President's Prizes
The Annual Meeting produced the usual crop of excellent papers, both presented orally and in poster format. As is our custom the Branch continued to encourage its student members by offering two prizes for the authors of what, in the opinion of a small panel of judges, were considered to be the best of each. Once again, the decision was hard to make and, without detracting in any way from the perceived quality of the remainder, the President was delighted to present a framed certificate and a cheque to the following two authors at the close of the meeting:
- Best oral presentation:
- Nick Ciccone, Roslin Institute (Edinburgh):
"Expression of neuroendocrine genes within the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis of end of lay broiler breeder hens." - Co-authors were P J Sharp, P W Wilson and I C Dunn. - Best poster presentation:
- Nimal Priyankarage, Veterinary Research Institute, Peradeniya, Sri
Lanka:
"Comparisons of the efficacies of different probiotics for broiler chickens." - Co-authors were: S S P Silva, S P Gunaratne, M W C D Palliyaguru, W M P B Weerasinghe and P S Fernando.
Congratulations to both of these.
Students should bear in mind that prizes will be available again at the 2004 Annual Meeting for the best oral presentation and best poster. A cheque for £100 and a framed certificate are to be earned.
Prizewinners Nimal Priyankarage (left) and Nick Ciccone were presented with their prizes by President Dr Paul Hocking. Photograph courtesy of Dr Claire Weeks. |
Student Summer Vacation Scholarship 2003...
It was also announced at the Annual Meeting that the 2003 Award, worth £800, had been awarded, exceptionally, to a post-graduate student. Ambrose Tinarwo, who is based at the Silsoe Research Institute and undertaking his MSc in applied Animal behaviour and Animal Welfare for the University of Edinburgh, will be funded by the Branch to investigate the hen's ability to discriminate between confinement periods of different duration. We look forward to his report which will be considered for inclusion in the 2004 Annual Meeting. Council wish to remind members that this award is normally open only to undergraduate students.
...and 2004
Full details of awards to be offered for Summer 2004 will appear in our Winter Newsletter.