The awards attracted 71 phenomenal submissions and showcases the diverse and far-reaching research projects conducted by individual researchers and teams from across Metro North.
Research is vital in driving change in clinical practice to improve patient outcomes, and it was a difficult task to select 20 finalists across seven categories.
Congratulations to the winners and highly commended recipients.
Researcher Support Award
Winner, Professor Merrilyn Banks
In addition to her role as Director Nutrition and Dietetics RBWH, and clinical work in the area of ICU and Burns, Professor Merrilyn Banks has demonstrated excellence and leadership in research support and capacity building within Metro North. She has strategically led and built a culture of integrated clinical and translational research within her Department, with the influence of this progressive research program extending beyond nutrition and dietetics across RBWH and Metro North.
Furthermore, the outcomes of the research program, which comprise extensive national and international collaborations, have ensured the peer review of and international influence on contemporary clinical care. Highlights of Professor Banks’s leadership in supporting research includes strategic role redesign to invest in the support of research development, commitment to operational research time targets, development of university con-joint positions, and a variety of support strategies for novice researchers including the creation of the first new graduate research pathway in Nutrition and Dietetics.
Discovery and Innovation Research Award
Winner, Cancer Care Services, RBWH – Safer, more accurate and more comfortable radiotherapy through 3D printing
The Cancer Care Services 3D printing research team at RBWH has developed techniques and technologies for using 3D printing to make many radiotherapy treatments safer, more accurate and more comfortable for patients. Collaborations with Metro North Health’s Herston Biofabrication Institute and others have helped to rapidly translate these developments into clinical practice. To date, more than 100 patients have benefited from customised 3D-printed radiotherapy boluses that are verified using quality assurance tools designed at the RBWH.
Cancer Care Services at RBWH was the first clinical department to be listed on the TGA’s Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, as a point-of-care manufacturer of patient-specific 3D-printed treatment devices, resulting in members of the team being frequently invited to share their expertise with other departments and at conferences. Since 2020, the group has published 15 peer-reviewed papers, supervised multiple students from UQ and QUT, and been awarded three ‘best presentation’ prizes. It has also attracted media coverage on the ABC news website.
Clinical Research Award
Winner, Puzzling: Probiotics and Preeclampsia
While conducting an NHMRC funded randomised controlled trial assessing whether probiotics prevent gestational diabetes in overweight and obese women, the research team made a new discovery. Although the study did not show any benefit with probiotics for gestational diabetes prevention, they did notice a trend towards an increased incidence of hypertension in pregnant women. Medical student Sarah Davidson from Duke University conducted a Cochrane review to confirm that probiotics are associated with an increased rate of hypertension in pregnancy. For the first time, the team has demonstrated that probiotics are not safe in overweight and obese pregnant women.