Welcome
Welcome to Research Australia’s 21st Annual Health and Medical Research Awards. As the national peak body for Australian health and medical research and innovation, we are thrilled to gather tonight to honour remarkable achievements in advocacy, discovery, philanthropy, and research excellence.
This evening unites professionals from the entire health and medical research pipeline as well as Parliamentarians and policymakers from Federal and Victorian Parliaments, celebrating outstanding work across the sector. From laboratories and universities to clinics and boardrooms, we recognise the dedicated individuals and teams who translate science into tangible, transformative impacts on Australian lives.
Borne from the Australian Government’s strategic review led by Peter Wills AC, Research Australia was established to champion health and medical research. Tonight, we acknowledge early-career to established researchers, advocates, philanthropists, and innovators who are driving progress in digital health, data initiatives, and groundbreaking research.
This celebration is only possible thanks to our generous sponsors. Your sponsorship not only ensures our event happens, it also shows a remarkable dedication to the improvement of lives globally. To our 2024 premium event sponsor, the University of Melbourne, and our award sponsors AbbVie, Digital Health CRC, GSK, the Australian National University, and the Victorian Government (DJSIR), we are deeply appreciative of your partnerships with Research Australia.
Reflecting on the challenges of recent years, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted over 80% of health and medical studies, we recognise the need for a robust, sustainable research infrastructure.
Progress has been made, with the Federal Government’s commitment to a National Health and Medical Research Strategy aimed at optimising the approximate $10 billion annual investment in this field. This strategy must involve the entire pipeline to ensure not only greater health outcomes, but also greater health innovation.
Looking ahead, Research Australia is advocating for a comprehensive National Health and Medical Research and Innovation Workforce Plan to build our future workforce, especially in rural and remote areas. This plan must support clinician researchers, early- and mid-career researchers, and foster meaningful collaboration between academia and industry.
As we approach the Federal Election, we will continue pushing for impactful policy changes to secure a sustainable future for health and medical research and innovation. We are honoured to be celebrating the achievements of all the noteworthy nominees, finalists and winners, whose skill, leadership, determination and innovation embody the Australian health and medical research sector.
Tonight, we applaud our sector’s successes, and pay tribute to those leading innovative breakthroughs, and a look toward a future filled with new opportunities.
Nadia Levin CEO Martin Bowles AO PSM Chair
THE PETER WILLS MEDAL
The Peter Wills Medal was created in honour of a great leader whose work contributed to the Australian Government’s strategic review into health and medical research, resulting in the inception of Research Australia.
The Peter Wills Medal is the flagship award and recognises someone who has made an outstanding, long-term contribution to building upon Australia’s international reputation in areas of health and medical research and fostering collaboration for better health.
Great Australian Philanthropy Award
This award recognises personal philanthropy that is outstanding in its generosity, effectiveness, vision, high impact and transformative quality, over an extended period by an individual or family to Australian health and medical research.
THE WINNERS GSK Award For Research Excellence
The GSK Award for Research Excellence recognises outstanding achievements in medical research with a focus on improving human health.
This is one of the most prestigious and longstanding awards available to the Australian research community. GSK Australia is proud of its research legacy, having now presented the Award for Research Excellence for more than 40 years, supporting local research and helping to improve health outcomes for patients in Australia and around the world. This year’s award is accompanied by a grant of $100,000 AUD to advance the winner’s research.
Go beyond what’s possible
SPONSORED BY GSK AUSTRALIA Celebrating our nation’s best and brightest minds
The winners of these three categories will be featured in the December edition of INSPIRE which will be provided after the award announcements.
DISCOVERY AWARD
SPONSORED BY THE VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT (DJSIR)
This award recognises an early career researcher whose paper, patent or discovery has already demonstrated its importance or impact.
Finalists are in alphabetical order (by surname).
Dr Jaithri Ananthapavan Deakin University
Jaithri Ananthapavan leads the Economics of Obesity team within Deakin Health Economics (DHE) and the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE). She specialises in the economic evaluation of preventive health interventions and policies, economic modelling, incorporating environmental impacts into health economic evaluations and priority setting methods to enhance the use of economic evidence in resource allocation decisions.
Jaithri led the landmark ACE-Obesity Policy program, a comprehensive priority-setting study that assessed the cost-effectiveness of various obesity prevention interventions across multiple sectors and levels of government. She collaborates with numerous national and international organizations, including the World Health Organisation, Cancer Councils across Australia, and the Federal and State Governments.
Nominated by Deakin University & Cancer Council Western Australia
Dr Mustafa Atee Curtin Medical School
Dr Mustafa Atee serves as the Research and Practice Lead at The Dementia Centre, HammondCare. His PhD work led to the development, validation, and commercialisation of PainChek®—the world’s first regulatory-validated medical device that uses AI and user-guided features to detect pain in non-verbal adults, including those living with dementia. Dr Atee co-founded PainChek® Ltd, now an ASX-listed company with over 95,000 licences across 1,800 aged care facilities in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and Canada, facilitating more than 6 million digital pain assessments.
His contributions have been widely acknowledged, with awards including Innovator of the Year, the Creative Innovation Global Scholarship, and the Curtin Alumni Innovation Award. Recently, he was featured in the Dementia Australia Research Foundation’s 25-Year Impact Report, celebrating his impact in dementia research. With grants exceeding $7 million, Dr Atee has produced 30 publications, two book chapters, five patents, 22 abstracts, and over 60 conference presentations. He also holds adjunct positions at Curtin Medical School, Sydney Pharmacy School, and Edith Cowan School of Nursing and Midwifery.
