The Hopkirk - a great first year!

At one year of age, the Hopkirk Research Institute has already won a number of prestigious building and architectural awards and is nearing staff capacity.

A collaboration between AgResearch and Massey University, research at the Hopkirk focuses on developing vaccines for, and controlling parasitic diseases in, pastoral-fed animals. Scientists also identify and predict food poisoning threats in New Zealand and devise strategies to minimise their prevalence and impact.

The Palmerston North building was named the Registered Master Builders Association 2007 Commercial Project of the Year for Manawatu. This was in addition to winning the Gold Award in the Education Project category. It also topped the Western Region's New Zealand Institute of Architects' Resene Local Awards. It won two categories in the contest, Education and Colour, with judges describing the architecture as sophisticated and inspired.

With staffing at about 70 percent capacity, the Hopkirk is on track in terms of staff occupancy, says AgResearch Animal Health Section Manager Dr Wayne Hein who is the Hopkirk’s inaugural director.

"More people are expected to move in this year and we're starting to see the very positive results of new links being forged between Massey University and AgResearch."

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