The Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) recently hosted its annual awards night, a highlight of the year that brought together researchers, staff, and partners to celebrate their groundbreaking contributions to health and medical science.
The evening honoured the dedication and innovation of those striving to create the healthiest one million people on the planet, reflecting HMRI’s mission to advance health outcomes for the Hunter New England community and beyond.
“HMRI and our wider community asks a lot of our researchers and our clinicians. We ask them to invest their time, their brilliance and their ideas to help us solve the biggest healthcare challenges of our time. And so, for us, these awards are HMRI’s chance to give back to our research community and to recognise them for their effort and contribution,” HMRI Institute Director and CEO, Professor Frances Kay-Lambkin, HMRI’s 2019 Research Excellence Award recipient, said.
Professor Kay-Lambkin is enthusiastic about the collaborative culture that enables the excellence on display at the awards.
“The Awards are a chance to celebrate the strong partnerships with the University of Newcastle, Hunter New England Local Health District, and the Hunter New England community – our 1 million people. It’s also an opportunity to thank the amazing donors and supporters who make medical research possible.”
During her annual awards address to nearly 300 guests, Professor Kay-Lambkin reflected on HMRI’s past and how it will shape the future.
“As we stand here tonight at the intersection of our past achievements and future possibilities, let us recommit ourselves to the values and principles that have guided us. Let’s celebrate our achievements, our resilience, and our hope for the future. May our HMRI continue to be a beacon of innovation, a fortress of resilience, and a catalyst for positive change in the landscape of health and medical research. Let tonight be a reminder that, in the pursuit of knowledge, we have the power to change the world, and we can, and indeed have, used it,” she said.
“Here’s to the next chapter – emerging stronger, more resilient, and more committed than ever to our mission to create the healthiest million people for the planet – and it all starts right here.”
The prestigious Researcher of the Year award was presented to University of Newcastle Conjoint Professor Jeannette Lechner-Scott from HMRI’s Immune Health Research Program. Meanwhile, Associate Professor Vanessa Murphy, also from the University of Newcastle, received the Mid-Career Researcher of the Year award for her impactful work within the Asthma and Breathing Research Program.
Dr Carlos Garcia-Esperon, of the Hunter New England Local Health District, was named Early Career Researcher of the Year for his contributions to the Heart and Stroke Research Program. The Newcastle Permanent Emerging Innovator Award went to Dr Joshua Fisher, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Newcastle, for his innovative work in HMRI’s Mothers and Babies Research Program.
The highly coveted Research Team of the Year award recognised the groundbreaking efforts of the Telestroke Team, whose work within the Heart and Stroke Research Program is revolutionising stroke care and treatment outcomes.
IMAGE | John & Kerrie Rostas, Doug Hilton & Frances Kay-Lambkin
