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Media Release
Ramaciotti Foundations distribute more than $1million to
further Australian biomedical research
20 October 2014
Perpetual, as trustee of the Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Foundations, today announced the
2014 recipients of the esteemed Ramaciotti Awards for Biomedical Research.
The Foundations are awarding $1,022,458 to biomedical research through the distribution of
the annual Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Research and 13 Establishment
Grants. This year’s distribution brings the Ramaciotti Foundations’ total funds distributed to
date to almost $55 million.
Professor David Craik of The University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience
was announced as recipient of the prestigious Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical
Research. The medal is an annual award of $50,000, which honours an individual who has
made an outstanding discovery in clinical or experimental biomedical research.
Reflecting on the Medal, earned through his research replicating natural proteins from plants
and animals for new drug design applications, Professor Craik said: “I am honoured and
thrilled to receive this award, which is the result of a great and sustained team effort.
“The major thrill is that the team, which includes PHD students and Post-Doc researchers, will
now see that their work is recognised in the public domain and will continue to work to
improve medicines with fewer side effects through replicating natural proteins.”
Established in 1970 to advance medical research in Australia, the Ramaciotti Foundations are
collectively one of the largest private contributors to biomedical research in Australia.
This year, up to $75,000 will be allocated to each of the 13 recipients of the Ramaciotti
Establishment Grants (recipients listed in table below). The grants are awarded to emerging
researchers in universities, public hospitals or institutes who are undertaking biomedical
research and provide recognition and support for young academics with a substantive
research position.
Researcher
Dr Joshua Ho
Institution
Victor Chang Cardiac
Research Institute
Dr Dominic
Hare
University of Technology
Sydney
Dr Denovan
Begg
University of New South Wales
Dr Muh Geot
Wong
Kolling Institute of Medical
Research, University of Sydney
Dr Renjing Liu
Centenary Institute of Cancer
Medicine and Cell Biology
Project title
Epigenomic and transcriptomic analysis
of host-pathogen interactions at the
single-cell level
Building an open access threedimensional atlas of metals in the mouse
brain
Identifying the mechanisms that reduce
hypertension following weight-loss
surgery
Do circulating transforming growth
factor-β1 and bone morphogenetic
protein-7 predict progression of CKD in
patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus?
Identification of a Novel Biomarker for
Early Prediction of Cardiovascular
Dr Paul Lee
Dr Tara
Speranza
Dr Olga
Shimoni
Garvan Institute of Medical
Research
University of Sydney
University of Technology,
Sydney
Dr Elgene Lim
Ludwig Institute for Cancer
Research
Dr Dennis Lau
University of Adelaide
Dr Ivan Poon
La Trobe University
Dr Lucy Palmer
Florey Institute of
Neuroscience and Mental
Health
Menzies School of Health
Research
Dr Joshua
Davis
Disease Events
Effects of cyclic GMP increase on brown
adipose tissue in humans
Is the Insulin Receptor-Related Receptor
required for osteocalcin signalling?
Hybrid diamond/gold nanostructures for
biosensing, imaging and therapeutic
delivery
Evaluation of concurrent
chemoendocrine therapy and predictive
biomarkers for hormone receptor
positive breast cancer
Treating the Abnormal Atrial Substrate
due to Obesity: Implications for Atrial
Fibrillation
Molecular mechanism of cell
disassembly during apoptosis and its
modulation by common drugs
How does the prefrontal cortex influence
sensory perception?
CAMERA2 - Combination Antibiotic
Therapy for Methicillin Resistant
Staphylococcus Aureus infection. A
randomised controlled trial.
In selecting the recipients, Perpetual was advised by a Scientific Advisory Committee led by
Professor Derek Hart of The University of Sydney. Commenting on the Ramaciotti
Establishment Grants, Professor Hart said: “Out of an extremely large field, the Committee
was faced with an exceptionally daunting task of selecting the very best from many excellent
proposals.