Nominated by Curtin Medical School & The Dementia Centre, HammondCare
Dr Jiayan Liao
University of Technology Sydney
Dr Jiayan Liao is a leading expert in materials science, optical physics, and nanotechnology, focusing on innovative bioanalytical tools, advanced detection systems, and imaging techniques. Her research delves into photophysical phenomena and develops next-generation diagnostic tools to detect diseases at the molecular level. By using nanoscopic probes, Dr Liao aims to enable early disease detection, providing a critical advantage in diagnosis.
Dr Liao holds an NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellowship and a UTS Chancellor’s Research Fellowship. Her pioneering work has earned her significant recognition, including the 2023 NHMRC Bernie Banton Investigator Grant Award for her research in nanotechnology-based cancer detection and the 2024 NSW Premier’s Prizes for Science & Engineering – Early Career Researcher of the Year (Physical Sciences).
Her multidisciplinary research combines innovative techniques for highly sensitive disease detection, positioning her as an emerging leader with extensive networks in industry, clinical, and academic sectors. Driven to translate her work into practical applications, Dr Liao is advancing nanophotonics and diagnostics, contributing to improved healthcare outcomes.
Nominated by Macquarie University & University of Technology Sydney
Dr Luke Ney
Queensland University of Technology
Dr Luke Ney, who completed his PhD in biological psychology at the University of Tasmania in 2021, is a multidisciplinary researcher at QUT specialising in anxiety and trauma disorder treatments. With expertise in fear learning paradigms and cannabinoid pharmacology, his research investigates the relationship between fear and intrusive memories, particularly relevant to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Dr Ney’s recent findings challenge the widely used “fear conditioning” paradigm, revealing it may not accurately represent memory processes central to PTSD. This work has the potential to reshape PTSD research and treatment approaches, questioning decades of international research and aiming to improve treatment efficacy.
In addition to his PTSD work, Dr Ney has published extensively in analytical chemistry, focusing on cannabinoid and hormone quantification. He has a strong interest in statistics and computational modelling of psychological data. In 2023, he was promoted to Senior Research Fellow at QUT and awarded an NHMRC Investigator EL1 grant, recognising his contributions and advancing his research towards developing innovative treatments for PTSD and related disorders.
Nominated by Queensland University of Technology
Dr. Jin Ng WEHI
Dr Jin Ng obtained his PhD from The University of Auckland in New Zealand and is a Senior Research Officer at WEHI in Melbourne.
Dr Ng focuses on lung cancer research under the combined mentorship of Professor Kate Sutherland and Associate Professor Marian Bur. His innovative research ideas have been recognised with grants from Cancer Council Victoria and The CASS Foundation.
The significance of his nominated discovery, which addresses a controversy surrounding the use of preclinical lung cancer models in the field, is underscored by a commentary by Dr Natasha Rehktman, a world-renowned thoracic pathologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Importantly, his work has been endorsed by prominent lung cancer researcher, Dr John Minna at UT Southwestern in the USA, who created these widely used preclinical models. This discovery has also resulted in an invitation to speak at AstraZeneca.
Dr Ng’s ambition is to advance the lung cancer field, aiming to inform treatment strategies and improve patient outcomes.
Nominated by University of Melbourne & John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR)
Advancing health for a changing world
At the University of Melbourne, we collaborate with research institutes, health services, Government and industry across Victoria and the globe to drive innovation and advance the most important health challenges of a changing world. Join us in turning ideas into real-world solutions—whether curing chronic diseases, transforming healthcare, or addressing prevention and health equity.
Explore our research and partnerships: go.unimelb.edu.au/k698
GREAT AUSTRALIAN PHILANTHROPY AWARD FINALISTS
This award profiles philanthropy that is outstanding in its generosity, effectiveness, vision, high impact and transformative quality.
Finalists are in alphabetical order (by surname).
Mark and Kirralee Hughes
Mark Hughes Foundation
Following Mark’s brain cancer diagnosis, Mark and Kirralee launched the Mark Hughes Foundation (MHF) in 2014 with their first fundraiser, Beanie for Brain Cancer Campaign. They have since grown from selling a few hundred beanies locally to partnering with the National Rugby League. The Beanie campaign is now a nationally recognised fundraiser which has sold over 1 million beanies.
To date, MHF has raised over $30million, and in 2022 announced a $25million partnership with the University of Newcastle, including a $15Million commitment from the Foundation to establish the Mark Hughes Foundation Centre for Brain Cancer Research. This strategic partnership has propelled projects that expand treatment options, focus on prevention, and pave the way toward a cure.
In 2024, MHF made a further $1m investment to bring together two of Australia’s leading brain cancer research centres, MHF Centre for Brain Cancer Research at the University of Newcastle and The Brain Cancer Centre, in their mission to accelerate progress towards a cure. The Centre brings together over 50 collaborating researchers from across Australia and is currently funding 10 collaborative research projects across 4 institutions.
Nominated by University of Newcastle
Kerr, Paris and Beau Neilson Neilson Foundation
The Neilson Foundation was established in 2007 and since inception, has disbursed over $158 million. The Neilson Foundation has two board directors and a gifting committee comprising three members, Mr Kerr Neilson and his two daughters, Ms Paris Neilson, Ms Beau Neilson.
The Neilson Foundation typically lends their philanthropic support to causes outside of medical research, however significant funding to SpinalCure Australia enabled the organisation to establish Australia’s first cure-focussed neurostimulation clinical trial program, Project Spark. Led by Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) in Sydney, volunteers are now being treated across an expanding international clinical trials network developing treatments that promise to profoundly change the lives of people paralysed by spinal cord injuries.
Nominated by SpinalCure Australia
Paul and Sue Taylor
Paul and Sue Taylor, both graduates of the University of Queensland, met while studying there, Sue earning a B.Arts Hons (Psychology) and Paul a B.Commerce and B.Business. They have a daughter, Kate, currently studying criminology at the same university.
