Top L-R: Bernadette Ricciardo, David Hancock, Denby Evans.
Bottom L-R: Blake Cavve, Jane Choi, Francois Rwandamuriye
Priming Grants
Two respiratory health researchers from The Kids – Dr Denby Evans and Dr David Hancock – have received Raine Priming Grants, awarded to early career scientists who are progressing towards an independent research career.
Dr Evans, who is based at the Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre – a powerhouse partnership between The Kids, Perth Children’s Hospital and Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation – has received $247,855 for her project The airway epithelium: A treatable trait of preterm lung disease? This grant is co-funded by the Raine Foundation, Charter Hall and the BrightSpark Foundation.
Dr Hancock, from the Wal-yan Centre and The University of Western Australia, received a $247,542 grant – co-funded by the Raine Foundation and the BrightSpark Foundation – for his project Predicting a child's respiratory trajectory in early life.
Clinician Research Fellowships
Dr Bernadette Ricciardo, a skin health researcher from the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases at The Kids and a dermatologist at Fiona Stanley Hospital and Perth Children’s Hospital, received one of four Clinician Research Fellowships announced by the Raine Foundation.
These fellowships, co-funded by the Raine Foundation and the WA State Government’s Future Health Research & Innovation Fund, are awarded to clinicians who wish to develop their research capability while continuing some clinical duties.
Dr Ricciardo was awarded $422,105 to undertake her project Moorditj Marp (strong skin) – SHARE, which will develop an Aboriginal Health Practitioner-led Skin Health Assessment and Research Evaluation initiative for hospitalised Aboriginal children.
Research Collaboration Awards
Three researchers from The Kids received Research Collaboration Awards for projects which involve working with other institutions.
Youth mental health researcher Dr Blake Cavve, from The Kids and UWA, received $13,078 – funded by the Cockell Bequest – for his project Reidentification with Birth-Registered Sex in a Western Australian Pediatric Gender Clinic – Inter-state extensions to inform a registered audit. This project will also involve the Transgender Health Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Victoria, and the Queensland Children’s Gender Service.
Dr Denby Evans, from The Kids, Curtin University and UWA (who also received a Priming Grant), received $29,340 – co-funded by the Raine Foundation, Stan Perron Charitable Foundation and the BrightSpark Foundation – for her project with the University of Barcelona, From prematurity to adult lung disease: harmonising data analysis to provide novel insights into chronic lung disease following preterm birth.
Dr Jane Choi, from the Chronobiology Research Team at The Kids, the Wal-yan Centre, and UWA, received $28,593 for her project with the Children’s Hospital of Philadephia, Unravelling the mysteries of neonatal lung clocks to improve lifelong health and well-being of premature babies. This grant is co-funded by the Raine Foundation, the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation and the BrightSpark Foundation.
Publication Prizes
Dr Cavve (who also received a collaboration grant) won the $5,000 Raine BrightSpark Research Prize for his publication in JAMA Pediatrics, Reidentification With Birth-Registered Sex in a Western Australian Pediatric Gender Clinic Cohort.
Cancer researcher Dr Francois Rwandamuriye, from the Sarcoma Translational Research team at The Kids, and UWA, won the $5,000 Raine Research Prize for his publication in Cell Reports Medicine, A surgically optimized intraoperative poly (I:C)-releasing hydrogel prevents cancer recurrence.
About the Raine Medical Research Foundation
The Raine Medical Research Foundation was established in 1957, born from the extraordinary vision and generosity of a remarkable woman determined to combat the devastating impact of human disease. Since its inception, the Foundation has proudly contributed over $60 million to advance health and medical research, fostering innovations that improve health outcomes for our community. In the 2024 grant round, the Foundation has awarded more than $2,850,000 in funding for medical research set to commence in 2025. See the full list of recipients here.