Mater Research internal award winners
Internal grant schemes promote, celebrate and recognise research excellence at Mater Research and are focused on investing in, and developing, our biomedical and clinical researchers to support career progression, research development and the translation of scientific discovery into healthcare outcomes for the community.
Future Leaders Fellowship
Promoting ongoing research excellence at Mater Research is only possible by investing in, developing and retaining the next generation of research leaders. In 2024, Mater Research introduced the Future Leaders Fellowship, a new funding scheme to support mid-career researchers in leading aspirational and impactful research.
| Year | Winner | Research | Research Program |
| 2025 | Dr Joshua Tobin | A Translational Pipeline to Develop Personalised Immunotherapy Trials in Follicular Lymphoma | Cancer |
| 2024 | Dr Kavita Bisht | Identify molecular targets that cause anaemia and develop new therapies to treat anaemia | Chronic and Integrated Care |
Strategic Grant for Outstanding Women
Through the generous support from the Mater Foundation, the Mater Research Strategic Grant for Outstanding Women is a step toward closing the ‘research academic gender gap’ and amplifies women who have excelled in their field. The grant provides funding for two years to support the research and career progression of high-profile and high-potential female researchers at Mater to accelerate research success and progress toward academic promotion.
| Year | Winner | Research | Research Program |
| 2025 | Dr Rabina Giri | Establishing a colorectral cancer research stream within the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Group. | Chronic and Integrated Care |
| Dr Siobhan Loughnan | Establishing a national research network for perinatal loss care and care in subsequent pregnancies in Australia | Mother and Baby | |
| 2024 | Dr Irina Buckle | Testing the effects of novel oral therapeutic drugs in next generation preclinical models, which have a human immune system and develop autoimmune-like diabetes. | Chronic and Integrated Care |
| Dr Simranpreet Kaur | Investigating synergistic mechanisms between bone marrow stem cells, macrophages and blood vessel cells that promote bone marrow health. | Cancer Program | |
| Dr Léanie Kleynhans | Establishment of a spatial lipidomics platform that will directly contribute to our understanding of lipids and lipid derived molecules in different tissues and diseases. | Chronic and Integrated Care | |
| 2023 | Dr Sahar Keshvari | Investigations into the potential use of macrophage growth factors as a novel treatment in children with childhood non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a burgeoning health problem globally. | Chronic and Integrated Care |
| 2022 | Dr Jodi Saunus | Epigenomic analysis of breast tumour samples before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. | Cancer |
| 2022 | Dr Elizabeth Martin | Monitoring how different women recover from gynaecological surgery at Mater Private Hospital Springfield and when patients need extra care to address issues such as pain, mental health and the confidence to return to normal activities when they leave hospital. | Healthcare Delivery and Innovation |
| 2021 | Associate Professor Kym Rae | The grant will ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland have an opportunity to voice their health needs, particularly during the time of pregnancy and early family life. | Mother and Baby |
| 2020 | Dr Camille Guillerey | Investigating the relationship between immune cells and blood cancers, with a view the providing clinicians with novel immunotherapies to treat these types of cancer | Chronic and Integrated Care |
| 2019 | Associate Professor Kristen Radford | Understanding human dendritic cell (DC) biology and translating findings into health benefits | Cancer |
| Dr Sandra Richardson | Applying single-cell technologies to identify L1-driven mutations and determining the potential deleterious impact of these mutations on pregnancy outcomes and age-related female infertility. | Neuroscience | |
| 2018 | Associate Professor Katharina Ronacher | Determine LTBI and T2D rates in the high risk populations and identify the underlying innate and adaptive immune deficiencies associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D). | Chronic and Integrated Care |
| Professor Josephine Forbes | Test the efficacy of the novel compound targeting mitochondrial dysfunction (KH-‐176) to prevent the onset of kidney disease. | Chronic and Integrated Care | |
| 2017 | Associate Professor Shelley Wilkinson | Investigating research processes and outcomes of the RCT | Mother and Baby |
| Associate Professor Sumaira Hasnain | Development of novel therapeutic drugs for chronic inflammatory diseases | Chronic and Integrated Care |
Early Career Researcher Seeding Grants
The Early Career Researcher Seeding Grants offering funding for biomedical and clinical/health research projects. The competitive scheme aims to assist Mater Researchers to be competitive in national and/ or international grant schemes.