The Taylors support various charities and foundations, including the Queensland Art Gallery: Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane Festival, Youngcare, the School of St Jude, and St Vincent de Paul, among other medical and sporting charities.
Since 2008, the Taylors have been generous donors to the University of Queensland, notably enabling the 2015 establishment of the Centre for the Business and Economics of Health (CBEH), Australia’s first centre focused on health economics and healthcare systems research. Unlike many philanthropists, they focus on systemic healthcare improvements rather than specific conditions, a commitment that has helped CBEH grow into a major research institution with 30 staff and 16 postgraduate students. Their support has contributed to CBEH’s significant impact on healthcare policy, including evaluations that have influenced $500 million in Medicare and PBS funding and led to over 250 academic publications.
Nominated by University of Queensland & Queensland Art Gallery
ADVOCACY AWARD
SPONSORED BY ABBVIE
This award recognises and congratulates exceptional contributions made by advocates who help raise community awareness and understanding about the importance of health and medical research
Finalists are in alphabetical order (by surname).
Professor Meera Agar University of Technology Sydney
Professor Agar is Director of the Centre for Improving Palliative, Aged and Chronic Care through Clinical Research and Translation, NHMRC Investigator Leadership Fellow and Professor of Palliative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney. She leads a team of over 30 researchers who conduct interdisciplinary collaborative research in partnership with consumers to optimise care for those with cancer and chronic illness. She is the Chair of the Palliative Care Australia (PCA) Board.
For over a decade, Professor Meera Agar, has championed palliative care in Australia through research, clinical practice, and policy advocacy. As Chair of PCA, she has led key initiatives like the National Paediatric Palliative Care Action Plan, emphasising research and data to improve care. She has secured significant funding for cancer symptom trials and advocates for consumer-led research to ensure those with lived experience shape care priorities. Internationally, she is a mentor to researchers in the Asia-Pacific, and her public outreach continues to raise awareness about the growing need for palliative care.
Nominated by University of Wollongong & Queensland University of Technology
Professor Hanny Calache Deakin University
Professor Hanny Calache is a registered paediatric dentist with extensive experience in academic and public dental health. He is the Head of the Oral Health Economics Research Stream at Deakin Health Economics, Deakin University, and a Professor of Dentistry at La Trobe University. Previously, he served as Director of Clinical Leadership, Education, and Research at Dental Health Services Victoria from 2005 to 2015 and was a Senior Lecturer at the Melbourne Dental School from 1995 to 2004, where he helped establish the Oral Health Therapy Program.
Professor Calache’s research focuses on oral health promotion and dental public health, with publications that highlight his work across diverse at-risk communities. His contributions have been recognised with several awards, including the IJ Marks and TC Adamson Prize for Academic Excellence from the University of Melbourne in 2005, and the Victorian Health Minister’s Award in 2011 for his research that lifted the age restriction on dental therapy practice in Victoria. In 2023, he was a finalist in the Research Australia Health and Medical Research Awards for Health Services Research.
Nominated by Deakin University & Dental Health Services Victoria
Crohn’s and Colitis Australia
CCA’s primary purpose is to provide support services, advice and encouragement to people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Whilst CCA doesn’t cure the illness it can remove some of the burden for people living with IBD.
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is most commonly diagnosed in people aged between 15-35 years when education, career and family building are at a peak. CCA advocate for world best treatments and health services for those living with IBD. Through their programs they offer education and support for Australia’s growing Crohn’s and colitis community and raise awareness of the disease. Importantly, their services are offered free of charge. CCA play a vital role in advocating for Australians living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly young people. With over 100,000 Australians currently affected and numbers expected to triple by 2030, CCA’s 2024 Awareness Month highlighted the urgent need for early diagnosis, multidisciplinary care, and medication access. CCA launched two major paediatric IBD reports, advocating for tailored care and sharing powerful stories through their hashtag #SavingKidsGuts campaign. Their advocacy culminated in a Parliamentary launch and national media engagement, aiming to influence research, funding, and health policy to improve the lives of young Australians with IBD.
Nominated by Crohn’s and Colitis Australia & Gastroenterological Society of Australia
Professor Kelvin Kong AM University of Newcastle
Professor Kelvin Kong, AM is a Paediatric & Adult Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgeon (Ear Nose and Throat Surgeon). He has a diverse background in the healthcare industry. His expertise spans various fields, including clinical research, medical education, surgery, paediatrics, health policy, and lndigenous education. Kelvin completed his studies at the University of NSW in 1999 and earned his fellowship from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) in 2007. Professor Kelvin is proud to be the first identified Aboriginal surgeon within RACS and is a member of the Australian Society of Head and Neck Surgeons (ASOHNS)
As a proud Worimi man, Professor Kelvin is dedicated to improving ear health in Indigenous communities. Specialising in Otolaryngology, he addresses middle ear disease, which affects up to 70% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in remote areas, contributing to poor education and employment outcomes. As Chair of the RACS Indigenous Advisory Committee, he advocates for equitable healthcare and provides vital services in remote areas. Professor Kong also mentors Indigenous students and leads research at the Hunter Medical Research Institute, aiming to close the health gap and improve outcomes for future generations.
Nominated by University of Newcastle
Dr Jane Tiller Monash University
Dr Jane Tiller is a lawyer, genetic counsellor and public health researcher. She is the Ethical, Legal & Social Adviser in Public Health Genomics at Monash University and co-founded the Australian Genetic NonDiscrimination Working Group. Jane led a project from 2020-2023 about genetic discrimination in life insurance, and was instrumental in the recent Government announcement that it will legislate a total ban on the use of genetic results in life insurance underwriting. She is co-lead of DNA Screen, a world-first study piloting the offer of preventive DNA screening to the Australian adult population.
