For the third year running, ten emerging researchers took to the stage to pitch their innovative research projects at our annual Illuminate PitchFest event, inspiring a room full of donors of their vision and commitment to drive improved health outcomes for kids.
The night was a success, with a total of almost $200,000 being awarded to seven early to mid-career researchers, all made through philanthropic gifts from our generous community of donors, who made the Awards possible.
A big congratulations to our 2025 Illuminate Award recipients:
- Dr Thomas Nevill - People’s Choice Award, for their project: “Improving support for children with Specific Learning Disabilities through early diagnosis.”
- Dr Jua Iwasaki - People’s Choice Award, for their project: “Stopping Strep throat in its track to prevent severe illness in kids.”
- Dr Sonia McAlister - Illuminate Award, supported by Naomi Flutter for their project: “Whooping cough immunity: optimising vaccines for infants and beyond.”
- Dr Jack Brett - Illuminate Award, supported by the AOJ Woods Foundation for their project: “Identifying interventions for children with poor emotional functioning to improve their long-term development and wellbeing.”
- Dr Zahra Abbas - Illuminate Award, supported by Brown-Neaves Investments for their project: “Designing immunotherapies for children with brain tumours to reduce life-long side effects.”
- Dr Brittany Dewdney - Illuminate Award, supported by our Peers & Partners workplace giving program for their project: “Mapping the brain’s healing immune response post-surgery to develop new treatments for kids with brain cancer.”
- Dr Renee Ng - Illuminate Award supported by The Kids Collective donors, for their project: “Combating antimicrobial resistance in children: Developing phage therapy as a safe, effective, and sustainable treatment.”
Through Illuminate PitchFest, we continue to create long-lasting impact with our philanthropic community, by providing a platform for our emerging researchers to present their bold and innovative ideas and secure vital funds to take their work to the next stage.
Well done to our award recipients and 2025 Illuminate finalists who each pitched their research project in three minutes - Dr Brittany Dewdney, Dr Jack Brett, Dr Jua Iwasaki, Dr Laura Coleman, Dr Laurence Cheung, Dr Renee Ng, Dr Sharon Clark, Dr Sonia McAlister, Dr Thomas Nevill and Dr Zahra Abbas. You are all incredible ambassadors for the work of The Kids.
A big thank you to our generous supporter community who attended and for your ongoing support to research excellence here at The Kids.
We invite you to join and learn more about Illuminate or how you can support an award. Please contact Manager, Philanthropy Major Gifts, Simmone Sharp on +61 8 6319 1822 or via email who is happy to introduce you to this exciting and game changing initiative for our early to mid-career researchers.
Illuminate PitchFest is an initiative designed for early to mid-career researchers at The Kids Research Institute Australia, to pitch their bold and innovative ideas in the hopes of securing an Illuminate Award, philanthropically supported by our donor community. Launched in 2021 by the Hon Julie Bishop who was Chair of The Kids’ Board at the time, the Illuminate Awards have supported 28 early to mid-career researchers with more than $765,000 raised, helping accelerate research careers and fuelling investment into child health research excellence here in Western Australia.