Four outstanding researchers from the Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre - Professor André Schultz, Professor Stephen Stick, Rebecca WaThe Kidsnson and Michael Beaven - have been presented with prestigious awards in acknowledgement of their research aimed at improving the lives of children with respiratory illness.
Professor André Schultz – Head of the Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre – has been presented with a 2024 Lung Health Legends Award by Lung Foundation Australia, in recognition of his contribution to making a positive impact on the lives of Australians living with lung disease.
Professor Schultz’s commitment to advancing healthcare is evident in his multifaceted approach to improving the health trajectories of children, with a particular emphasis on enhancing lung health in Indigenous children. His research interests encompass a broad spectrum, including lung health in Aboriginal children, biomarkers of lung disease, cell culture-based disease models, and mental health in cystic fibrosis.
His advocacy for children and families affected by rare lung diseases is exemplified by his leadership roles in various organisations.
Professor Stephen Stick – Head of P4 Respiratory Health for Kids - was awarded The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) Research Medal in acknowledgement of his outstanding contributions to the advancement of knowledge in respiratory medicine and science.
Professor Stick is a career clinician and clinical researcher, holds a NHMRC Practitioner Fellowship and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science. His research has led to paradigm shifts in the care of children with cystic fibrosis (CF) and our understanding of asthma. Professor Stick has developed unique methods to study the earliest manifestations of childhood lung diseases that have yielded new insights and identified novel targets for therapy in CF and asthma.
Rebecca WaThe Kidsnson – a research assistant with the Children’s Respiratory Science team – was awarded the Ann Woolcock New Investigator Award, which acknowledges excellence in the conduct and presentation of scientific research by current or recently graduated PhD students.
The top six submitted abstracts from across Australia were selected as finalists to present in this prestigious session at the TSANZ Annual Scientific Meeting for Leaders in Lung Health & Respiratory Science, which was held on the Gold Coast from 22 – 26 March 2024.
Rebecca presented on her research which investigated aberrant nasal epithelial responses to rhinovirus in paediatric acute wheeze.
Michael Beaven – a PhD student with the Children’s Lung Health team – was awarded the Australian and New Zealand Society of Respiratory Science (ANZSRS) New Investigator Award, which acknowledges the scientific contributions of researchers to respiratory science. The top four submitted abstracts from across Australia and New Zealand were selected as finalists to present in this session.
Michael presented on his research into physiological responses to exercise in survivors of preterm birth.
Congratulations to Professor Schultz, Professor Stick, Rebecca WaThe Kidsnson and Michael Beaven on these awards.
The Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre – a powerhouse partnership between The Kids Research Institute Australia, Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation and Perth Children’s Hospital – has a vision to ensure that all children have healthy lungs for life.