PSGR - Key Persons
Dr Bernard Conlon has a medical degree (MB, BCh, BAO) from Queens University, Belfast, Northern Ireland (1983). He holds diplomas in child health, obstetrics and gynaecology, and geriatric medicine.
Bernard Conlon obtained full membership of the UK Royal College of General Practitioners in 1987. He gained membership of the NZ Royal College of General Practitioners in 1994 and attained a fellowship in 1999.
Dr Conlon worked in a variety of hospitals in Northern Ireland prior to completion of his General Practice training in 1987. He emigrated to New Zealand in April 1991 and has been a principal in the rural general practice, Murupara Medical Centre, since that time.
During his period as Trustee of PSRG, Bernard Conlon has spoken to many community groups on genetic engineering and medicine, and contributed a Witness Brief to the PSRG submission to the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification in November of 2000.
Job Titles:
- Strategist & Development Consultant ( Public and Private Sector ) . Region
Neil Macgregor was a biological scientist with primary expertise in soil biology and biochemistry, soil microbial ecology, and microbial genetics. He graduated BSc and MSc from the University of Otago (NZ) in 1961, and PhD from Cornell University (USA) in 1968.
Neil Macgregor was a founder of the Journal for Organic Systems and a tribute to him and his work can be found on http://www.organic-systems.org/journal/Vol_4(1)/pdf/01-03_Neil_Macgregor_Appreciation_Hill.pdf.
Neil Macgregor. Sadly, Neil died on 16 September 2009. He had been active in PSRG/PSGR since its inception. Neil brought a wealth of experience to the work he did, dedication, and a great sense of humour. He will be sadly missed.
Neil Macgregor is a biological scientist with primary expertise in soil biology and biochemistry, soil microbial ecology, and microbial genetics. He graduated BSc and MSc from the University of Otago (NZ) in 1961, and PhD from Cornell University (USA) in 1968.
Dr Macgregor has held both teaching and/or research positions at Cornell University, the University of Arizona in Tucson, the University of Wisconsin in Madison, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) in Montpellier, Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, and Massey University, Palmerston North (Tiritea Campus), New Zealand. From 1991-99 he was an academic member of the University Council of Massey University, and was national Vice President and President of the Association of University Teachers in New Zealand (AUTNZ) from 1985-1989.
Dr Macgregor has relevant research experiences in soil biological processes and land-use systems including biological nitrogen fixation and transformations in both terrestrial and aquatic natural environments, land disposal of rural and urban waste streams, soil and water quality, and the experimental use of reporter genes in soil microbial ecology studies.
Specific research interests have included the biological decomposition of herbicides, the role and soil persistence of microbial inoculants in biological nitrogen fixation and sulphur oxidation, biochemical transformations of nitrogen and carbon in soil and aquatic environments, and the use of reporter genes in soil microbial ecology. He has ongoing major interests in soil biology and ecotoxicology, microbial ecology of land-use systems, as well as in the animal health industry, athropogenic stresses of soil biological activity, and sustainability of land-use systems.
Dr Macgregor is the author/co-author of over 70 refereed publications and conference papers. He contributed the chapter ‘Footprints of Genetic Engineering in Agriculture' to Designer Genes and frequently speaks to community groups on the effects of transgenic crops on soil biology, and on further soil research in the organic and vermiculture industries.
He is a Trustee of Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Genetics and is the Co-Editor of the digital publication, Journal of Organic Systems; editor@organic-systems.org.
Dr Elvira Dommisse studied science at Otago University, majoring in Botany and Biochemistry, and completing a First Class Honours degree in Plant Physiology (1981-1984).
Elvira began working at Applied Biochemistry, DSIR (later Crop & Food Research), Lincoln, in 1985 as a research scientist, working on cell and tissue culture of onions, garlic and other Alliums. This work eventually progressed into establishing methods to genetically engineer onions, which became the topic of her PhD. Dr Dommisse was the first person in the world to publish on early steps involved in the genetic engineering of onions.
In 1993, Elvira left her position at Crop & Food because of concerns about the food and environmental safety of transgenic crops and a lack of job satisfaction. By this time, Crop & Food had already carried out a number of field trials of genetically engineered crops. There were very few controls in place with such field trials and at the time there was little concern about the lax attitudes of the scientists involved.
Subsequently, Dr Dommisse has completed a music degree and diploma. She is now a registered music teacher and a musician, playing as a casual player for the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.
