RPH Research Foundation Research Awards Day 2024
21.10.2024 On Friday 18 October, the RPH Research Foundation held its annual Research Awards Day at the Westin.
Hosted by Board Chair Mr John Palermo, the Foundation celebrated the successful recipients of our 2024 grant programs and announced the winners of the 2024 Research Awards.
The Honourable Dan Caddy MLC, Member for the North Metropolitan Region, representing the Minister for Medical Research the Honourable Stephen Dawson MLC, delivered the opening address. 
The highlight of the event was the Bryant Stokes Oration, which was delivered by Professor Anna Nowak, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Western Australia on “Symbiosis: The Vital Dialogue Between Healthcare and Academia”.
During the Research Awards Day, the Foundation also announced our 2024 Research Innovation and Impact grant recipients. This grant program is co-funded by the Future Health Research and Innovation (FHRI) Fund.
A total of $3,511,625 was awarded across three innovative research projects. Congratulations to recipients Dr Hun Chuah, Professor Graham Hillis, and Associate Professor Agnes Yong.
Congratulations to all the winners of the awards presented at the 2024 Research Awards Day.
Professor Lyn Beazley AO Emering Leader Award
The Professor Lyn Beazley AO Emerging Leader Award aims to recognise and support early career researchers who have demonstrated exceptional promise and dedication in their scientific or clinical research endeavours.
The 2024 winner of the Professor Lyn Beazley AO Emerging Leader Award is Dr Martin Rabey.
Dr Martin Rabey is a clinician-researcher focusing on musculoskeletal pain such as low back pain, knee osteoarthritis and shoulder pain.
Doreen McCarthy Nursing Research Award
This award recognises nurses within EMHS who are conducting research to improve patient outcomes and enhance healthcare.
The 2024 Doreen McCarthy Nursing Research Award recipient is Ms Gabrielle Calleja.
Gabrielle submitted the top-ranked nursing project to the Nursing and Allied Health Grant Program for her project titled “Exploring the patient’s experience when allocated to an isolation room to manage multi-resistant organism.”
Early Career Publication Award
The publishing process is highly competitive, and publishing in a high-quality journal requires early-career researchers to compete against researchers who are much more experienced,
The 2024 Early Career Publication Award was awarded to Dr Courtney Weber.
Dr Weber’s publication is titled Analytically confirmed illicit and novel psychoactive drug use in Western Australian emergency departments: initial results from the Emerging Drugs Network of Australia (EDNA).
Mentorship Award
This award recognises senior researchers who have been nominated by their mentees for their dedication to helping them through their research journey.
The 2024 Mentorship Award was presented to Dr Meg Harrold.
Dr Meg Harrold is a senior physiotherapist at the Royal Perth Hospital and was nominated on behalf of a collective of early career researchers who have benefited from her mentorship. Her nominators believe Dr Harrold’s support, guidance and dedication to fostering a positive research environment has significantly contributed to the growth and success of her mentees.
