2013 Premier's Award for Health and Medical Research

L-R Dr Lin Wai Hung, Dr Michelle Boyle, His Excellency The Hon Alex Chernov, AC QC, Governor of Victoria, The Hon Louise Asher, MP, Ms Patricia Illing, Dr Aung Ko Win

This week, Dr Aung Ko Win was awarded the 2013 Premier’s Award for Health and Medical Research in recognition of his ground-breaking research into colorectal cancer.

At a ceremony at Government House, Dr Win was presented with the Premier’s Award and $16,000 for his considerable breakthrough towards developing a new genetically-based model for colorectal cancer risk prediction.

Dr Michelle Boyle, Ms Patricia Illing and Dr Lin Wai Hung were awarded commendations and received $8,000 each for their significant contributions in the field of health and medical research.

The annual awards program is a joint initiative of the Victorian Government and the Australian Society for Medical Research.

The Recipient - Dr Aung Ko Win

Colorectal cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia. With around one in 20 Australians diagnosed with the disease at some stage in their lifetimes, this cancer accounts for the second highest number of cancer-related deaths in Australia.

Early detection of the cancer, when it is at a more confined stage, radically increases chances of survival and decreases treatment costs.

Through his PhD research, Dr Win has made considerable progress towards developing a new genetically-based model for colorectal cancer risk prediction.

Dr Win conducted his PhD research project at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health (Centre for Molecular, Environmental, Genetic and Analytic Epidemiology) at the University of Melbourne.

The Commendees

• Dr Michelle Boyle, a PhD student at the Burnet Institute through the Centre of Immunology at The University of Melbourne, was recognised for her research into the plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes the majority of malaria morbidity and mortality worldwide.
• Dr Lin Wai Hung, a researcher at the Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute through The University of Melbourne, was recognised for his research identifying a novel class of compounds that is effective in reducing pathology, reversing symptoms, and improving behaviour in various animal models of neurodegenerative diseases.
• Ms Patricia Illing will complete her PhD at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, in partnership with Monash University, and in collaboration with the Queensland Institute for Medical Research, in recognition of her research discovery as to why some people develop life-threatening allergies after receiving treatment for serious conditions such as epilepsy and AIDS.

For more information on 2013 and past recipients, please go to business.vic.gov.au/premiersawards.