Dr Jane Tiller has been a dedicated advocate for protecting Australians from genetic discrimination in life insurance, enabling participation in life-saving genomic research without fear. Although a partial moratorium was introduced in 2019, Jane’s research showed ongoing barriers. Her tireless advocacy, including leading a three-year project, culminated in a significant victory when the Australian Government officially banned genetic discrimination in life insurance in 2024. Through over 150 stakeholder meetings, Jane’s efforts have already shaped policy and will continue to impact genomic medicine in Australia.
Nominated by Monash University & Australian Medical Association
FRONTIERS RESEARCH AWARD
SPONSORED BY ANU
This award recognises the success of innovative health and medical research that extends existing knowledge, boundaries and/or understandings of human health. Finalists are in alphabetical order (by surname).
Professor Jane Butler NeuRA
Professor Jane Butler is a distinguished Neurophysiologist and Senior Principal Research Scientist at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) in Sydney. She serves as a Director of the Spinal Cord Injury Research Centre at NeuRA, where she leads research efforts to improve the lives of individuals with spinal cord injuries. Her research focuses on the neural control of breathing and limb muscles — the complex network of brain and nerve pathways that regulate movement. With the goal of addressing respiratory motor impairments associated with ageing, respiratory disorders, and spinal cord injuries, Professor Butler leads a team of researchers conducting both fundamental and translational studies to enhance respiratory function and improve patient outcomes.
Project Spark, by Prof Jane Butler is truly transformative and has the potential to revolutionise health outcomes both in Australia and globally by helping to find a cure for Spinal Cord Injuries. Up until recently there was an entrenched dogma that once broken, a spinal cord could not be fixed. The Project Spark trials aim to reverse this and deliver a potential non-evasive neurostimulation treatment option that (once validated by research results and approved by regulatory bodies) can be rolled out easily, safely and inexpensively to the community.
Nominated by NeuRA & SpinalCure
Centre for Microbiome Research
The Centre for Microbiome Research (CMR) at the Queensland University of Technology is a leading institution dedicated to advancing our understanding of the microbial role in human and environmental health. Directed by ARC Laureate Professor Gene Tyson, the team at CMR pioneers novel molecular and bioinformatic approaches to study complex microbial communities across diverse ecosystems, from corals of the Great Barrier Reef to the human gut. With a focus on research translation and international collaboration, CMR is quickly helping establish Australia as a world leader in microbiome research. In 2023, the team was awarded a Medical Research Future Fund grant to build The Australian Human Microbiome Biobank (AHMB)—a comprehensive collection of microorganisms from the human body. They are now working with communities across Australia to collect sample donations and to educate on the importance of the microbiome in human health. Ultimately, the AHMB will serve as a vital resource for researchers around the world, enabling the development of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for a range of diseases. Through the AHMB and the Centre’s many other research initiatives, the CMR team is continuously pushing the frontiers of microbiome science to improve health outcomes for Australians and the global community.
Nominated by Queensland University of Technology
Zero Childhood Cancer Precision Medicine Program (ZERO)
The Zero Childhood Cancer Program (ZERO) is a world-leading precision medicine program for children with cancer. Led by Children’s Cancer Institute and Kids Cancer Centre at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, ZERO brings together leading clinicians and researchers around Australia and internationally, embracing research-driven clinical care to help achieve better outcomes for children with cancer, now and into the future. The precision medicine approach taken by ZERO represents a fundamental change in the way cancer is treated. Analysing a child’s cancer at a genomic level can lead to a whole new way of understanding that child’s cancer. This can lead to a more accurate diagnosis, prognosis and risk stratification, and in some cases, a refined treatment approach. ZERO was named by the US National Human Genome Research Institute as one of the top ten advances in applying genomic information to clinical care. Professor David Ziegler directs Australia’s national childhood cancer personalised medicine trials through the ZERO program. He is an NHMRC Investigator and paediatric oncologist at the Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children’s Hospital, is a Fulbright Scholar trained at Harvard Medical School. He heads the Neuro-Oncology and Cancer Clinical Trials programs at SCH, leads the Brain Tumour Group at the Children’s Cancer Institute, and is a Conjoint Professor at UNSW.
Nominated by University of New South Wales & Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH AWARD
This award is for an individual or team who has provided leadership and made an outstanding contribution to health services by driving research that has led to a significant improvement in healthcare; and/or has championed the development of the health services research field.
Finalists are in alphabetical order (by surname).
Genomic Autopsy Study team
University of South Australia & SA Pathology Alliance
The national Genomic Autopsy Study, led by Professor Christopher Barnett (Clinical Lead) and Professor Hamish Scott (Scientific Lead), seeks to uncover genetic causes of perinatal death. As the world’s first national genomic diagnostic approach to pregnancy loss, it aims to prevent recurrence, demonstrating both healthcare and societal benefits.
This initiative supports the National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan’s goal to reduce stillbirth by 20% by December 2025. Currently, less than 20% of stillbirths are diagnosed, limiting recurrence prevention. Prof. Barnett, with dual expertise in neonatal/ perinatal medicine and clinical genetics, heads the Paediatric and Reproductive Genetics Unit at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Prof. Scott, head of Genetics and Molecular Pathology at the Centre for Cancer Biology, has pioneered technologies in genotyping for personalised medicine. Together, their work advances genomic diagnostics for perinatal loss.
Nominated by University of South Australia & SA Pathology Alliance
Associate Professor
Nicole Nathan University of Newcastle
Associate Professor Nicole Nathan is an NHMRC MRFF Investigator at the University of Newcastle and a Health Service Manager at Hunter New England Population Health. She serves as the Director of the HMRI Population Health program and leads Sustainability Science at the National Centre of Implementation Science.
