Student Scholarships
Pictured: Dr Amir Muhammad Zayegh and Cecilia Pynaker
Congratulations to PhD candidates Dr Amir Muhammad Zayegh for being awarded the Viola Edith Reid Bequest Scholarship and Cecilia Pynaker for being awarded the Felix Meyer Scholarship in Obstetrics & Gynaecology.
Dr Amir Muhammad Zayegh was awarded the Viola Edith Reid Bequest Scholarship - To provide scholarships to undergraduate and postgraduate medical students known as the ‘Viola Edith Reid Bequest Scholarships’.
PhD Title: Ethics of risk and consent in perinatal clinical trials
Supervisors: Prof Brett Manley, Dr Clare Whitehead and Dr Trisha Prentice
Clinical research has often excluded pregnant women and preterm or unwell infants, deeming them high risk groups for harm from research. This has led to a poor evidence base for many interventions in perinatal medicine. Additionally, obtaining informed consent for research is challenging in peripartum women or when infants are critically unwell. This bioethics PhD, which will combine conceptual and empirical research, seeks to answer the following questions: what is an acceptable risk of research in pregnant women and preterm or critically unwell infants, and when are alternative modes of consent appropriate when conducting clinical trials in these groups.
Cecilia Pynaker was awarded the Felix Meyer Scholarship in Obstetrics & Gynaecology - To enable a scholar to pursue in Australia or elsewhere a research or higher studies in the fields of Obstetrics and Gynaecology or either of them.
PhD title: Addressing Critical Gaps and Inequities in Australia’s Prenatal Genomic Screening
Supervisors: Prof Lisa Hui, A/Prof Sharon Lewis, Dr Melvin Marzan
In Australia, all pregnant women are offered screening for fetal chromosome conditions, yet we have limited information on many women undergo screening and how effective it is. There are also concerns regarding equity of access to recommended tests due to financial barriers, rural location, and lack of government funding. This study will explore prenatal screening uptake, socioeconomic factors, and perinatal outcomes, to inform healthcare policies and equitable access to prenatal screening.