“The awarding of the Ramaciotti Establishment Grants to our bright young medical
researchers is essential to initiating and maintaining their careers, and all the more important
in light of current uncertainties facing Australian science.”
“It was a unanimous decision by the Committee to award Professor Craik the Ramaciotti
Medal. His work is highly original and has direct translation into novel drug therapies,”
Professor Hart said.
Commenting on the significant impact of the awards, Perpetual’s General Manager of
Philanthropy, Andrew Thomas, said: “Thanks to Vera Ramaciotti’s foresight as a
philanthropist, the Ramaciotti Awards are enabling ongoing biomedical research which is
benefiting not only the researchers, but as Vera intended, everyone who uses the healthcare
system.”
“Since establishing the charitable trusts in 1970 with $6.7 million, the total amount in grants
distributed is now nearly $55 million. As trustee of the Ramaciotti Foundations, Perpetual is
delighted to have been involved in ensuring these distributions have continued for more than
40 years and that philanthropy has been able to play such an important role in biomedical
research.”
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Media enquiries:
Jarrah Aguera
Honner Media
02 8248 3745
[email protected]
Note to editors
About the Ramaciotti Foundations
Managed by Perpetual, the Ramaciotti Foundations started off with $6.7 million in funds in 1970 with the first major
grant going to the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in 1971. This assisted with the establishment of the new Clive and
Vera Ramaciotti Research Laboratories building. Since then, the Foundations have donated almost $55 million to
biomedical research and are one of the largest contributors to the field.
The Ramaciotti Foundations continue to support biomedical research and each year make significant distributions via
the Ramaciotti Awards, providing funding support to areas such as molecular biology, genetics and immunology, and
assisting young investigators taking up new challenges in biomedical research. In 2014 Ramaciotti, the Ramaciotti
Foundations granted over $1 million to biomedical research in Australia.
For more information about the Ramaciotti Foundations visit www.perpetual.com.au/ramaciotti
About the Ramaciotti Establishment Grants
Establishment Grants - Establishment Grants are intended to provide enabling research support for a young
investigator who is taking, or has taken up, a substantive research position. The maximum amount for this gift is
$75,000.
About the Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Research
The Ramaciotti Medal carries an award of $50,000 and recognises outstanding contribution to clinical or biomedical
research, or the way in which healthcare is delivered. The nominee must still be actively engaged in research.
High profile past winners include Professor Sam Berkovic, Professor Chris Parish, Professor TJ Martin, Professor
Robert Baxter and Professor Ian Frazer.
About Ramaciotti Medal winner Professor David Craik
Professor David Craik, Laboratory Head, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, is the
2014 winner of the Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical and $50,000 grant. His discoveries in the field of
circular proteins have broad applicability in the design of new drugs, diagnostic agents, neuroscience tools and ultrastable proteins. The new classes of protein-based drug leads and agricultural pest control agents designed by
Professor Craik have enormous potential to improve human health and benefit society. He has been active
internationally in pioneering this new field of science, delivering more than 80 plenary lectures over the last decade
and authoring over 500 refereed publications.
About Perpetual Philanthropic Services
Perpetual is one of Australia’s largest managers and distributors of philanthropic funds with $2.1 billion in funds under
advice (as at 30 June 2014). Perpetual is trustee for more than 990 charitable trusts and endowments and provides
individuals and families with advice on establishing charitable foundations and structured giving programs. Perpetual
also assists charities and not-for-profit organisations with investment advice and management.
Perpetual’s Philanthropic Services and advice are provided by Perpetual Trustee Company Limited (PTCo), ABN 42
000 001 007, AFSL 236643. This publication has been prepared by PTCo and contains information contributed by
third parties. It contains general information only and is not intended to provide advice or take into account personal
objectives, financial situation or needs. The information is believed to be accurate at the time of compilation and is
provided by PTCo in good faith. To the extent permitted by law, no liability is accepted for any loss or damage as a
result of any reliance on this information. PTCo does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of any information
included in this document which was contributed by a third party.