$1.7 million awarded to seven Australian biomedical researchers

Seven biomedical researchers have been awarded more than $1.7 million, as Perpetual announced the recipients of the 2017 Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Awards for Biomedical Research.

Professor Katharina Gaus of The University of New South Wales’ School of Medical Sciences received the biennial Ramaciotti Biomedical Research Award, worth $1 million.

The award will establish the Ramaciotti Systems Microscopy Facility at UNSW, the first facility dedicated to Systems Microscopy in Australia. Systems Microscopy combines state-of-the-art imaging of individual molecules and single cells with complex biological systems, delivering transformative insights into human health and disease to inform improved diagnostics and therapies in cancer, immunology, neuroscience, metabolic disorders and regenerative medicine.

Systems Microscopy is shaping the future of biomedical research, and it’s so exciting this new facility will strengthen Australia’s leadership in the area, said Professor Gaus. “This award is testament to 12 years of continuous work, an achievement not possible without the support of my UNSW research partners, Professor Peter Gunning, Dr John Lock and Dr Renee Whan,” Professor Gaus said.

Professor Susan Clark of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research has been selected as the recipient of the Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Research, an annual award of $50,000, to honour an outstanding discovery in clinical or experimental biomedical research. Professor Clark’s groundbreaking discoveries in cancer DNA biology have led to new tests for early cancer detection.

Up to $150,000 will also be allocated to each of the five recipients of the Ramaciotti Health Investment Grants. The grants are awarded to autonomous early-career scientists to support health or medical research with a potential path to clinical application within five years.

The recipients of the 2017 Ramaciotti Health Investment Grants are:

• Dr Julie Brown, University of New South Wales — Development of guidelines for use of comfort and orthopaedic aids for older people travelling in cars.
• Dr Roisin McMahon, Griffith University — Overcoming the resistance: new antimicrobials that disarm, rather than destroy bacteria.
• Dr Freda Passam, Heart Research Institute — Targeting protein disulphide isomerase for the prevention of thrombotic disease.
• Dr Natasha Rogers, Westmead Institute for Medical Research — Normothermic machine perfusion to improve kidney transplant outcomes.
• Dr Makrina Totsika, Queensland University of Technology — Novel antimicrobial therapies for multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Commenting on the significance of the awards, Perpetual National Manager of Philanthropy and Non Profit Services Caitriona Fay said, “The Ramaciotti Foundations are one of the largest private contributors to biomedical research in Australia and have provided essential support to some of our most remarkable scientists since 1970.”

Professor Derek Hart of The University of Sydney led the Ramaciotti Scientific Advisory Committee which directed Perpetual in selecting the grant recipients. “We had an extraordinarily difficult time selecting from the outstanding array of applications for each accolade — Australian biomedical research is truly a leading contributor to worldwide clinical practice advancements,” Professor Hart said. On the work of Professor Gaus, Professor Hart added: “The work to significantly progress systems microscopy capabilities in Australia will make a meaningful and lasting contribution to the most important biomedical issues of our time. We expect the facility created by Professor Gaus to stimulate a collaborative research community and substantially support translational research activity.”