Diana Rae Martin (; 7 February 1942 – 31 December 2019) was a New Zealand

microbiologist A microbiologist (from Greek ) is a scientist who studies microscopic life forms and processes. This includes study of the growth, interactions and characteristics of microscopic organisms such as bacteria, algae, fungi, and some types of par ...

. She was a Fellow of the

Royal Society Te Apārangi The Royal Society Te Apārangi (in full, Royal Society of New Zealand) is a not-for-profit body in New Zealand providing funding and policy advice in the fields of sciences and the humanities. These fundings (i.e., Marsden grants and research fe ...

from 2000, and was made an

Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit () is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have r ...

for services to microbiology in 2008.

Early life and education

Martin was born Diana Rae France in

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

on 7 February 1942, the daughter of Udall and Thelma France. She followed a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

in 1963 from the

University of Otago The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...

with an MSc(Hons) in microbiology in 1965, with a thesis titled ''Observations on the distribution and bacteriophage typing of the genus proteus''. She worked for the National Health Institute in Wellington for two years, and then in 1968 moved to the Central Public Health Laboratory in London, where she was in charge of the Pseudomonas Laboratory. During her time in London, she obtained her PhD on microbial epidemiology from the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

, submitting her thesis, ''Variation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa'', in 1971.

Research

Martin returned to New Zealand in 1972, where she initially worked for

Wellington Polytechnic Massey University () is a public research university in New Zealand that provides internal and distance education. The university has campuses in Auckland, Palmerston North, and Wellington. Data from Universities New Zealand shows that in 2024 ...

as a microbiology tutor, until 1975. After this point she worked for the National Health Institute, the New Zealand Communicable Disease Centre and the

Institute of Environmental Science and Research The Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) is a New Zealand Crown Research Institute (CRI). Its purpose is to deliver scientific and research services to the public health, food safety, security and justice systems, and the envi ...

(ESR). Martin was instrumental in the creation of the Group B meningococcal OMV vaccine (

MeNZB MeNZB was a vaccine against a specific strain of group B meningococcus, used to control an epidemic of meningococcal disease in New Zealand. Most people are able to carry the meningococcus bacteria safely with no ill effects. However, meningoco ...

) for New Zealand. She retired in 2011.

Honours and awards

Martin was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi in 2000. In the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours, she was appointed an

, for services to microbiology.

Personal life

In 1969, she married Peter David Martin, a respiratory physician. In the

2016 Queen's Birthday Honours The 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as p ...

, Peter Martin was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to tobacco control. Diana Martin died on 31 December 2019 after a "long, debilitating illness". She was survived by her husband and two children.

Selected works

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Diana 1942 births 2019 deaths Fellows of the Royal Society of New Zealand New Zealand microbiologists University of Otago alumni Scientists from Wellington City Alumni of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine New Zealand women scientists Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit