Hosted by Board Chair Mr John Palermo, with immediate past Chair Professor Lyn Beazley AO acting as MC, the Foundation also celebrated its 40th anniversary and four decades of funding Western Australian health and medical research.
An overview of the previous 40 years was delivered by past Board Chair, Emeritus Professor Lawrie Beilin AO.
The Symposium showcased some of the cutting-edge research that is currently being undertaken within the East Metropolitan Health Service (EMHS), and Western Australia more broadly.
Mr Simon Millman MLA, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health; Mental Health, delivered the opening address and shared the importance of funding medical research in Western Australia.
The highlight of the event was the Bryant Stokes Oration, which was delivered by Dr Norman Swan AM, on the importance of “Communicating Science in Tough Times”. Dr Swan is a multi-award-winning health and medical broadcaster and communicator well known for co-hosting Radio National’s Health Report and Coronacast.
Congratulations to all the winners of the awards presented at the 2023 Symposium and Awards Day.
Mentorship Award
Early Career Researchers nominated their mentors to recognise those Senior Career Researchers who have helped them on their research journey.
The 2023 Mentorship Award was awarded to Professor Michael Leahy.
Professor Leahy is the Head of the Haematology Department at Royal Perth Hospital and his nominators shared that he has been responsible for creating a culture of research within the department.
Early Career Publication Award
The publishing process is highly competitive, and to publish in a high-quality journal requires you to compete against researchers who are much more experienced than you. This award recognises early-career researchers who are publishing their work.
Dr Benjamin Parmenter was awarded the 2023 Early Career Publication Award for his publication titled Higher Habitual Dietary Flavonoid Intake Associates with Less Extensive Abdominal Aortic Calcification in a Cohort of Older Women.
Nursing Research Award
The inaugural winner of the RPH Research Foundation’s Nursing Research Award was presented to Dr Alannah Cooper.
Dr Cooper was the top-ranked nursing project submitted to the RPH Research Foundation’s 2023 Nursing and Allied Health Grant Program.
Her project is titled: Measuring the level of Palliative Care Need and referral rates to palliative care for adult patients in the East Metropolitan Health Service.
Professor Lyn Beazley AO Emerging 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 award is named in honour of RPH Research Foundation’s immediate past Board Chair Professor Lyn Beazley AO, in recognition of her leadership, advocacy of research and commitment to supporting the next generation of researchers.
The inaugural winner of the Professor Lyn Beazley AO Emerging Leader Award is Dr Lakshini Herat. Dr Herat is a passionate medical researcher striving to develop effective treatments for the management of hypertension, diabetes, and its complications.
