Breast cancer researchers top biomedical research awards

Tuesday, 29 November, 2016

The recipients of the 2016 Ramaciotti Awards for Biomedical Research, distributed by Perpetual on behalf of the Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Foundations, have been announced.

Husband and wife team Professor Jane Visvader and Professor Geoff Lindeman, of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, were selected as the joint recipients of the Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Research. The $50,000 award was presented to the couple for their pioneering work in discovering new approaches to breast cancer treatment and prevention.

The researchers recently found that ‘daughter’ cells of stem cells were the culprit cells that give rise to breast cancer in women who carry the faulty BRCA1 gene. They have also discovered that an existing medication for osteoporosis — denosumab — could provide a non-surgical option for breast cancer prevention in these women.

Professor Lindeman said the support of the Ramaciotti Foundations will advance efforts to translate discoveries from the laboratory into a clinical setting, stating, “Jane and I will continue to work with our amazing teams to progress fundamental discoveries from the bench to the bedside.”

A total of $728,310 will meanwhile be distributed between each of the five recipients of the Ramaciotti Health Investment Grants, awarded to autonomous early-career scientists to support health or medical research with a potential path to clinical application within five years. The five grant recipients are as follows:

Researcher	Institution	Project title
Dr Jane Kohlhoff	UNSW	The ‘Watch Me Grow’ App for identification of developmental and mental health problems in early childhood: a validation study
A/Professor Lyndell Lim	Centre for Eye Research Australia	Improving cataract surgery outcomes in patients with Diabetic Macular Oedema (the DiMeCAT Trial)
A/Professor Philippa Middleton	South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute	Optimega: Preventing preterm birth and improving long term and intergenerational health through personalising dietary fat intake for pregnant women
Dr Sanjay Patel	Heart Research Institute	Colchicine — A novel role in stabilising vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque
Dr Mark Polizzotto	UNSW (The Kirby Institute for Infection and Immunity)	Immune modulation for prevention of anogenital cancer in people with persistent high-grade anal intraepithelial neoplasia

The University of Sydney’s Professor Derek Hart, who led the Ramaciotti Scientific Advisory Committee, said his team had “an extraordinarily difficult time selecting from the outstanding array of applicants”.

“The five projects chosen are expected to make a major contribution in translating novel preclinical advances into clinical practice,” Professor Hart said.

“We look forward to seeing the impact of the grants on these significant research undertakings.”

Pictured: Professor Geoff Lindeman and Professor Jane Visvader.