For two decades, Nicole has led the Good for Kids @ Schools Program, Australia’s largest school-based child obesity prevention initiative. Throughout this time, she has led some of the world’s most significant implementation trials, driving substantial changes in health and education policies across local, national, and international levels. Her contributions to public health have been recognised with numerous awards, underscoring the broad impact of her work.
Nicole’s current research centres on ensuring the sustainability of evidence-based programs, aiming to secure long-term benefits for communities. In 2024, she was awarded $4.8 million to lead a major initiative focused on sustaining chronic disease prevention efforts in secondary schools. This ambitious research will unite all departments of health and education in a collaborative effort to address this complex challenge, paving the way for enduring collaborations to improve public health.
Nominated by University of Newcastle
Dr Amy Page Center for Optimisation of Medicines
Dr Amy Page, a highly recognised consultant pharmacist and biostatistician, is dedicated to reducing medicines-related harm for older Australians by aligning treatments with individual goals. Her vision is to reduce medicines-related harm while balancing symptom control to align with individualised treatment goals for older people to improve well-being. Serving as the state President and a national Board Director of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Dr Page was named 2024 Pharmacist of the Year and has been repeatedly acknowledged by the Australian Journal of Pharmacy as one of the field’s most influential figures.
Dr Page’s work has highlighted the issue of polypharmacy among older Australians, revealing that 36% use five or more daily medications, with a 52% rise in cases from 2008 to 2018. Leveraging large health datasets, she identifies prescribing patterns and tests solutions to improve care. Her research has led to significant policy changes, including the 2021 adoption of polypharmacy as a National Aged Care Mandatory Quality Indicator, resulting in a 16% reduction in prevalence across residential aged care facilities. Recognising her contributions, the Commission presented her work to the WHO as part of Australia’s response to the Global Patient Safety Challenge.
Nominated by The University of Western Australia & Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
Professor Christobel Saunders AO, MB BS, FRCS, FRACS, FAAHMS, Royal Melbourne Hospital and University of Melbourne
Professor Christobel Saunders AO, MB BS, FRCS, FRACS, FAAHMS is the James Stewart Chair of Surgery, the Head of the Department of Surgery at the University of Melbourne (Royal Melbourne Hospital precinct), Director of Medical Research at Melbourne Medical School, Director to the VCCC Alliance Board, Board member (and previous inaugural Chair) of PathWest Laboratory Medicine and Consultant Surgeon in the Department of General Surgery at Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute. She is President-elect of All.can International and co-chair of All.can Australia.
She is internationally recognised as one of Australia’s most prominent researchorientated cancer surgeons, instrumental in the advancement of cancer management through her research, teaching, policy and advocacy work.
As an active surgeon and academic, publishing over 200 peer-reviewed papers in the last five years, she has championed research and the evidence-based introduction of new health procedures and services and value-based healthcare leading to measurable improvement in patient outcomes particularly in breast cancer.
Nominated by University of Melbourne & Royal Melbourne Hospital
Distinguished Professor
David Simmons
Western Sydney University
Distinguished Professor Simmons is Professor of Medicine at Western Sydney University, Deputy Director of the Campbelltown Hospital Diabetes Service in Sydney and the inaugural Chief Medical Officer for Diabetes Australia. With over 500 refereed publications, he has won several national and international awards for his work in diabetes epidemiology, diabetes in pregnancy and diabetes service development including the American Diabetes Association 2020 Norbert Freinkel Award and the 2022 Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group Pederson Awardee.
He was the trial coordinator for the DALI lifestyle RCT to prevent GDM and is the Chief Investigator for the TOBOGM study the first large RCT of diagnosing and treating early gestational diabetes mellitus. He remains a practising endocrinologist holding weekly diabetes in pregnancy clinics.
Nominated by Western Sydney University
At GSK we unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. We aim to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of the decade. Our bold ambitions for patients are reflected in new commitments to growth and a step-change in performance. We prioritise innovation in vaccines and specialty medicines, maximising the increasing opportunities to prevent and treat disease. At the heart of this is our R&D focus on the science of the immune system, human genetics and advanced technologies, and our world-leading capabilities in vaccines and medicines development.
In Australia, we offer a broad portfolio of innovative and established vaccines and medicines in infectious diseases, HIV*, oncology, and respiratory/immunology.
Locally, we also work closely with leading researchers and clinicians to ensure that Australian patients can access the latest global innovations, as they happen. For more than forty years we have also recognised leaders in the Australian medical research community through the G GSK Award for Research Excellence.
*Our HIV business is managed through ViiV Healthcare, a global specialist HIV company that GSK controls as majority owner, with Pfizer and Shionogi also as stakeholders.
DIGITAL & DATA HEALTH INNOVATION AWARD
Associate Professor Rebecca Glauert
This Award seeks to recognise innovators who are at the forefront of the innovative use of data, data linkage or data matching, and or the innovative use of data and digital health technologies. Finalists are in alphabetical order (by surname).
Australian Child and Youth Atlas/ University of Western Australia
Associate Professor Rebecca Glauert, Director of the Australian Child and Youth Wellbeing Atlas at the University of Western Australia, is dedicated to leveraging data for public good. With a focus on linking administrative datasets, she examines health and wellbeing across lifespans to support vulnerable populations.
The Australian Child and Youth Wellbeing Atlas is a groundbreaking tool, mapping key indicators of wellbeing, such as health, learning, material wellbeing, and safety, across Australia. This free platform overcomes significant barriers to data access faced by researchers, policymakers, community members, and NGOs, providing a unified, accessible resource for visualising, analysing, and monitoring child and youth health and wellbeing, especially in socioeconomically disadvantaged regions.
