Victoria’s brightest medical minds are in line to receive the prestigious 2015 Premier’s Award for Health and Medical Research.
Now in its 21st year, this award recognises and celebrates the outstanding achievements of Victoria’s early-career health and medical researchers.
The Andrews Labor Government has identified the medical technology and pharmaceutical sectors as one of six which have the potential for significant growth in Victoria, and has committed $60 million to the new Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery at St Vincent’s Hospital.
This will be Australia’s first research and education centre for biomedical engineering, bringing doctors, scientists and researchers together to research cures for chronic disease and develop devices that change lives.
The Labor Government will also establish a $200 million Future Industries Fund to drive growth in the sectors to secure jobs now and into the future.
The Premier’s Award winner and commendees will be selected by a panel of eminent health and medical researchers representing a diversity of disciplines, research institutes and universities.
The 2014 winner, Dr Jaclyn Pearson, was recognised for her research on how to fight bacterial gut infections caused by E.coli, and deciphering how it evades the body’s immune responses. Dr. Pearson’s research has been an important contribution to the fight against a range of diseases in both developed and developing countries.
Applications for the Premier’s Award are now open and will close on Thursday 16 April, with the winner and commendees to be announced in mid 2015. For more information, please visit .
Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews:
“Victoria is internationally recognised as a leader in health and medical research and innovation.”
“The work these talented people do not only shapes our health and wellbeing, but creates high-value jobs right here in Victoria.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health, Jill Hennessy:
“This Award honours Victoria’s dedicated and brilliant health and medical researchers, whose work could lead to ground-breaking discoveries in chronic disease, clinical treatments and technology, and perhaps even cures.”
“Our investment in this sector will not only create thousands of jobs but has the potential to change so many Victorian lives.”
Quotes attributable to Parliamentary Secretary for Medical Research, Frank McGuire:
“We have some of the brightest medical minds right here in Victoria and it’s great to be able to recognise them through these Awards.”
"Victoria is the home of the bionic ear and eye and we export lifesaving blood plasma around the world. Our aim is to provide the support to enable similar life-changing discoveries in the future."
Reviewed 19 August 2020