Who will be our Young Investigator of the Year?

From left: Rosa McCarty, Rebecca Dragovic and Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri. (To request a hi-res version, please contact us.)
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Friday, 19 November 2004

Major developments in medical science by three of South Australia's best young talent will be on show at the finals of the 2004 Young Investigator Award (Friday, November 26).

The Young Investigator Award recognises the best in science and science communication among young researchers studying women's, children's or young people's health.

The winner will be named the South Australian "Young Investigator of the Year" and receive prizes totalling $2500.

Three finalists - all University of Adelaide students - will present their work to members of the public and a panel of media judges from 6pm-9pm at the Napier Lecture Theatre (please note: change of venue), North Terrace Campus.

The event will also feature guest speaker Professor Lowitja O'Donoghue AC, CBE (Yunggorendi, First Nations Centre for Higher Education and Research, Flinders University).

The Young Investigator Award finalists for 2004 are:

Rebecca Dragovic - Masters student, Research Centre for Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Adelaide and Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Rebecca's research has implications for improved IVF and could point towards a new, non-steroidal contraceptive for women. She's studying how the egg interacts with neighbouring cells that support its growth and maturation. Her research has shown that growth and development of these surrounding cells is regulated by certain proteins.

Rosa McCarty - PhD student, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Women's and Children's Hospital and Department of Paediatrics, University of Adelaide

In children, fractures at the site of bone growth can lead to limb deformity. Rosa's work has the potential to treat and repair bones in children with such fractures using the patient's own (non-fetal) stem cells from the bone marrow. This means the fracture would repair itself naturally with minimal surgery, abolishing the need for corrective procedures which are painful and invasive to the child.

Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri - PhD student, Research Centre for Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Adelaide

Pregnancy disorders, causing illness and even death to the baby and/or mother, affect one in four expectant women. There are no preventative treatments for these complications, which are associated with poor development of the placenta. Amanda's research shows that treating a mother during early to mid-pregnancy with a particular hormone can improve placental development and function, and increase the growth of the baby. Her findings will enable the development of future therapeutics and tests to diagnose women at risk.

The Young Investigator Award is an initiative of the Women's & Children's Hospital and the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Adelaide.

When: 6pm-9pm, Friday, November 26
Where: Napier Lecture Theatre, University of Adelaide (note: change of venue)
Cost: Free, but bookings are required
RSVP: by November 22 - phone 8161 7165 or email

www.health.adelaide.edu.au/yia2004/

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