Professional staff recognised in 2026 research excellence awards

Janene McMillan has spent more than 20 years supporting clinical research at the Liggins Institute and is widely recognised for her contribution to both research teams and research participants.

As team lead for clinical research, she has helped guide the development of the Liggins Institute Clinical Research Unit from a small two-bed facility into a modern research unit supporting a broad range of studies.

Her role extends across clinical operations, participant care, study delivery, staff training, mentoring and research support. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with researchers, research nurses, technicians and students, sharing her extensive knowledge of clinical research processes and helping ensure studies are delivered to a high standard.

The nomination highlighted not only Janene's technical expertise and institutional knowledge, but also her commitment to creating a positive experience for research participants and their whānau.

She was described as “the heart of clinical research at the Liggins Institute”. Her contribution has supported numerous research projects, publications, higher degree students and clinical trials over two decades.

The Animal Welfare Group has been recognised for work that has strengthened support for animal-based research and teaching activities across the University.

The team reviewed existing processes and identified opportunities to improve transparency, communication, efficiency and researcher support while maintaining high standards of animal welfare and regulatory compliance.

Among the changes were the publication of Animal Ethics Committee processing timeframes, the development of service commitments, improvements to application pre-screening and expanded training and support for researchers.

A major achievement was the introduction of a rolling pre-screening model for Animal Ethics Committee applications. The changes halved processing times from a year earlier while helping researchers navigate ethics requirements more effectively.

The award acknowledges the collective effort of the team to improve systems and services that support research across the University.

Animal Welfare Group members recognised through this award:

• Dharshini (Dharsh) Sreenivasan, Animal Ethics Committee Manager
• Sara Azarpeykan, Animal Research Compliance Manager
• Sabina Darke, Deputy Animal Welfare Officer
• Shirli Notcovich, Animal Welfare Officer

Members of the wider team:

• Marieke Wijnen, Clinical Services Veterinarian
• Kushla Mcindoe, Clinical Services Veterinarian
• Betty Lee, Ethics and Regulatory Coordinator
• Zuilee Haldankar, Ethics Coordinator