Members Sign In
Members Sign InAny member can nominate a
candidate. The nomination needs a sponsor within the Executive. Members of the
executive are happy to be contacted with your recommended nominee's name.
This lectureship is to recognise
an individual's leadership and outstanding contributions to the advancement of
knowledge and/or clinical practice in the field of diabetes mellitus and
related metabolic diseases in New Zealand.
The recipient will deliver the Dr
Bob Smith Lecture at the NZSSD Annual General Meeting.
The next nominations for this
lectureship will open in November 2026.
History
This lectureship is awarded in the
name of Dr Robert Bernard William Smith, MB ChB (NZ), MRACP, FRACP, who was
born in Auckland in 1936 and educated in Palmerston North before attending
Medical School at the University of Otago. His training continued at Palmerston
North, Wellington and Canberra, Australia. After completing physician training
he worked in the British Solomon Islands then Wellington. After further
specialist training in diabetes in London in 1975 he returned to Wellington
where he spent the rest of his career until retiring in 2002. From 1976 to 2002
he was Physician-in-Charge of the Diabetic Services at Wellington Hospital. He
is universally respected and fondly remembered by people living with diabetes
and staff, and is responsible for educating and inspiring a whole generation of
diabetes clinicians across multiple disciplines as they came through the
Wellington diabetes service. He is particularly remembered for his inclusive
approach to multidisciplinary care of people with diabetes.
Dr Smith was one of the founding
members of NZSSD in 1976 and served on the executive on more than one occasion
including as the first secretary and then president in 1981 and 1982. Dr Smith
was also responsible for the production of the society newsletter
"NewSweet" for many years including the very first edition in 1977.
He always attended and contributed to the annual scientific meeting unless
clinical responsibilities precluded this. Dr Smith was made a life member of
the society in 1995.
Recipients of the award have
been:
2016 - Dr Paul Drury
2018 - Dr Tim Cundy
2021 - Dr Helen Lunt
2025 - Dr Brandon Orr-Walker
2026 - Prof Rinki Murphy