Dr Loan Le, post-doctoral researcher in the Cardiac Regeneration Laboratory at the Westmead Institute and Cardiology Department at the Westmead Hospital, has been awarded the 2017 Ralph Reader Basic Science Prize. Dr Le received the award for her research investigating the promise of stem cell therapy in repairing damaged hearts. She said her research aims to create effective treatments for patients with injured hearts, for example after a heart attack. The Ralph Reader Prize is one of the most prestigious awards in cardiovascular research in Australasia. Dr Le was co-awarded the prize with Dr Inken Marten from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. The prize was awarded to the best individual presentation by an investigator at the recent Cardiology Society of Australian and New Zealand (CSANZ) annual meeting in Perth. The prize was awarded by a panel of judges based on the quality of research. The meeting was attended by more than 2000 cardiologists, technologists, researchers, trainees, surgeons, physicians, nurses and students.
Infectious diseases researcher and paediatrician, Telethon Kids Institute’s Dr Asha Bowen, has been named the Woodside Early Career Scientist of the Year at the 2017 West Australian Premier’s Science Awards. The Premier’s Science Awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of the WA science community, including outstanding scientific researchers and science engagement activities. The Institute had two other finalists in the Awards – Professor Donna Cross in the Scientist of the Year category, and the Institute’s “60 Second Science” video series, led by Professor Andrew Whitehouse and the Autism Research Team, in the Chevron Science Engagement of the Year category. Dr Asha Bowen received the award in recognition of her research to reduce the burden of infectious diseases in Aboriginal Australian children, particularly skin infections – a major cause of health problems in remote communities. Dr Bowen is currently the lead researcher in the first comprehensive skin control program for WA, a collaboration with health services and communities in the Kimberley, which aims to halve the incidence of skin infections in Kimberley Aboriginal children. She is also leading the development of national guidelines on treatment, prevention and public health control of skin infections.
Professor Kate Loveland, Research Group head at the Centre for Reproductive Health at Monash University and the Hudson Institute of Medical Research, has had her honorary title of Liebig Professor with the Justus-Liebig University (JLU) renewed, highlighting the importance of her work at the German university. Professor Loveland received the honour for her work in building the International PhD Research Training Group in the Molecular Pathogenesis of Male Reproductive Disorders (IRTG) between Monash University and JLU. This award also recognises her support in promoting and building collaboration between the two institutions with key projects, including the Erasmus-Plus program that enables mobility of staff (administration and research) and students between the two universities. The program has received more than $10 million AUD support from the German Research Foundation and over $4.5 million in cash and in kind contributions from Monash University.
http://hudson.org.au/latest-news/renowned-professor-receives-international-title/
Guiying Nie, a reproductive specialist on uterine receptivity and placental development and Research Group Head, Implantation and Placental Development at the Centre for Reproductive Health at the Hudson Institute, has been promoted to Adjunct Professor. Professor Nie is a respected reproductive biologist and works closely with specialist clinicians to address key women’s health issues, with a current focus on the uterus and intrauterine environment for embryo implantation, placental development, and long-term health consequences. She is an authority on uterine receptivity and placental development. Professor Nie earned her PhD from the University of Essex in the UK, and completed her postdoctoral training at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, US. She joined Prince Henry’s Institute in 1995 (now the Hudson Institute) and is a Fellow of the Society of Reproductive Biology.
http://hudson.org.au/latest-news/highly-regarded-reproductive-specialist-promoted/
Professor Jock Findlay, AO, has been honoured for his service and leadership in reproductive biology research with the Society for the Study of Reproduction’s 32nd Annual Distinguished Service Award, presented at the society’s recent annual meeting in Washington, DC. This award recognises service to the discipline of reproductive biology, training postdoctoral fellows, leadership positions in the field, as well as a productive career in research. Professor Findlay is one of Australia’s leading reproductive biologists. In a career spanning five decades, he has published more than 400 journal articles, been cited more than 16 000 times, and mentored or supervised more than 30 PhD students. Raised on a sheep station near Broken Hill, in far-west NSW, Professor Findlay completed his PhD in Adelaide in 1970, before taking up post-doctoral positions in Bonn, Germany, then at the University of Melbourne. Professor Findlay joined the Medical Research Centre at Prince Henry’s Hospital (later Prince Henry’s Institute) in 1979, where he headed the Female Reproductive Biology Group. He later became Director of Research at the Royal Women’s Hospital from 2007 to 2012. Professor Findlay’s current title is Distinguished Scientist, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, and he holds Professorships at both the University of Melbourne and Monash University.
http://hudson.org.au/latest-news/professor-jock-findlay-ao-receives-ssr-distinguished-service-award/