And the winner is...

Young Investigator of the Year for 2004 Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri.
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Friday, 26 November 2004

University of Adelaide PhD student Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri has been named the 2004 Young Investigator of the Year.

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.

An initiative of the Women's & Children's Hospital and the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Adelaide, the awards provide unique opportunities for young researchers to be recognised for the quality of their work and to present that work to the public.

The Young Investigator of the Year is chosen from among three finalists, with a panel of media judges deciding which of the finalists has best communicated their work to a wider audience.

Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri, 24, is a PhD student with the University's Research Centre for Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. Her research has focused on a growth hormone that could lead to healthier placentas, thereby leading to healthier pregnancies.

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.

Amanda was not only named the South Australian Young Investigator of the Year, she also received prizes totalling $2500, including a Conference Prize from Adelaide Research & Innovation.

Amanda was previously a finalist in last year's Young Investigator Award.

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

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