Florey 2024 Awards: celebrating excellence and achievement

Florey Awards 2024 trophies
Key points
  • The 2024 Florey Awards celebrated the achievements of staff and students throughout The Florey.
  • Key awards given were Exceptional Talent Award, Pathway to Impact, Dynamic Collaborator, Lend a Hand and Team of the Year.

Recognising excellence across career stages

The 2024 Florey Awards celebrated the remarkable minds and scientific excellence that defines The Florey.

Speaking at the Florey Awards ceremony, Executive Director and CEO Professor Peter van Wijngaarden stated that the awards “recognise members of the Florey community for their outstanding contributions to the Institute and in their pursuit of research impact”.

Flagship awards

The Florey’s Flagship awards honour the value and achievements that are integral to the Institute.

  • Exceptional Talent: Someone who goes above and beyond in their role and shows dedication to the Institute and to their colleagues.
  • Pathway to Impact: Someone who drives meaningful change, a commitment to improving the lives of people in Australia and around the world through their research
  • Dynamic Collaborator: Someone who sets a high standard for building relationships and has a strong track record of successful collaboration
  • Lend a Hand: Someone who provides outstanding support for others and playing a vital role in making things work.
  • Team of the Year: a team that demonstrates great teamwork, team spirit and successfully delivers outcomes for The Florey.
Exceptional Talent Samaneh Mirzaei

Exceptional Talent Award​

Winner: Dr Samaneh Mirzaei​

Pathway to Impact Yugeesh Lankadeva

Pathway to Impact Award

Winner: Professor Yugeesh Lankadeva

Dynamic Collaborator Kath Powley

Dynamic​ Collaborator Award

Joint Winner: Kath Powley

Dynamic Collaborator Akhter Hossain

Dynamic​ Collaborator Award

Joint Winner: Professor Akhter Hossain​

Lend a Hand Award Sarah Handcock

Lend a Hand Award

Joint Winner: Sarah Handcock​

Lend a Hand Award Marius Rosier

Lend a Hand Award

Joint Winner: Dr Marius Rosier​

Team of the Year Core Animal Services

Team​ of the Year Award

Winner: Core Animal Services

Florey Medals for Outstanding Contribution

The Outstanding Contribution awards were introduced this year to recognise the vital work conducted by volunteers at The Florey. The Florey Medals were awarded to Peter Maley and Bruno Marino by Director Professor Peter van Wijngaarden.

Peter Maley joined the Florey Institute’s Animal Ethics Committee in 1993 in a voluntary capacity and remained in that role for 31 years, retiring only just last year. We are indebted to Peter for his outstanding contributions.

Bruno Marino has volunteered since 2014 to assist our scientific work at the Florey by generously donating time and expertise to projects in the Pre-clinical Critical Care Unit.

Outstanding Contribution Peter Maley

Peter Maley

Outstanding Contribution Bruno Marino

Bruno Marino

Neuropix Competition Awards

Microscopy techniques play a critical role in advancing our understanding of the brain’s structure and function. The Neuropix Imaging competition highlights these research efforts.

Scientific Award Winner: Montanna Waters – Neural Love

People’s Choice Award Winner: Chiara Pavan – Cosmic Mitoneurons

Discover the 2024 Neuropix Competition

Donor-sponsored Travel Awards

These Travel Awards were made possible thanks to the generosity of our donors. We thank them for their continued support.

John Milne Prize for Neuroscience

Winner: Dr Tina Kaffenberger

Anonymous Philanthropic Postgraduate and Postdoctoral Travel Awards

Postgraduate Winners: Anton Trask-Marino, Aida Viden, Hongkang Wu
Postdoctoral Winners: Dr Niamh Moriarty, Dr Connie Ow, Dr Chaitra Chandrashekar

Caitlin’s Fund Postgraduate and Postdoctoral Travel Awards

Postgraduate Winner: Suyi Ooi
Postdoctoral Winner: Dr Jodie Chapman

Harold Mitchell Postgraduate and Postdoctoral Travel Awards

Postgraduate Winner: James Spyrou
Postdoctoral Winner: Dr Emily Ramage

Wally and Jean Jackson Postgraduate and Postdoctoral Travel Awards

Postgraduate Winner: Joshua Saito
Postdoctoral Winner: Dr Ruslan Pustovit

John Collier Postdoctoral Travel Scholarship

Winner: Chiara Pavan

Florey-sponsored Awards

Alan Rembach Postdoctoral Travel Award

Winner: Dr Ashenafi Betrie

Graduate Research Symposium Overall Winner

Winner: Hongkang Wu

Graduate Research Symposium Innovation Award

Winner: Vicky He

Graduate Research Symposium 2nd Year Talk

Winner: Montanna Waters
Runner up: Hian Mun Lee

Graduate Research Symposium 3rd Year Talk

Winner: Andrew Zhang
Runners up: Katie Lewis and Anton Trask-Marino

Florey Postdoctoral Association Best Paper

Winner: Alemayehu Jufar
Runners up: Dr Alaa Abdul-Ridha and Dr Roberta Goncalves Anversa

The Craig Drummond Award

Winner: Dr Maria Kuznetsova

Scientifix Postdoctoral Travel Award

Winner: Madeleine Di Natale

Ayse Berke and Liana Colvill Postgraduate Travel Award

Winner: Sam Tanner

Length of Service Awards

These awards recognise not only important milestones in tenure, but also showcase the collective Institute knowledge and expertise.

15-year milestone

Professor Colin Masters

10 year-milestone

  • Sean Murphy
  • Jess Nithianantharajah
  • Kate Paice
  • Nirma Perera
  • Eric Pierre
  • Nancy Pompeani
  • Philip Ryan
  • Christine Thai
  • Shiji Varghese
  • Laura Vella

Media contact

Kathryn Powley

Media and Communications Manager

P +61 456 666 271
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