Four outstanding early- to mid-career researchers have been awarded 2026 RPH Research Foundation Career Advancement Fellowships, with more than $2.59 million committed to research spanning blood cancer, persistent pain, blood transfusion and older trauma care.
The 2026 Fellows are Dr Mayura Iddagoda, Dr Jacques Malherbe, Dr Martin Rabey and Dr Kevin Trentino.
The Career Advancement Fellowships Program supports researchers with a clear and sustained connection to East Metropolitan Health Service (EMHS), providing protected research time, salary support and direct research costs to help them build their independence and leadership while progressing clinically relevant research.
Following a rigorous and competitive peer review process, the exceptional calibre of applications led the Foundation to increase its Fellowship investment from the initially planned $2.22 million to $2,595,098 across four Fellowships.
For each of this year’s Fellows, the funding comes at an important transition point in their career. Dedicated research time, mentorship and support will enable them to build on their achievements, strengthen their research programs and take the next step towards becoming independent research leaders.
Through this investment, RPH Research Foundation is helping to build research capacity and leadership across EMHS and Western Australia, while supporting research with the potential to translate into better clinical practice and patient outcomes.
Congratulations to the Career Advancement Fellows 2026:
Dr Mayura Iddagoda
Royal Perth Hospital – Department of Geriatric Medicine
Improving Care for Older Trauma Patients Using a New Prediction Tool in Western Australian Hospitals
$734,000
Dr Mayura Iddagoda, the 2026 Lawrie Beilin Research Fellow, will lead the OTOP-TRANSLATE study to improve care for older trauma patients. His OTOP model uses routinely collected clinical information to identify high-risk patients earlier, supporting more informed clinical decisions, personalised care planning and better outcomes for older Western Australians.
Dr Jacques Malherbe
Royal Perth Hospital – Department of Haematology
Faster and More Accurate Testing to Guide Treatment in Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
$739,946
Dr Jacques Malherbe will develop an integrated diagnostic platform to transform acute myeloid leukaemia diagnosis and monitoring. Combining advanced technologies, the research aims to deliver comprehensive disease information within 72 hours, enabling earlier diagnosis, more personalised treatment and faster intervention when relapse occurs.
Dr Martin Rabey
Royal Perth Hospital – Department of Physiotherapy
PROTECT FROM PAIN: Preventing pain by unlocking your personal strengths.
$612,727
Dr Martin Rabey will lead the PROTECT FROM PAIN program to develop a new strengths-based approach to persistent pain. His research will identify and build on factors that support recovery, helping develop more personalised, effective care and improve quality of life for people experiencing persistent pain.
Dr Kevin Trentino
East Metropolitan Health Service – East CareConnect
Using continuous patient monitoring to improve decisions about blood transfusions
$508,425
Dr Kevin Trentino will investigate how continuous patient monitoring can improve blood transfusion decisions. Using physiological data and machine learning, his research aims to identify when transfusions are needed earlier and more accurately, supporting timely decisions, reducing unnecessary transfusions and improving patient safety.
Dr Mayura Iddagoda
Royal Perth Hospital – Department of Geriatric Medicine
Improving Care for Older Trauma Patients Using a New Prediction Tool in Western Australian Hospitals
$734,000
Dr Mayura Iddagoda, the 2026 Lawrie Beilin Research Fellow, will lead the OTOP-TRANSLATE study to improve care for older trauma patients. His OTOP model uses routinely collected clinical information to identify high-risk patients earlier, supporting more informed clinical decisions, personalised care planning and better outcomes for older Western Australians.
Dr Jacques Malherbe
Royal Perth Hospital – Department of Haematology
Faster and More Accurate Testing to Guide Treatment in Acute Myeloid Leukaemia
$739,946
Dr Jacques Malherbe will develop an integrated diagnostic platform to transform acute myeloid leukaemia diagnosis and monitoring. Combining advanced technologies, the research aims to deliver comprehensive disease information within 72 hours, enabling earlier diagnosis, more personalised treatment and faster intervention when relapse occurs.
Dr Martin Rabey
Royal Perth Hospital – Department of Physiotherapy
PROTECT FROM PAIN: Preventing pain by unlocking your personal strengths.
$612,727
Dr Martin Rabey will lead the PROTECT FROM PAIN program to develop a new strengths-based approach to persistent pain. His research will identify and build on factors that support recovery, helping develop more personalised, effective care and improve quality of life for people experiencing persistent pain.
Dr Kevin Trentino
East Metropolitan Health Service – East CareConnect
Using continuous patient monitoring to improve decisions about blood transfusions
$508,425
Dr Kevin Trentino will investigate how continuous patient monitoring can improve blood transfusion decisions. Using physiological data and machine learning, his research aims to identify when transfusions are needed earlier and more accurately, supporting timely decisions, reducing unnecessary transfusions and improving patient safety.
