WA professor wins new blood disorder prize

Australian Professor Tim St Pierre has received the inaugural Panos Englezos Award for his outstanding contribution to the management of, and improvement in, quality of life for patients with the haemoglobin disorder thalassaemia. The award is named after Cypriot businessman Dr Panos Englezos to honour his lifelong contribution to the Thalassemia International Federation (TIF).

Thalassaemia is a genetic disease that impacts the production and functionality of a patient’s haemoglobin. Treatment often involves regular blood transfusions, resulting in an excess of iron. This may accumulate in the liver, causing liver fibrosis, cancer and death. In some cases, excessive iron absorption occurs even in the absence of blood transfusions.

Professor St Pierre, from the School of Physics at The University of Western Australia (UWA), has spent more than 30 years researching the magnetic properties of iron in biology and medicine. In 2005 he and his team developed FerriScan, an MRI test for the measurement of liver iron concentration (LIC). The ability to accurately measure the amount of iron in the liver enables doctors to better determine a thalassaemia patient’s treatment regime, significantly improving health outcomes.

The image analysis service is now provided by UWA spinout company Resonance Health (ASX:RHT), where Professor St Pierre serves as chief scientific officer. Today, more than 30,000 FerriScans have been delivered to patients in over 30 countries worldwide.

“A major part of my working life has been aimed at improving monitoring techniques for thalassaemia patients with a view both to furthering knowledge about this condition and advancing its management,” said Professor St Pierre. “TIF is a highly recognised body that has supported patients and families and thalassaemia research around the world. As such, I consider this award a very great honour and a huge incentive to keep pushing ahead to make further progress.”

Professor St Pierre’s prize consisted of a silver drop of blood (TIF’s logo) and a monetary award of US$10,000. Professor St Pierre has donated his prize money to provide further access to FerriScan in economically disadvantaged regions.