NHMRC celebrated the past, present and future of Australian health and medical research at a dinner held in conjunction with the 174th session of Council in Canberra on 10 March.His Excellency Mr Michael Bryce AM AE, joined Council members, and former Australians of the Year Professors Fiona Stanley and Ian Frazer, at a reception in Yarralumla to hear the latest work from recently awarded Australia Fellowship winners Professors Nadia Rosenthal and Levon Khachigian.
Council members and guests also met earlier at a reception for NHMRC hosted by the Governor-General, Ms Quentin Bryce AC and Mr Michael Bryce AM AE, at Government House in Yarralumla.
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| Chair of Council Professor Michael Good | His Excellency Mr Michael Bryce; Former Australian of the Year Professor Ian Frazer; Australia Fellowship Award winners Professors Nadia Rosenthal and Levon Khachigian; Chair of Council, Professor Michael Good; and NHMRC CEO Professor Warwick Anderson. | NHMRC CEO Professor Warwick Anderson |
Professor Nadia Rosenthal
Professor Rosenthal spoke passionately about her research into regenerative medicine, currently conducted in Rome, Italy, but soon to move to Monash University in Melbourne — as part of her five-year, $4 million NHMRC Australia Fellowship.
Professor Rosenthal’s research focuses on discovering ways to enhance our regenerative capacity in ageing and disease.
"When we look at the capacity to regenerate our bodies we do extraordinarily well when you think about it — we’re born more or less in the same shape that we die in," Professor Rosenthal said.
"But we’re losers when looking at the rest of organic life on Earth. Star fish can grow back arms in a matter of weeks — so why can’t we?"
Professor Levon Khachigian
Professor Khachigian is a vascular cell and molecular biologist who is undertaking his Australia Fellowship at the University of New South Wales.
His presentation provided insight into his research to uncover new processes that govern the expression of disease-causing genes, and the development of a new class of experimental drug that has the potential to treat a diverse range of health problems, from cancer and inflammation through to eye and heart disease.