Professor Dame Helen celebrated in style

Ultimately, you don’t arrive at this point singlehandedly, she said. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the support and encouragement of others,” she said, thanking Professor Charles McGhee, Dr Bruce Hadden, neuroscientist Professor Sir Richard Faull, the young trainees she’s mentored, her family and many others.

Eye Institute’s Dr Nick Mantell, Prof McGhee and Dr Liz Insull also gave heartfelt speeches honouring Prof Dame Danesh-Meyer’s profound contribution to the profession, to patients and to research. One thing that made us all smile in recognition was Prof McGhee’s remark that while you can change the Professor’s title, you can’t change her shoes. He told the tale of having cleverly headhunted Prof Dame Danesh-Meyer back from the US in the early days, with a University of Auckland associate professor role created just for her. He concluded with a fitting Kiwi version of an English saying: “From small acorns, mighty tōtara grow.”