The Atlas is Australia’s first national data atlas for child wellbeing and sets a new benchmark for data integration and spatial visualisation. Its user-friendly design prioritises accessibility for users with various levels of data literacy, empowering informed decision-making and policy development among policymakers, educators, healthcare providers, and community stakeholders across the nation.
Nominated by The University of Western Australia & Australian Human Rights Commission
Deteriorating Aged Care
Resident Index
RMIT | Telstra Health | Digital Health CRC
Up to 85% of Australians in residential aged care face complex health challenges, including multiple long-term conditions and weakened immune systems, making them vulnerable to acute deterioration and hospitalisation. Detecting early signs of deterioration is difficult, as they often present subtly and involve a complex mix of biological, psychological, and functional factors. Current hospital-based tools are not fit for purpose and lack the precision needed for this unique demographic.
Australia’s first electronic screening and risk prediction tool for aged care residents was developed by RMIT University and Telstra Health, in collaboration with the Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre. This cuttingedge digital health innovation can reliably detect deterioration in aged care residents. The tool has been developed to monitor both structured and free-text electronic patient records for 36 evidence-based indicators of deterioration in aged care settings alerting care staff to falls, depression, and mortality risks, and the need for further investigation. Overall, supporting care staff in the provision of patient care. This pioneering tool has enormous potential to improve the safety and quality of care to aged care residents. Its development marks significant advancement in the reliable identification of frailty indicators and predicting adverse events, ensuring better outcomes for aged care residents.
Nominated by Telstra Health & RMIT University
Advanced Genome and Transcriptome Analytics Project
The Advanced Genome and Transcriptome Analytics project has created Australia’s largest computational biology team in paediatrics to support real-time precision medicine analysis for children with cancer. This initiative develops digital clinicaldecision tools for translating complex genomic data, like whole genome sequencing, into actionable insights and enables secure global data-sharing.
Led by Associate Professor Mark Cowley, Deputy Director, Enabling Platforms and Collaboration at Children’s Cancer Institute (CCI) who joined in 2018 to head the Computational Biology Group. He is also cohead of the Luminesce Alliance Data Enabling Platform, president of AGTA (peak genomics body in the region) and co-head of the ACRF Child Cancer Liquid Biopsy Program. He oversees the creation of novel analytical approaches and systems that enable real-time analysis of Whole Genome, Transcriptome and Methylome data for every childhood cancer patient in Australia. Mark has been an early adopter of sequencing methods in Australia, establishing some of the world’s first clinically accredited WGS-based diagnostic tests. Mark’s recent projects, many supported by the Luminesce Alliance, have improved analysis of children’s cancer data, producing tools to detect features such as non-coding, splicing, mitochondrial and structural mutations.
Nominated by Luminesce Alliance & Children’s Cancer Institute
CSL-WEHI Translational Data Science Alliance, CSL
CSL and WEHI (The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) have established a unique alliance to advance data science applications and train talent in translational research and drug discovery and development. The Translational Data Science Alliance (TDSA) fosters collaboration between CSL’s drug development scientists and the leading academic bioinformatics and data science hub in Asia-Pacific at WEHI.
The TDSA has made a significant impact through its software, training materials, and protocols. To date, the alliance has generated over 20 highly cited publications focused on method development, benchmarking, best practice guidelines and open-source software development with over 3,000 cumulative citations indicating broad adoption by the biomedical research community. The crosspollination of knowledge and resources between CSL and WEHI through this alliance also contributes to creating a unique data science talent pool for the benefit of the Australian biomedical community.
Nominated by CSL & WEHI
The Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre (DHCRC) is advancing digital health innovation by linking academia, industry and government to accelerate research implementation, enable effective use of data, connect care, empower the health workforce and support consumers to confidently be in control of their health and wellbeing. As long-term supporters of the health and medical research sector we are proud to celebrate the significant contribution of all Australian researchers.
Master of Ceremonies
Professor Misty Jenkins
Professor Misty Jenkins is a NHMRC fellow and laboratory head in the Immunology Division at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research.
Misty leads the immunotherapy program and is Co-Director of research strategy within the Brain Cancer Centre. Her research is dedicated to discovering novel immunotherapy targets for adult and paediatric brain cancer. Her primary research focus is the development of novel chimeric antigen receptor T cells for brain cancer. Her group also uses cutting edge two-photon microscopy combined with mouse models to investigate the tumour microenvironment and uncover unique biology of brain tumours.
Prof Jenkins has a PhD in Immunology from The University of Melbourne, followed by postdoctoral positions at The Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
Prof Jenkins was awarded the L’Oreal for Women in Science Fellowship (2013), was Tall Poppy of the year (2015), was awarded the Top100 Women of Influence award (2016) and was inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2020.
In addition to her research career, Prof Jenkins is experienced in governance and strategy as a company Director, co-chairs a Federal Health Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) and is a passionate advocate for gender equity and Indigenous Health and education. She was awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2023 for distinguished service to medical science in Immunology, the support of women in STEM, and to the Indigenous community.
Research Australia Board of Directors Research Australia Staff
Martin Bowles, AO PSM Chair
Research Australia
National Chief Executive Officer Calvary Healthcare Australia
Peter Wills AC Chairman Biomedical Translation Fund Committee
Elizabeth Koff AM Managing Director Telstra Health
Professor Dawn Freshwater Deputy Chair Research Australia Vice-Chancellor, University of Auckland
Assoc. Prof Annette Schmiede Chief Executive Officer, Digital Health CRC
Professor Nicholas Fisk AM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research & Enterprise) University of New South Wales
Professor Patricia M. Davidson
Vice-Chancellor and President University of Wollongong
Nadia Levin
Managing Director Chief Executive Officer Research Australia
Assoc. Prof Greg Kaplan Chief Operating Officer Woolcock Institute of Medical Research
Professor Russell Gruen Dean of the College of Health and Medicine Australian National University
Dr Michael Wilson Vice President CSL Research Bio21
Frances Cook General Manager
Frances joined Research Australia in July 2023 as Senior Adviser, Special Projects and was promoted to General Manager in July 2024. With a background in psychology and extensive experience in health and human services, she has led national mental health policy and services, including roles at the National Mental Health Commission and Australia & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders.
