excellent postgraduate students, and support research at PhD level in all disciplines. Katie Douglas from the Department of Psychological Medicine has been awarded $97,387 to study the development of tests which indicate early response to treatment in severe depression. Her supervisor is Associate Professor Richard Porter. She will be investigating whether specialised tests in brain function are more reliable methods of detecting improvement following treatment for severe depression. The development of new tests will provide a more sensitive means to detect early improvement and modify treatment in patients with severe depression. Last year Katie achieved a BSc honours (1st class), in Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Otago. Her two older brothers received Rhodes Scholarships as University of Otago medical students. Ekaterina Volkova from the Department of Pathology has been awarded $102,973 to study tumour angiogenesis:the role of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance. Her supervisors are Dr Margaret Currie, Dr Gabi Dachs, Associate Professor Bridget Robinson and Dr Jinny Willis. Ekaterina will research the molecular links between obesity and cancer by investigating the effects of metabolic growth factors on the formation of blood vessels in cancer tumours. The study will also examine the potential use of anti-diabetes drugs to inhibit tumour blood vessel growth, and improve outcome in cancer patients with metabolic disease. Ekaterina studied for five years at Moscow State University and completed a Red Diploma with honours in Biochemistry, equivalent to a Masters degree. She moved to New Zealand in 2006, and enrolled in a PhD with the Angiogenesis Research Group in July.
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