Aotearoa New Zealand activities and events
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RACS Founders Centenary - NZ ASM
Join us for the RACS Founders Centenary: Evolution Through Necessity Thursday 11 - Saturday 13 February 2027 to celebrate 100 years of RACS in Dunedin; the city where the first Council meeting was held.
Register your interest to be the first to hear when registrations open.
Thursday: Cultural competency workshop, Louis Barnett Prize and Welcome Function
Friday: AoNZ ASM - Day 1 and Centenary dinner and cèilidh at Larnach Castle
Saturday: AoNZ ASM - Day 2
More information coming soon.
Louis Barnett Prize
Trainees and younger Fellows involved in advanced surgical academic research have the chance to have their hard mahi recognised.
This prestigious award, valued at $2,500, was established in 1962 and commemorates Sir Louis Barnett, a pioneer of research into hydatid disease and the first New Zealand president of RACS.
2026 Louis Barnett Prize finalists' night
Date: Thursday, 2 July
Time: 7pm NZ time
Location: Online
Cost: Free
CPD hours available: Two
CPD activity type: Education
Register now
2026 Louis Barnett Prize finalists' and their topics
Sam Emmanuel: The impact of pre-operative biopsy on operative timing and upstaging for lung cancer
Sabrina Koh: Economic Burden of Human Papillomavirus-related Cancers in New Zealand
Megan Grinlinton: Ten Year Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Banded Roux en Y Gastric Bypass to Sleeve Gastrectomy for Type 2 Diabetes and Weight Loss
Wikus Vermeulen: A first-in-human safety and feasibility study of RT-310, a paclitaxel-eluting bioabsorbable intraprostatic implant for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia
Jayvee Buchanan: Performance and failure analysis of real-time surgical computer vision in clinical practice.
In addition to our finalists' presentations, you will also hear from Dr Cameron Wells on collaborative research in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally.
We look forward to seeing you online.
2027 Louis Barnett Prize
Entries will open in August 2026, and finalists will present in Dunedin during the Aotearoa New Zealand centenary celebrations. More details to come.
For more information, visit the Louis Barnett Prize page and if you have any questions, please send us an email.
The 2025 event can be viewed here