Health researcher is Young Australian of the Year for SA

Thursday, 13 November 2014

A University of Adelaide PhD student whose work focuses on helping patients with respiratory illnesses, asthma and smoking has been named the 2015 Young Australian of the Year for South Australia.

Kristin Carson is a medical research scientist based at the Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and is completing her Health Sciences PhD in the University's School of Medicine.

The Young Australian of the Year Award recognises outstanding and exceptional young Australians aged 16-30 years.

Ms Carson was awarded the honour by the Governor of South Australia, His Excellency the Hon. Hieu Van Le AO, and the Hon. Jay Weatherill, Premier of South Australia.

As a researcher with local and global connections, Ms Carson is responsible for more than 40 projects and the research activities of over 25 researchers and staff in SA Health and the University. Over the past five years, she has produced more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and has contributed to patient care, policy and practice both locally and internationally. Her research into patient self-management of asthma has been applied throughout the world.

Her work combines the theoretical with the practical, such as building a collaborative relationship with the Port Adelaide Football Club to roll out a program that encourages children to embrace healthy lifestyles. She is passionate about the role of science in society and actively mentors young scientists.

Ms Carson says: "Winning this award is a great opportunity for me to share the important research that we do at the University of Adelaide and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital with a much broader audience. Sometimes the only way to bring about change is to make our voices heard, and being the recipient of this award will now give me the opportunity to share more of our research into respiratory health, evidence-based medicine and Aboriginal health.

"Being the recipient of this incredible award would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of so many amazing people that I have the privilege to call my colleagues. To all of them I say thank you, and this award is as much theirs as it is mine."

Ms Carson was also this year's winner of the prestigious Premier's Channel 9 Young Achiever of the Year. As the Young Australian of the Year for South Australia, she will now represent the State in next year's awards for Young Australian of the Year.

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