Career Advancement Fellowships
RPH Research Foundation’s Career Advancement Fellowships (CAF) program provides more than $1 million in funding to help five of WA’s brightest researchers discover the answers to important health questions.
The CAF program was created to nurture talented early to mid-career researchers who are striving to make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of Western Australians.
Successful applicants will be provided with salary support for up to three years so they can undertake cutting-edge research projects in their fields of expertise.
The Foundation was inundated with exceptional applications for the first funding round.
An independent panel of experts, including Prof John Olynyk (Edith Cowan University’s Dean of Clinical Research, Edith Cowan University, Theme Lead, Health Research) and Dr Gina Ravenscroft (from the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research’s Genome Biology and Genetics Program) generously provided their time to select the most outstanding applicants, whose work was showcased during a special Fellowships celebration at WA Museum Boola Bardip on 3 June 2021.
The highest-ranked applicant has been named the inaugural Emeritus Professor L.J Beilin AO Research Fellow in honour of RPH Research Foundation’s former Board Chair, Emeritus Professor Lawrie Beilin.
Congratulations to the RPH Research Foundation’s 2020 Career Advancement Fellows.
Dr Catherine Bondonno
Nutrition & Health Innovation Research Institute, Edith Cowan University
Dr Catherine Bondonno has helped to clinically prove that eating an apple a day can keep the doctor away by improving your heart health and reducing your risk of heart disease.
Furthermore, WA’s Pink Lady and Bravo varieties offer some of the biggest heart health bangs for your bite.
Dr Bondonno is the inaugural Emeritus Professor L.J Beilin AO Fellow.
Dr Lakshini Herat
Dobney Hypertension Centre, University of Western Australia
Dr Lakshini Herat’s world-first research project that is exploring how novel glucose-lowering drugs may protect eye and kidney health in people living with diabetes.
Dr Lakshini Herat
Dobney Hypertension Centre, University of Western Australia
Dr Lakshini Herat’s world-first research project that is exploring how novel glucose-lowering drugs may protect eye and kidney health in people living with diabetes.
Dr Dona Jayakody
Dr Dona Jayakody is part of a research team that discovered a link between hearing loss and dementia.
Dr Jayakody’s research project aims to determine if wearing hearing aids can prevent, or delay, the onset of dementia in Aboriginal older adults.
Ear Science Institute Australia
Dr David McCutcheon
Centre for Clinical Research in Emergency Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital
Dr David McCutcheon’s research project aims to develop new ways of testing for illicit drugs (known as novel psychoactive substances).
In collaboration with the Emerging Drugs Network of Australia (EDNA), Dr McCutcheon aims to help doctors in treating patients who become seriously unwell after taking illicit drugs.
Dr David McCutcheon
Centre for Clinical Research in Emergency Medicine, Royal Perth Hospital
Dr David McCutcheon’s research project aims to develop new ways of testing for illicit drugs (known as novel psychoactive substances).
In collaboration with the Emerging Drugs Network of Australia (EDNA), Dr McCutcheon aims to help doctors in treating patients who become seriously unwell after taking illicit drugs.
Dr Marc Sim
Dr Marc Sim’s research project aims to create diet and exercise programs to help our ageing population continue to live independently by reducing their falls risk.
Did you know one Australian is hospitalised due to a fall every five minutes? Dr Sim says eating well and staying active can prevent this.