New Year's Honours

Professor Helen Danesh-Meyer, DNZM, FRSNZ, FRANZCO-Meyer CNZM, is appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to ophthalmology. Helen is New Zealand’s pre-eminent authority, and an internationally recognised leader in the clinical science of interactions between the brain and the eye, and was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2023.

Professor Graham Le Gros CNZM FRSNZ CRSNZ FRCPA (Hon), is appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to medical science. Graham was Director of the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research for more than 30 years and built the independent charity into a world-class centre for immunology and clinical trials of new vaccines and other treatments.

This year’s Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit include three of our Fellows:         

• Dr Bruce William Hayward MNZM FRSNZ, appointed for services to geology, particularly micropaleontology. Bruce is an internationally recognised micropaleontologist with more than 40 years of research contributions, and winner of the 2018 Hutton Medal and a 2020 Charles Fleming Award recipient. He is an expert on Formaminifera, one of the most abundant, pervasive and widely used microfossil groups preserved in marine sediments.
• Distinguished Professor Gaven Martin FRSNZ, appointed  for services to mathematics and education. Gaven’s research has solved some of mathematics’ most challenging problems, his advocacy has strengthened the New Zealand curriculum, and his mentorship has helped shape the next generation of mathematicians. He is the winner of the 2024 Jones Medal and former Society Council member and Academy Executive Committee Chair. -         
• Distinguished Professor Paul Moughan FRSNZ, for services to science. Paul is one of New Zealand’s foremost scientists in the areas of growth biology, digestive physiology and metabolism, and food chemistry. He is an expert on mammalian and human protein metabolism. 

We also congratulate former Society Council member Professor Jens Mueller MNZM who was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, Professor Beverley-Anne Lawton ONZM (Ngāti Porou), winner of the Health Research Council of New Zealand 2023 Beaven Medal who was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, and all those who received recognition in this year’s Honours.

View full New Year Honours List