We congratulate our alumni and staff for achieving the following awards
Dr Asha Bonney (PhD 2025)
Award: Health Services Researcher Award at the 2024-25 Premier’s Awards for Health and Medical Research
In recognition of: leading research at the University and the Royal Melbourne Hospital to provide education and develop referral pathways for patients undergoing lung cancer screening.
Professor Elif Ekinci (MBBS 2000, PhD 2011, SpecCertClinLead 2021)
Award: People’s Choice Award and Designing Services for People Award at the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) Victoria 2025 Leadership Awards
In recognition of: leading a team in the creation of a specialised virtual emergency department service catering for people living with diabetes.
Professor David Forbes (PhD 2005) and Associate Professor Lisa Dell
Award: the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) ‘10 of the Best’ 2025
In recognition of: conducting Australia’s largest treatment trial of PTSD in military personnel and veterans, which found that patients with even only brief periods of time available could still benefit from intensive PTSD treatment.
Dr Rachel Joyce (BBiomed (Hons) 2016, PhD 2023)
Award: Aboriginal Researcher Award at the 2024-25 Premier’s Awards for Health and Medical Research
In recognition of: conducting research that discovered a small group of early cancer-forming cells found in women with a hereditary gene mutation that increases their risk of developing breast cancer, and identified an existing cancer drug that can target these cells to delay tumour growth.
Dr Elizabeth Paratz (BMedSc 2008, MBBS 2010, PhD 2023)
Award: the 2024 Ralph Reader Prize, awarded by the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand
In recognition of: research into sudden cardiac death in young and middle-aged people as part of her PhD work.
Professor Sant-Rayn Pasricha (MBBS 2001, MPH 2007, PhD 2012) and Professor Beverley Ann-Biggs (MBBS 1979, PhD 1990)
Award: the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) ‘10 of the Best’ 2025
In recognition of: a randomised controlled trial into the impact of universal iron interventions in young children in rural Bangladesh. It found that the treatment for anaemia and iron deficiency at the time showed no effects compared with the placebo.