Elvira and her husband Stephen, who works for Landcare Research, have two young children. She comes from a family of growers; her father professionally, her mother and four sisters having flourishing organic vegetable gardens; her brother-in-law a farm consultant for organic farming methods.
Dr Dommisse is a Trustee for PSRG and on the National Council of the Association of Soil & Health (Inc), NZ.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Researcher
- Trustee
Researcher and consultant. John Clearwater was a founding member of PSRG in 1998, and one of six initial Trustees. Ill health forced John to relinquish his Trusteeship in 2008. It was with sadness we accepted his resignation. John has consistently made valid contributions and supported PSRG. We will miss his involvement and commitment, and especially his sense of humour. Keep well in the future, John.
Dr John Clearwater has a PhD from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, and a BSc and MSc from Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. He is the principal scientist at Clearwater Research and Consulting.
From 1975 to 1979, Dr Clearwater carried out ecological research on the sorghum shoot fly at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Nairobi, Kenya.
In 1979, he returned to New Zealand and joined the DSIR, transferring in 1992 to Hort Research.
During his career, Dr Clearwater developed a method of controlling codling moth with pheromones and in 1992 produced the first New Zealand export crop of organic apples with Tony Belcher of Waihi. After failing to convince his managers of the value of this achievement, he resigned and set up a programme of organic apple growing in the Hawkes Bay. This followed the invitation of a local grower, John Bostock, and John Mangan of Freshco. By 2001, this programme had grown to include over 50 growers and five percent of New Zealand's apple growers. By the 2000/2001 season, the best return was $80/carton of organic Royal gala apples on the US market, compared to $8.25 (loss of $1/carton) for conventional apples. The biological insecticide Bacillus Thuringiensis is a key tool in this activity.
Dr Clearwater provided the pheromone-based monitoring system for the successful programme that eradicated the White-Spotted Tussock Moth from the suburbs of Auckland. The monitoring allowed accurate placement of the biological insecticide B. thuringiensis.
Amnesty International Tauranga Moana has established the Robert Anderson Memorial Award presented annually for commitment to Social Justice, Peace and Human Rights in recognition of the Bob's work. See www.connected.gen.nz.
Robert Anderson held a combined honours degree in Physics and Chemistry, and a PhD in Science Education.
Prior to taking his degree, Robert worked at the University of Birmingham, England, as a research technician in the Department of Biochemistry, under Dr John Teal from the University of Cambridge, studying fluorescence of proteins in neutral solution. He also worked under Professor Brian Perry from the University of Cambridge, investigating the actin/myosin relationship in muscle protein.
Robert and his wife, Jean, emigrated to New Zealand in 1968, where Robert taught Chemistry, Physics, Laboratory Technology and Nuclear Medicine at tertiary level.
In retirement, Robert gave public lectures on genetic engineering, other scientific and environmental issues, and peace and social justice, in support of the public's right to be independently informed. He authored eleven books, including two co-authored with Dr Mike Godfrey, Director of the Bay of Plenty Environmental Health Clinic, Tauranga. He contributed regularly to New Zealand periodicals.
Robert was a Trustee of PSRG from its inception as a Charitable Trust and change of name to PSGR.
In 2010, Amnesty International Tauranga Moana established the Robert Anderson Memorial Award to honour the contribution that its member, Robert (Bob) Anderson, had made to Peace, Human Rights and Social Justice.
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Veterinarian
- Veterinarian, Trustee PSGR. Region
Frank Rowson is a Veterinarian in a large animal practice in Matamata with 39 years experience in his field. He has also worked on husbandry and agriculture projects in Asian countries. Frank Rowson accepted a Trusteeship of PSGR in June 2009.
Job Titles:
- Businesswoman Retired, Trustee PSGR. Region
Jean Anderson held administrative positions with a Charitable Trust responsible for the Engineering Industries Group Apprenticeship (EIGA) training scheme and at an engineering company in England. She and her husband, Bob, emigrated to New Zealand in 1968 where she held a teaching position in the founding year at the, then, Tertiary Division of the Gisborne Boys' High School, which went on to become a technical institute. Later, she was a tutor in the Commercial Department at the Waikato Technical Institute, Hamilton. Jean subsequently owned her own business.
In retirement, Jean continues to write for children. She is founding member of Tauranga Writers for Children, established in 1990, which works towards encouraging children to write, and to develop their imagination and a joy of reading. The group works in schools and with the Bay of Plenty branch of the Children Literature Association, and is a member of the Children Literature Foundation of New Zealand.
