Pictured: Prof Britta Regli-von Ungern-Sternberg, Prof Donna Cross, A/Prof Anthony Kicic (on behalf of Denby Evans) and Rebecca Famlonga.
Three outstanding The Kids Research Institute Australia researchers have won 2023 Premier’s Science Awards, with another – leading anti-bullying researcher Emeritus Professor Donna Cross OAM – inducted into the prestigious Western Australian Science Hall of Fame.
The prestigious awards were announced by Minister for Science, the Hon. Stephen Dawson, at a special ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel last night.
Leading paediatric anaesthetist and researcher Professor Britta Regli-von Ungern-Sternberg, from The Kids Research Institute Australia and The University of Western Australia, was named joint winner of Mid-Career Scientist of the Year, together with Professor Hongqi Sun from The University of Western Australia.
Professor Regli-Von Ungern-Sternberg leads the Perioperative Medicine Team at The Kids and at UWA is the first and only Chair of Paediatric Anaesthesia in Australasia. She is also a consultant paediatric anaesthetist at Perth Children’s Hospital, involved in regular surgery on babies and children of all ages.
She has gained global recognition as a research leader in the high-risk specialty of paediatric anaesthesia, with her work identifying key areas of concern and risk for clinicians, children and families. She has also built strong institutional, national and international relationships and driven collaborations that extend the reach and impact of her research.
Her patient-centred research in close collaboration with consumers of all ages has led to significant global practice changes and consequently, a reduction in complications.
PhD student Denby Evans was named Student Scientist of the Year in recognition of her ongoing research into the lung health of babies who are born early.
Ms Evans, from the Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre – a powerhouse partnership between The Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children’s Hospital and Perth Children's Hospital Foundation – and Curtin University, has devoted her career to trying to solve the scientific mystery of what causes ongoing lung disease in survivors of preterm birth.
Her PhD unlocked an entirely new field of research, with her unique discoveries – including her finding that airway cells behave differently after preterm birth, even months or years after the initial hospital stay – attracting international attention, influencing clinical practice, and paving the way for novel interventions.
Ms Evans is also a strong advocate for STEM careers, regularly sharing her enthusiasm for scientific learning and research with schoolchildren during class visits, as a volunteer with the The Kids Education and Outreach Program, and at events including Girls in STEM.
Rebecca Famlonga, a proud Wadawurrung woman, Senior Research Officer with The Kids Research Institute Australia and Research Masters student with Murdoch University, was named Aboriginal STEM Student of the Year.
Based in Broome, Ms Famlonga moved into research after more than 20 years as a teacher and education leader. Passionate about decolonising the research process and empowering Aboriginal voices, she is working on the SToP Trial within the Healthy Skin and ARF Prevention Team at The Kids Research Institute Australia to identify community-led skin health interventions in a remote Kimberley community.
The knowledge gained from her work will inform public health campaigns to prevent and treat skin scores among children. Left untreated, these can lead to rheumatic heart disease – a lifelong health condition disproportionately affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Ms Famlonga – also a keen sportswoman and Chair of the Broome Surf Life Saving Club Board – is the third Aboriginal student from The Kids Research Institute Australia to win Aboriginal STEM Student of the Year since the award was introduced in 2019. Dr Sharynne Hamilton won the inaugural award, and PhD student James Hill was a joint winner in 2022. Ear health researcher Danielle Headland was a finalist for the award in 2021.
Acting The Kids Research Institute Australia Director, Professor Catherine Elliott, congratulated the winners and said their work not only displayed the depth and breadth of research being undertaken at the Institute, but was a testament to the powerful contributions women are making at every level to science and the field of health and medical research.
“Britta, Denby and Rebecca are focused on very different areas of research, but one thing they all have in common is an unwavering commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of children, families and communities, many of them vulnerable for a variety of reasons,” Professor Elliott said.
“Each one of them is a committed volunteer and advocate for STEM, and their success is a testament to the passion each of them brings to the work they do and a signal, especially, to girls everywhere that STEM-based careers are not only possible, but can change lives.
“Congratulations to all our winners and finalists – we are proud of the contribution you continue to make to the community, the State, and most importantly to children, young people and families.”
To see all of this year’s winners and finalists, see the Minister’s media release here.