Professors appointed

Press, 26 August 1980, Page 2

Professors appointed

The appointment of two new professors to the Christchurch Clinical School was announced yesterday by the University of Otago Council. Professor J. B. Gibbs, a present member of the staff of the clinical school, has been appointed as the school’s first professor of anaesthesia, and a Canadian expert in ■ child psychiatry, Professor P. Nye. has been appointed to the chair of professor of psychological medicine.

Professor Nye will take up a post left vacant for more than'lB months since the departure of another Canadian, Professor K. Adam, who returned to Canada. Professor Gibbs trained first at the University of Otago and later at Oxford University where he received his specialist training in 1964 and 1965. He returned to join the staff of the Otago Medical School in 1967 and when the first group of fifth-year medical trainees came to the Christchurch Clinical School in 1974 he was appointed as an associate professor. At that time he had just completed a post-gradu-ate degree of doctor of medicine. His main research interest is the pharmacology of post-operative pain relief. Professor Nye gained his medical degree at the University of British Columbia and he gained further specialist qualifications in Canada, the United States, and Britain.

Last year he was visiting professor at the University of Auckland and while in New Z&aland he visited the department of psychological medicine in Christchurch. Professor Nye has been responsible for the setting up in Western Canada of a network of mental health services for children and adolescents.