Hayden Nichols Government Relations Officer
As Government Relations Officer, Hayden utilises his communication skills and policy expertise to strengthen Research Australia’s influence on national research policies. A University of Newcastle graduate, he brings nearly a decade of experience working with Federal and State Parliamentarians, building stakeholder relationships, engaging communities, and developing strategic approaches to advocacy.
Dr Talia Avrahamzon Head of Policy
As Head of Policy, Talia brings vast experience in strategic public policy, research, and program development. She has led key reforms, bridging initiatives across public, not-for-profit, and private sectors. As Executive Director for First Nations Disability Policy, she advanced Closing the Gap and Australia’s Disability Strategy. Her expertise in participatory social science research focuses on marginalised communities. Talia holds a PhD from ANU as a Sir Roland Wilson scholar.
Sam Mills Research and Policy Consultant
Sam Mills holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Auckland and over five years of experience across government and non-government roles in Aotearoa and Australia. Formerly Senior Manager of Policy and Advocacy at Breast Cancer Network Australia, he led initiatives enhancing cancer data quality, resulting in significant 2024 funding.
Stonestreet Communications & Partnerships Manager
As Communications and Partnerships Manager, Amanda is the main contact for Research Australia members and stakeholders. With degrees in Economics, Business, and Psychology, her extensive experience in marketing and relationship management spans the health and not-for-profit sectors. Amanda excels in strategic communication, stakeholder engagement, and promoting research and community health.
Stone Executive Assistant to the CEO
Sabrina is an experienced administrative professional with over 15 years in executive and governance support. She supports the Research Australia Board, CEO, and General Manager, manages member services, fees, and events, and is dedicated to process improvements that enhance organisational success.
Amanda
Sabrina
Research Australia
Patrons
Sir Gustav Nossal
Patron
Research Australia
Sir Gustav Nossal is an internationally renowned scientist and has been a significant figure in Australia’s medical and scientific community. He was Director of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (1965-1996), and is currently Professor Emeritus of Medical Biology at the University of Melbourne and President of the Australian Academy of Science, a consultant for the World Health Organisation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; and a Principal of Foursight Associates Pty Ltd.
Sir Nossal has received numerous awards and recognition throughout his career. He was knighted in 1977 for his ground-breaking work in immunology and made a companion of the Order of Australia in 1989. He was awarded the Albert Einstein World Award of Science in 1990 and in 1996 he won the highly prized Koch Gold Medal for major advances in biomedical science. He has been identified as one of Australia’s national living treasures.
Sir Nossal has been listed in annual Australia Day Honours four times, including as Companion of the Order of Australia in 1989 “For services to medicine, to science and to the community” and a Centenary Medal Winner “For distinguished service to the study of antibody formation and immunological tolerance” in 2000, when he was also named Australian of the Year.
We are honoured to have such a remarkable and pioneering figure as Research Australia’s Patron.
Emeritus
Professor Christine Bennett AO
Patron
Research Australia
Serving as both a past Chair and CEO of the organisation, Professor Christine Bennett AO has been an integral part of Reasearch Australia’s growth. Research Australia Chair, Associate Professor Annette Schmiede, said “Christine’s appointment as Patron is an important acknowledgement of her ongoing contribution to our organisation and thehealth and medical research sector more broadly.”
Professor Bennett has maintained an active leadership position as a commentator andstrategist on health reform in Australia and internationally. In 2008, the Prime Minister appointed her to be Chair of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission that provided advice to governments on a long-term blueprint for the future of theAustralian health system and aged care.
Associate Professor Annette Schmiede said “Christine’s continuing affiliation with Research Australia over these last 20 years has enabled us to achieve NHMRC funding reform, progress towards a National Health and Medical Research Strategy and so much more.”
“Together, with Sir Gustav Nossal AC, Christine’s patronage of Research Australia will formalise her ongoing role in supporting and guiding the advocacy positions Research Australia takes on behalf of the sector.”
