The outstanding work of several of cancer research champions has been honoured, while an on-air tribute to a cinematic icon has become a popular podcast, and medical researchers obtain RACP fellowships.
Cancer Council’s Women in Leadership honour
Cancer Council’s Beat Cancer Project has awarded more than $200,000 to South Australia’s leading female researchers – and within this has recognised Professor Bogda Koczwara from the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer with one of its Women in Leadership Awards.
As a new honour established this year, the awards recognise women who are leading the way in South Australian cancer research.
Cancer Council SA Chief Executive Lincoln Size says each of the women are true leaders in their field and is proud to be recognising their efforts through the award.
“South Australia is home to some of the states leading women in cancer research, and this award is in recognition of their exceptional contribution to the field and leading role they play in improving cancer outcomes for all South Australians,” he says.
Professor Koczwara, a Senior Staff Specialist in the Department of Medical Oncology at Flinders Medical Centre, will use the award to support her research into cardiovascular disease in cancer, which she says is a major cause of cancer mortality and morbidity in cancer survivors.
Emeritus honours for cancer research champions
Congratulations to Professor Carlene Wilson, Chair in Cancer Prevention (Behavioural Science) since March 2008, and Professor Graeme Young, whose expertise in gastroenterology has helped make Australia a global leader in bowel cancer screening. Both have been awarded the title Emeritus Professor from Flinders University for their significant – and continued – contribution to cancer research at Flinders.
Connery tribute now a podcast
As part of his regular film review segment on ABC Radio Adelaide, Flinders Creative Arts Lecturer Dr Nick Prescott recently presented an overview of the life and career of the iconic screen actor Sir Sean Connery. Interest in the segment led to it being featured on the ABC website as a podcast. It can be found here.
Two RACP Fellowships granted for 2021
Flinders researchers have received two Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) Research Establishment Fellowships. Mihir Wechalekar has received the 2021 Barbara Cameron Australian Rheumatology Association Research Establishment Fellowship, valued at $50,000, for the project ‘‘Improving outcomes in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): Investigating mechanisms of biologic disease-modifying drug response, or lack thereof, by an integrated genomic and biological marker approach”.
Craig Wallington-Bedoe has received the 2021 The Servier Staff ‘Barry Young’ Research Establishment Fellowship, valued at $50,000, for the project “Triggering a New Cell Death Mechanism Termed Ferroptosis in Aggressive B-Cell Malignancies”.
Outstanding GPs acknowledged
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Award winners were announced in November at RACGP’s annual clinical conference GP20, with Flinders connected to two significant SA-NT Award winners 2020. GP of the Year is Dr Bronwyn Carson (BMBS(GradEntry) ’09 and GradCertClinEd ’18), of Cavenagh Medical Centre in Darwin. She is a Flinders donor who, with her husband, established the Bronwyn and Phillip Carson NT Medical Program Scholarship. General Practice of the Year is Victor Medical Centre, which is involved in the supervision of Flinders medical students and several Flinders alumni work at the clinic.