Ramaciotti Foundations award $1m for biomedical research

The Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Foundations are awarding $1,022,458 to biomedical research through the distribution of the annual Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Research and 13 establishment grants. The grants were announced by the foundations’ trustee, Perpetual, which was advised in its selection by a scientific advisory committee led by Professor Derek Hart of The University of Sydney.

The Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Research, worth $50,000, was awarded to Professor David Craik of The University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience. Professor Craik’s discoveries in the field of circular proteins have broad applicability in the design of new drugs, diagnostic agents, neuroscience tools and ultrastable proteins.

“It was a unanimous decision by the committee to award Professor Craik the Ramaciotti Medal,” Professor Hart said. “His work is highly original and has direct translation into novel drug therapies.”

The 13 Ramaciotti establishment grants are meanwhile awarded to emerging researchers in universities, public hospitals or institutes who are undertaking biomedical research and provide recognition and support for young academics with a substantive research position. Grants of up to $75,000 will this year be awarded to the following researchers:

• Dr Joshua Ho, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
• Dr Dominic Hare, University of Technology Sydney
• Dr Denovan Begg, University of New South Wales
• Dr Muh Geot Wong, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney
• Dr Renjing Liu, Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology
• Dr Paul Lee, Garvan Institute of Medical Research
• Dr Tara Speranza, University of Sydney
• Dr Olga Shimoni, University of Technology, Sydney
• Dr Elgene Lim, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
• Dr Dennis Lau, University of Adelaide
• Dr Ivan Poon, La Trobe University
• Dr Lucy Palmer, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health
• Dr Joshua Davis, Menzies School of Health Research

Established in 1970 to advance medical research in Australia, the Ramaciotti Foundations are collectively one of the largest private contributors to biomedical research in Australia. The total amount in grants distributed to date is now nearly $55 million.