Jean Anderson handles the administrative tasks and acts as a co-ordinator for PSRG. She has been a Trustee since its inception as a Charitable Trust.
Jodie's research work is underpinned by 3 logics she considers integral to underpin sound formulation of safe & effective public policies to protect human wellbeing and environmental health. Firstly, the obligations of publicly paid decision-makers in law to protect human wellbeing and environmental health; secondly the economic logic of safeguarding ecosystem services and human health; thirdly, by the degree to which science is resourced and empowered to understand and assess risk - and the mechanics of prevention. These logics acutely impact how society addresses risk as it relates to unanticipated, irreverseable and uncertain effects of stress on complex (and unbounded) biological systems - particularly stress arising from sustained diffuse pollution and toxicity.
Jodie's early studies were at Monash University, Melbourne (B.Bus Agribusiness), followed by masters research at the University of Auckland Jodie went on to develop an interest in the production of safe & nutritious foods; particularly concerning childhood health risk and now endemic problems of nutrition deficiency and chronic toxicity (particularly from pesticides) which directly impacts immune function, mental health & chronic comorbid disease risk. Research has explored machinery of government decision-making processes and the consequences of weak regulatory standards for toxic environmental chemicals at local, regional and national levels. Weak standards are problematic, but so are, additionally - absence of a national protocols and national funding for routine toxic chemical (EOC) monitoring (from diffuse origins) in the New Zealand environment; and the relative scarcity of toxicologists and environmental chemists with a mandate for cross-disciplinary research to address environmental pollution and human health (particularly in childhood) from chemical contaminants.
Throughout this, Jodie has developed absolute and utter respect for the scientists who work with scarce funding to illustrate and understand the complex interactions between our biological systems & the multiple environmental contaminants that surround us.
In 2019 Jodie was selected as recipient of the Robert Anderson Memorial Award, awarded by Amnesty International Tauranga Moana.
Recent projects:
Formulation of Rite-Demands.org, an informative international online platform dedicated to continuous improvement in toxicological pesticides risk assessment.
Jodie Bruning, Sociologist. B.Bus.Agribusiness (Monash Australia); MA Sociol (Research). www.TalkingRisk.NZ JRBruning.Substack.com Trustee PSGR. Region: Bay of Plenty
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- Senior Market Researcher, Trustee PSGR. Region
Born in Ghana, Jon is of Anglo-Armenian heritage and was raised in England, moving to New Zealand in 1992. Jon's career includes a wide range of experience in market research, art-photography, writing and broadcasting.
Jon has a BA (Hons) in archeology, anthropology and art history from St Johns College, Cambridge University. He also studied photography at Elam School of Fine Art, at The University of Auckland where he graduated M.Phil in 1995. He works in the commercial arena as a senior market researcher, but continues to exhibit artwork, including featuring in publications through Photoforum.
Over the last ten years, Jon has been a leading consumer advocate in the area of food safety and consumer rights. He has regularly commented in the media and actively participated in the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification (RCGM) and other regulatory processes through the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA), as they have considered applications for genetic engineering projects in New Zealand.
Jon's advocacy work has centered on the risks of commercial release of genetically engineered organisms to public health, the environment, and to New Zealand's exports and tourism-based economy. He has drawn on his professional expertise in marketing to highlight the necessity to protect "Brand New Zealand" and to pursue an ethical biotechnology strategy that is based on the precautionary principle and respect for community values.
From 2005, Dr Wojcik has lectured on Metal Toxicology to post graduate doctors at the Australasian College of Nutrition and Environmental Medicine (ACNEM), which is an accredited CME provider in Australia.
From 1994, Damian Wojcik has been a Police and Forensic Medical Officer and, as of 20 April 2009, he had completed 1010 police and forensic examinations. From time to time, this work involves attending court to give evidence. Dr Wojcik is working towards a post-graduate Diploma in Forensic Medicine through the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, affiliated to Monash University, Melbourne.
Mike Godfrey qualified LRCP.MRCS (England) and MBBS (London) in 1963. He joined a General Practice in Mt Maunganui, New Zealand in 1971, after seven years in various hospital posts in England. He left general practice in 1986 to establish an environmental health and chelation clinic in Tauranga.
Dr Godfrey is a founding member and past-President of the NZ Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, and a Clinical Associate of the Graduate School of Integrative Medicine, Swinburn University, Melbourne.
Job Titles:
- Paul Butler BSc, MB, ChB, Dip. Obst. ( Auckland ), FRNZCGP
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor, University of Auckland, Trustee PSGR. Region: Auckland