CPC Summer Research Scholarships 2023-24: Recipients announced
The Charles Perkins Centre has awarded a record 19 scholarships this year as part of its prestigious Summer Research Scholarship program.
The 19 recipients come from five different faculties - Medicine and Health, Arts and Social Sciences, Science, Sydney Law School and Engineering – and will be working with 35 different supervisors.
The announcement of this year’s 19 Summer Research Scholars brings the overall total to 154 scholarships awarded since the program’s inception with many of the recipients going on to study for higher research degrees and take-up fellowship positions at the Charles Perkins Centre.
“We are greatly impressed at the quality and breadth of the projects again this year,” said Professor Stephen J Simpson AC.
“This year’s cohort will be researching topics including projects analysing the health risks of urban heat, regulatory barriers related to food allergen management in Australia, the impact of weight management interventions on eating disorders, and multiomics analysis of white adipose tissue's insulin responsiveness. It’s an astonishing range of projects,” he said.
“The scholars can now design and undertake their own research projects while involving world-class supervisors from two or more disciplinary areas. The program promotes collaboration, innovation, and interdisciplinary research that aligns with the mission of the Charles Perkins Centre,” said Professor Simpson.
Other projects include exploring cutting-edge 3D bioprinting for mimicking arterial stenosis, investigating the interactions between genes and diet for metabolic function, and machine learning and mass spectrometry to uncover novel platelet biology in humans and examining the degradation of insulin granules in lipotoxic conditions.
Supported by the Nicholas Catchlove Early Career Researcher Development Fund, the competitive program offers a minimum 10 scholarships annually to high-achieving students.
“This program would not be possible without the ongoing support of Dr Barry Catchlove AM, a University of Sydney alumnus (MBBS, 1966) who supports the scheme through the Nicholas Catchlove Early Career Researcher Development Fund, established in memory of his son, Nicholas".
"I know that Barry is very proud of this year’s cohort of 19 scholars and the range of interdisciplinary projects. We congratulate all of this year’s Summer Research Scholars and look forward eagerly to hearing the results of their work at the Charles Perkins Centre. Their final presentations in February each year are a highlight of our events program.”
Charles Perkins Centre Summer Research Scholars 2023–24
L-R Ailish Barry, Roy Chen, Benjamin Eberand, Nicoline Elder, Carlo Famularo, Anannya Gautam, Guan Gui, Henry Howard, Billy Jiang, Evan Kapasakis, Kate Keller, Patricia Schwarzkopf, Eleanor Searle, Sara Shi, Matthew Shu, Ganan Sritharan, Sara Wardak, Zoe Zhang, Wendy Zhao
Program
Bachelor of Science/Advanced Studies (Medical Science)
Faculty
Science
Project
High-resolution 3D bioprinting for the fabrication of in vitro blood vessels that mimic different degrees of arterial stenosis
Supervisors
Associate Professor Khoon Lim
Associate Professor Arnold Lining Ju
Program
Bachelor of Science (Medical Science)
Faculty
Science
Project
Mitochondrial Gene-Diet Interactions as Determinants of Metabolic Function
Supervisors
Dr Alistair Senior
Dr Shila Ghazanfar
Program
Bachelor of Science and Advance Studies (Dalyell)
Faculty
Medicine and Health
Project
Machine Learning and Crosslinking Mass Spectrometry Reveal Novel Platelet Biology in Humans
Supervisors
Professor Mark Larance
Dr Freda Passam
Program
Bachelor of Science / Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Dalyell)
Faculty
Science
Project
Degradation of Insulin Granules in Lipotoxic Conditions
Supervisors
Associate Professor Melkam Kebede
Dr James Burchfield
Program
Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Advanced Studies
Faculty
Arts and Social Sciences
Project
Heat, health and inequality in Sydney: an analysis of the spatially uneven health risks of urban heat and barriers to and possibilities of implementing adaptive infrastructure
Supervisors
Dr Federico Tartarini
Dr Sophie Webber
Program
Bachelor of Science / Doctor of Medicine
Faculty
Science
Project
Aquaporin-Mediated Oxidative Stress – A Cause for SMuRF-less Heart Attacks?
Supervisors
Professor Elizabeth New
Dr Owen Tang
Program
Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Sydney
Faculty
Sydney Law School
Science
Project
Addressing regulatory barriers to effective food allergen management in Australia
Supervisors
Dr Belinda Reeve
Associate Professor Tina Louise Bell
Program
Bachelor of Science (Honours)
Faculty
Science
Project
Multiscale Feature Extraction in Image-Based Spatial Genomics using Spatial Graph Neural Networks
Supervisors
Dr Shila Ghazanfar
Dr Lipin Loo
Program
Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering and Medical Science
Faculty
Engineering
Project
Implementing a surface-modified membrane onto an Artery-on-a-chip Model for the co-culture of endothelial and smooth muscle cells
Supervisors
Dr Anna Waterhouse
Professor Marcela Bilek
Program
Bachelor of Science (Medical Science)
Faculty
Medicine and health
Project
Targeting endoplasmic reticulum protein 57 (ERp57) to prevent cardiovascular thrombosis in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes
Supervisors
Dr Freda Passam
Associate Professor Simone Schoenwaelder
Program
Bachelor of Science (Medical Science)
Faculty
Science
Project
Bridging the Gap Between Young Adults and the Australian Healthcare System
Supervisors
Professor Kirsten McCaffery
Professor Barbara Mintzes
Program
Bachelor of Science / Doctor of Medicine
Faculty
Medicine and Health
Project
Identifying immune signatures for acute coronary syndrome patients with mass cytometry analysis
Supervisors
Professor Jean Yang
Professor Gemma Figtree
Program
Bachelor of Science (Medical Science)
Faculty
Science
Project
Changing hearts, minds and policy: incorporating carbon impacts into cardiovascular disease treatment decisions and policy
Supervisors
Dr Fabian Sack
Professor David Celermajer
Program
Bachelor of Science (Honours)
Faculty
Medicine and Health
Project
Sorting Out the Insulin Granule
Supervisors
Associate Professor Melkam Kebede
Dr Neftali Flores-Rodriguez
Program
Bachelor of Science (Honours)
Faculty
Science
Project
Investigating a new treatment for heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT)
Supervisors
Dr Freda Passam
Dr Xuyu Liu
Program
Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical) / Bachelor of Science (Genetics and Genomics)
Faculty
Engineering
Project
Explore spatial controls for vascularization using protein-based hydrogel by 3D bioprinting
Supervisors
Professor Anthony Weiss
Associate Professor Khoon Lim
Program
Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Laws
Faculty
Science
Project
Improving Access to Genetic Services for Migrant Communities in Western Sydney
Supervisors
Associate Professor Alice Motion
Mr Fahad Ali
Program
Bachelor of Advanced Computing and Bachelor of Science (Medical Science)
Faculty
Engineering
Project
Multi-omics Analysis of White Adipose Tissue’s Insulin Responsiveness
Supervisors
Professor David James
Professor Jean Yang
Program
Master of Nutrition and Dietetics
Faculty
Medicine and Health
Project
Interplay between components of weight management interventions and eating disorders
Supervisors
Dr Natalie Lister
Dr Anna Lene Seidler