| Year | Winner | Research | Research Program |
| 2024 | Ms Bronagh McAlinden | Measuring chest physiotherapy in premature babies using Lung Ultrasound | Mother and Baby |
| Dr Charles Bell | Conducting the orchestra – understanding how transcription factors control development and disease | Neuroscience | |
| 2023 | Dr Yuanhao Yang | Dissecting the role of alpha synuclein in Parkinson’s disease | Neuroscience |
| Dr Uyen Pham | Mitochondrial dysfunction and immune system activation in early diabetic kidney disease | ||
| 2022 | Dr Natasha Jansz | Genetic and epigenetic variation of HTLV-1c in patients and humanised mouse models of HTLV-1c associated disease | |
| Dr Grace Branjerdporn | A mixed-methods longitudinal study evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Catherine’s House | Mother and Baby | |
| 2021 | Dr Kavita Bisht | Delineating the role of oncostatin M on pathobiology of myeloproliferative neoplasms and aging | |
| Dr Katie Brooker | Evaluation of an online module to improve medical student knowledge and self-efficacy to support Autistic patients | Neuroscience | |
| 2020 | Dr Jessica Turner | Pregnancy outcomes and placental biomarkers study (Prosper Study) | |
| Dr Stacey Bartlett | Dysregulation of the GPR183/oxysterol axis during diabetes and susceptibility to viral respiratory infections | ||
| 2018 | Dr Seth Cheetham | Zombie genes: novel players in cancer? | |
| Dr Nisha Jagasia | Sentinel lymph node mapping for staging of endometrial cancer – a new standard of care |
Betty McGrath Healthcare Delivery and Innovation and Education Seeding Grant
The Betty McGrath Healthcare Delivery and Innovation and Education Seeding Grants fund novel and well supported research projects carried out by Mater People with the potential to enhance healthcare delivery at Mater into the future.
| Year | Winner | Research | Research Program |
| 2024 | Ms Alicia Godmon | Enhancing Neonatal and Paediatric Stoma Care Education: A study investigating the impact of simulation in an educational bundle | Education |
| Dr Taylan Gurgenci | Leveraging large language models to fix the hospital-to-GP communication crisis | Healthcare Delivery and Innovation | |
| Dr Hamid Karimi-Rouzbahani | Quantitative evaluation of epilepsy through novel computational cognitive methods | Healthcare Delivery and Innovation | |
| Mr Matthew Hunt | For women referred to the persistent pelvic pain physiotherapy service, is trans-abdominal irradiation of infrared light feasible and effective for reducing pain and improving quality of life? A proof-of-concept study | Healthcare Delivery and Innovation | |
| Dr Hayley Kimball | Rebuilding After Birth: A multidisciplinary, multipronged response to birth-related trauma for the parents of Mater Mother’s Hospital | Healthcare Delivery and Innovation | |
| 2023 | Dr Jasmine Antoine | Enhancing Trainee’s Technical and NOn-TEchnical Skills in Neonatal Intubation (ETT Notes) | Education |
| Dr Beth Mah | Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy in a Perinatal Mental Health Inpatient Unit setting: A mixed methods and feasibility study | Healthcare Delivery and Innovation | |
| Dr Sarah Janssens | Evaluating the impact of a focused education program for the implementation of the maternity team approach in clinical practice | Education | |
| Dr Honnie Gorry | Feasibility study and pilot RCT of EEG Neurofeedback in a Hospital Setting | Healthcare Delivery and Innovation | |
| Dr Neisha D'Silva | Evaluating novel eating disorder prevention program for young women with Type 1 diabetes | Healthcare Delivery and Innovation | |
| Associate Professor Liisa Laakso | Using physical activity during chemotherapy to enhance recovery | Healthcare Delivery and Innovation | |
| 2022 | Associate Professor Anne Leditschke | "Inspiring Beyond ICU” – A Multi-Centre Randomised Controlled Trial of Inspiratory Muscle Training in Intensive Care Patients Mechanically Ventilated for More than 5 Days | Healthcare Delivery and Innovation |
| Professor Vicki Clifton | A sustainable and cultural approach to asthma care for improving outcomes for Indigenous Australian women: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Antenatal Asthma Management Service. (AAAMS) | Healthcare Delivery and Innovation | |
| Dr Jennifer Utter | Supporting healthcare staff to share meals with family, friends, or colleagues to improve nutritional and emotional wellbeing | Healthcare Delivery and Innovation | |
| Dr Reuben Beer | Advanced imaging in multiple sclerosis: Utilising multimodal magnetic resonance imaging to model response before and after highly active disease modifying therapy | Healthcare Delivery and Innovation | |
| Rohan Bates | Measuring the Emotional Responses and Self – Regulation skills of Learners in Problem Based Learning Simulations | Education | |
| 2020 | Leah McIntosh | Improving Advanced Life Support training for frontline healthcare workers under novel conditions | Healthcare Delivery and Innovation |
| Alana Delafoce | A theoretically informed approach to support the implementation of preoperative anaemia and iron deficiency screening, evaluation and management pathways (PAIDSEM-P): a type 2 hybrid-effectiveness study | Healthcare Delivery and Innovation | |
| Aleysha Martin | Transdisciplinary stroke assessment: Can it improve allied health efficiency and care on an acute stroke unit? | Healthcare Delivery and Innovation | |
| Renee Muirhead | Developing a nurse led model of analgesia administration to optimise neonatal pain management in the surgical neonatal intensive care | Healthcare Delivery and Innovation | |
| Professor Sailesh Kumar | Machine learning to develop predictive models for late gestation adverse perinatal outcomes | Mother and Baby | |
