Dr Ben Albert is a University of Auckland medical graduate currently conducting research for a PhD degree in medicine at the Liggins Institute, while undertaking specialist training in paediatric endocrinology – the care of children with hormone-related disorders.
Ben’s research is investigating how supplemental omega-3 fatty acids (in fish oils) affect the way the body deals with dietary sugars. He received the prestigious Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group (APEG) Young Investigator Award at a recent joint conference of APEG and the Asia Pacific Paediatric Endocrine Society (APPES) in Darwin, Australia. Members of these two professional societies collectively care for more than 60% of the world’s children across some 17 countries in the Asia Pacific region.
Ben presented some of his intriguing research on how omega-3 supplementation during pregnancy affects offspring’s future health. The award is made on the advice of a committee which assesses candidates on their project’s scientific merit and originality, the clarity of their presentation and their response to the audience’s questions.
In 2012 Ben’s was one of 5 abstracts selected for oral presentation in the Kaichi Kida session at the APPES meeting held in Bali that year. Judged winner of that session, his prize included the honour of speaking as the Kaichi Kida Award Winner at the 2013 combined meeting of all the world’s paediatric endocrine societies in Milan; an extraordinary accomplishment for a PhD student.
Now in the fourth year of his PhD, Ben already has ten publications (eight as first author) in high impact journals and nine presentations at scientific meetings to his credit. He has an interest in scientific scepticism and is an invited speaker at the 2014 NZ Sceptics Conference.
This year he has achieved Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP) and expects soon to submit his thesis before furthering his research training at Australasia’s leading obesity research centre, the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre.
Ben was awarded a Sir Graeme and Lady Douglas Fellowship and an Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Care grant to support him through his studies.
“Ben’s achievements are impressive,” says his supervisor Liggins Institute Director Professor Wayne Cutfield.
“He is a prime example of the high achieving, ambitious young clinicians who join the Institute to strengthen their clinical practice by undertaking related postgraduate research alongside specialist training. Through this, Ben has gained valuable experience and professional mentorship which will serve him well in his future career as a clinician researcher.”
Read more about postgraduate research opportunities at the Liggins Institute including profiles of some of our recent graduates.
