Medicine quality head receives MSD award
10 Nov 2023
Professor Paul Newton, head of IDDO’s Medicine Quality Research Group has received an ‘Excellent Supervisor’ award.
Professor Newton, who was nominated by colleagues, received his 2023 MSD Teaching Excellence Award at a ceremony at Oxford Town Hall earlier this month. The scheme recognises and rewards excellence in teaching, supervision, the organisation and development of teaching, and support for teaching and learning, within a research-intensive environment. Congratulations to all the winners.
The ceremony was hosted by the Head of Division, Professor Gavin Screaton, the Associate Head of Division (Education), Professor Helen Christian, and the Head of Education Policy and Planning, Jane Dale.
Professor Newton early on recognised the vital importance of quality training of students to improve public health, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). LOMWRU, which he directed from 1999 to 2019, has continued as a pioneering hub for the training and mentoring of clinicians, microbiologists and laboratory technicians and scientists in Laos.
In 1999, the only clinical microbiologist in Laos was LOMWRU co-founder the late Dr Rattanaphone Phetsouvanh, who completed her PhD under Paul’s supervision. Prof Mayfong Mayxay, also co-founder of LOMWRU, became Laos’ first research malariologist, through the Wellcome Fellowship co-supervised by Paul. Dr Vilada Chansamouth was the first Lao national to read for an MSc at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the second to read for an Oxford DPhil, both supervised by Paul and colleagues. Many Lao nationals became clinical microbiologists, microbiology scientists, technicians, malariologists and infectious disease doctors during Paul’s time as head of LOMWRU, facilitated by Wellcome funding, and has continued to expand since then.
The Teaching Excellence Awards scheme has been in place since 2006, recognising and rewarding excellence in teaching, supervision, the organisation and development of teaching, and support for teaching and learning, within a research-intensive environment. The Awards formally acknowledge significant educational achievements, reward individuals who have exceeded expectations in carrying out their duties, and support the aspirations of those who wish to innovate and enhance our educational provision.