| 2019 | Dr Sinead Barry | Phase III Randomized clinical trial for stage III ovarian carcinoma randomizing between primary cytoreductive surgery with or without hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy | Cancer |
| Dr Cathy Franklin | Understanding Acute Regression in Adolescents and Young Adults with Down Syndrome | Neuroscience |
Sisters of Mercy Medals
| Year | Medal | Winner |
| 2024 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Professor Kym Rae |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Alex Judge | |
| Sister Eileen Pollard Medal | Professor Simon Bowler | |
| Sister Michaeleen Ahern Medal | Associate Professor Kate Irvine | |
| Sister Pauline Mary Purtill Medal | Sharyn Grossman | |
| Sister Mary Athanasius Reardon Medal | Davina Smith | |
| 2023 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Dr Kylie Alexander |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Ruth Lee | |
| Sister Eileen Pollard Medal | Associate Professor Jake Begun | |
| Sister Michaeleen Ahern Medal | Professor Brian Gabrielli | |
| 2022 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Professor Jake Gratten |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Megan Martin | |
| Sister Eileen Pollard Medal | Professor Lewis Perrin | |
| Sister Michaeleen Ahern Medal | Professor Kristen Radford | |
| 2021 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Associate Professor Adam Ewing |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Amanda Sands | |
| Sister Eileen Pollard Medal | Associate Professor Lucy Burr | |
| Sister Michaeleen Ahern Medal | Dr Sandra Richardson | |
| 2020 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Dr Cathy Franklin |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Dr Julie Cichero | |
| Sister Eileen Pollard Medal | Professor Sailesh Kumar | |
| Sister Michaeleen Ahern Medal | Professor John Hooper | |
| 2019 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Professor Sailesh Kumar |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Donna Simson | |
| Sister Eileen Pollard Medal | Dr David Prime | |
| Sister Michaeleen Ahern Medal | Associate Professor Samudragupta Bora | |
| 2018 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Professor Andreas Schibler |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Associate Professor Ingrid Winkler | |
| Sister Eileen Pollard Medal | Associate Professor Luregn Schalpach | |
| Sister Michaeleen Ahern Medal | Professor Josephine Forbes | |
| 2017 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Professor Josephine Forbes |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Professor Geoffrey Kiel | |
| Sister Eileen Pollard Medal | Professor Sue Kildea | |
| Sister Michaeleen Ahern Medal | Professor Mike McGuckin | |
| 2016 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Professor Vicki Flenady AM |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Associate Professor Kristen Gibbons | |
| Sister Eileen Pollard Medal | Professor Phillip Good | |
| Sister Michaeleen Ahern Medal | Professor Sailesh Kumar | |
| 2015 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Professor Kristen Radford |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Anne Tremellen | |
| Sister Eileen Pollard Medal | Dr Treasure McGuire | |
| Sister Michaeleen Ahern Medal | Professor Jean-Pierre Levesque | |
| 2014 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Associate Professor Ingrid Winkler |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Ms Odete Petersen | |
| Sister Eileen Pollard Medal | Professor Helen Liley | |
| Sister Michaeleen Ahern Medal | Associate Professor Andrew Perkins | |
| 2013 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Professor Geoffrey Faulkner |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Associate Professor Paul Dawson | |
| Sister Eileen Pollard Medal | Associate Professor David Serisier | |
| 2012 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Professor Sumaira Hasnain |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Professor Ian Zimmer | |
| Sister Eileen Pollard Medal | Professor Tim Florin | |
| 2011 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Professor John Hooper |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Mary Lakey | |
| Sister Eileen Pollard Medal | Professor Vicki Flenady AM | |
| 2010 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Associate Professor Jon Whitehead |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Peta Scott | |
| Sister Eileen Pollard Medal | Professor Janet Hardy | |
| 2009 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Dr David Munster |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Vince and Barbara Rehbein | |
| 2008 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Associate Professor Ingrid Winkler |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Nicole Shively | |
| 2007 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Professor Mike McGuckin |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Sonia Hancock | |
| 2006 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Professor Jean-Pierre Levesque |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Professor Mike McGuckin | |
| 2005 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Dr Rebecca Prue |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Norbert Konecki | |
| 2004 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Dr Slavica Vuckovic |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Bill Siganto | |
| 2004 | Sister Regis Mary Dunne Medal | Professor Cameron Turtle |
| Sister Madonna Josey Medal | Associate Professor John Burke |