Previous Award Winners
ADVOCACY AWARD
2023 Mr Col Reynolds OAM
2022 ghd
2021 Damien, Bob & Debbie Thompson, Chimera Legacy Foundation
2020 Awarded in 2021
2019 Prof Gordon Lynch
2018 Matthew Grounds AM
2017 Sanfilippo Children’s Foundation
2016 Brenda King
2015 Connie Johnson & Samuel Johnson OAM
2014 Karen Livingstone AM
2013 Mark Beretta OAM
2012 lta Buttrose AO OBE
2011 Stephen Leeder AO
2010 Li Cunxin
2009 Prof Ian Hickie AM
2008 Dr James O Little AO
2007 Lisa Wilkinson AM
2006 Ricky Ponting AO
2005 Delta Goodrem
2004 Michael Milton OAM
2003 Sarah Murdoch
FRONTIERS
RESEARCH AWARD
2023 Prof Jake Baum
2022 Scientia Prof Justin Gooding
2021 Dr John Parker
2020 Awarded in 2021
2019 Associate Prof Jeremy Crook & Team
LEADERSHIP AND INNOVATION AWARD
2014 Alastair Lucas AO
2013 Simon McKeon AO
2012 Will Delaat AM
2011 Prof Doug Hilton AO
2010 Mr John Funder AC
2009 Prof Joseph Sambrook
2008 Prof Fiona Stanley AC
2007 Prof John Coghlan AO
2006 Sir Gustav Nossal AC CBE
2005 The Hon John Brumby AO
2004 The Hon Peter Beattie AC
2003 The Hon Bob Carr
DATA INNOVATION AWARD
2023 Prof Georgina Chambers
2022 The AusVaxSafety Team
2021 Dr Tracy Dudding-Byth
2020 Awarded in 2021
2019 Prof John Lynch FAHMS
2018 Dr Craig Dalton
2017 Prof Helmut Butzkueven
2016 Capital Markets CRC Health Market Quality Team
GREAT AUSTRALIAN PHILANTHROPY
AWARD
2023 Mr Geoff Cumming
2022 Roy & Nola Thompson
2021 Andrew & Jean Miller
2020 Awarded in 2021
2019 Mrs Pamela Galli
2018 The Bill & Iris Burges Trust
2017 Andrew Forrest AO & Nicola Forrest AO, The Minderoo Foundation
2016 McCusker Charitable Foundation
2015 Gandel Philanthropy, John GandeI AO & Mrs Pauline Gandel
2014 Margarete & Len Ainsworth
2014 Charles ”Chuck” Feeney
2013 Susan Alberti AC
2012 Harold Mitchell AC
2011 The Sylvia & Charles Viertel Foundation
2010 Greg Poche AO
2009 Clive Berghofer AM
2008 Judy & Jack Gibson
2007 Frank Lowy AC
2006 Carlo Salteri AO
2005 The Myer Family
2004 Lady Mary Fairfax AC OBE
2003 Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC DBE
LEADERSHIP
IN CORPORATE GIVING
2018 MACA Limited
2017 QBE Foundation
2016 Volvo Australia
2014 Bupa Health Foundation
2013 Rio Tinto
2012 Xstrata Coal
2011 David Jones
2009 Macquarie Group Foundation
2008 Pfizer Australia
2007 Wesfarmers
2006 LJ Hooker
2005 Estee Lauder
2004 Coco’s Fresh Food Market QLD
2003 Channel 7 Perth
PETER WILLS MEDAL
2023 Emeritus Professor Caroline Isabel Bower AC
2022 Professor Ian Alexander
2021 Dr Brendan Murphy
2020 Awarded in 2021
2019 Prof Kathryn North AC FAHMS
2018 Laureate Prof Nicholas Talley AC
2017 Prof Kim Mulholland
2016 Prof lan Gust AO
2015 Prof Sharon Lewin AO, FRACP, FAHMS
2014 Prof Alan Lopez AC
2013 Prof Paul Zimmet AO
2012 Sir Gustav Nossal AC CBE
2011 Prof John Shine, AO, FAA
DISCOVERY AWARD
2023 Dr James Pang
2022 Dr Caleb Dawson
2021 Dr Mo Chen
2020 Awarded in 2021
2019 Dr Christine Keenan
2018 Dr Sarah Best
2017 Dr Avnika Ruparelia
2016 Dr Rebecca Coll
2015 Dr Andrew Gardiner
2014 Dr Genevieve Healy
2013 Dr Franziska Bieri
2012 Dr Motoiko Koyama
2011 Dr Oliver Baumann
2010 Dr Mark Pearson
2009 Dr Sarah Whittle
2008 Dr Jeff Holst
HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH AWARD
2023 Prof Michele Sterling
2022 Prof Johanna Westbrook
2021 Prof Brett Mitchell
2020 Awarded in 2021
2019 Prof Elizabeth Roughead
2018 Prof Sue Kildea
2017 Australian & New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry (AMZHFR) Prof Jacqui Close & Prof Ian Harris AM FAHMS
2016 Prof Michael Barton OAM
2015 Prof Jeffrey Braithwaite FAHMS
2014 Prof Robert Sanson-Fisher AO FAHMS
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
2015 Prof Perry Bartlett
2014 Carol & Roy Langsford OAM
2013 Bill Ferris AC
2012 Prof Hugh Taylor & Prof Phillip Sambrook
2011 Laureate Prof Peter Doherty AC
2010 Prof Colin Binns
2009 Elaine Henry OAM
2008 Prof The Hon Barry Jones AO
2007 Ken Roberts
2006 The Hon Neville Wran AC
2005 Sir Bruce Watson AC
2004 Dr Susan Alberti AC
2003 Mickie Hardie & Leila Schmidt
GSK RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARD
2023 Professor David Komander
2022 Prof Georgia Chenevix-Trench
2021 Prof Jamie Cooper & Prof Rinaldo Bellomo
2020 Prof Mark Febbraio
2019 Prof Brendan Crabb AC
2018 Prof Georgina Long FAHMS & Prof Richard Scolyer FAHMS
2017 Prof Timothy Hughes
2016 Prof Patrick Sexton & Prof Arthur Christopoulos FAHM
Sponsor Acknowledgement
A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors for their generous support in making this event not just possible, but truly unforgettable. Your commitment and contributions have made a significant impact, and we are grateful for your partnership!
PREMIUM EVENT SPONSOR
AWARD SPONSORS
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for our 2025 awards please reach out to the team at admin@researchaustralia.org
Did you know, there are over 23,000 medical researchers working in Australia?
Research Australia is the national peak body representing the entire health and medical research pipeline, from the laboratory to the patient and the marketplace. It uses its unique convening power to position health and medical research as a significant driver of a healthy population and contributor to a healthy economy.
By joining the alliance, you leverage resources and add your voice to the large-scale advocacy needed in our complex policy and political environment, so all Australians get to understand the connection between health and medical research and a much improved health system.
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Melbourne VIC 3000
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Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
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