Florey Awards 2025: outstanding contributions to research impact

Florey Awards 2025
Key points
  • The annual Florey Awards recognises the valuable contributions of members of The Florey community, including students and postdoctoral fellows, staff members and volunteers.
  • Awards included were Exceptional Talent Award, Pathway to Impact, Dynamic Collaborator, Lend a Hand, Belong, and Team of the Year.
  • We are grateful to the remarkable support of our donors who made many of our awards possible.

People's Choice Awards

The Florey’s People’s Choice Awards honour the value and achievements that are integral to the Institute.

  • 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.
  • Exceptional Talent: Someone who goes above and beyond in their role and shows dedication to the Institute and to their colleagues.
  • Lend a Hand: Someone who provides outstanding support for others and playing a vital role in making things work.
  • Belong award: Someone who has helped make The Florey an inclusive place for everyone.
  • Team of the Year: a group that has demonstrated great team spirit and has delivered great outcomes for The Florey.
Pathway to Impact Award Fazel Shabanpoor
Pathway to Impact Award

Winner: Associate Professor Fazel Shabanpoor

Dynamic Collaborator Award Rebecca Nisbet
Dynamic Collaborator Award

Winner: Dr Rebecca Nisbet

Exceptional Talent Award  Azadeh Feizpour
Exceptional Talent Award

Winner: Dr Azadeh Feizpour

Lend a Hand Award Brittany Cuic
Lend a Hand Award

Winner: Brittany Cuic

Belong Award Brooke Parsons
Belong Award

Winner: Brooke Parsons

Team of the Year AuSCR
Team of the Year

Winner: Australian Stroke Clinical Registry Team

Levelling Up Awards

The Levelling Up initiative supports women researchers at The Florey. It provides tailored career development support, financial assistance, and mentorship to help overcome barriers to academic progression.

The winners were: Dr Ya Hui Hung, Dr Francesca Alves, Dr Alaa Abdul-Ridha, Dr Samantha Barton, Dr Christina Mo and Dr Carolina Gubert.

Postgraduate Research Symposium Awards

Graduate Research Symposium

Bruno Marino Innovation Award

Winner: Philip Pruckner

Graduate Symposium Talks

Florey Postgraduate Award – 2nd year talk

Runners up: Harry Dempsey, Runner up: Mahi Mhatre
Winner: Joshua Saito

Graduate Symposium Talks

Florey Postgraduate Award – 3rd year talk

Runners up: Hongkang Wu, Runner up: Hian Mun Lee
Winner: Montanna Waters

Ayse Berke and Liana Colvill Postgraduate Award

Overall Symposium Winner: Alayna Caruso

Postgraduate Travel Awards

Caitilin’s Fund Postgraduate Travel Award

Winner: Philip Pruckner

Harold Mitchell Foundation Postgraduate Travel Fellowship

Winners: Taku Furukawa, Hongkang Wu, Lauren Ursich

Philanthropic Postgraduate Travel Award

Winners: Anton Trask-Marino, James Gattuso, James Spyrou

Wally and Jean Jackson Postgraduate Prize

Winner: Suyi Ooi

Craig Drummond Postgraduate Award

Winner: Yihan Li

John Milne Prize for Neuroscience Postgraduate Award

Winner: Dr Chiara Pavan

Postdoctoral Travel Awards

Alan Rembach Postdoctoral Travel Scholarship

Winner: Connie Ow

Caitilin’s Fund Postdoctoral Travel Award

Winner: Cristiana Mattei

Harold Mitchell Foundation Postdoctoral Travel Fellowship

Winners: Roberta Goncalves Anversa, Lizzie Kleeman

John Collier Postdoctoral Travel Scholarship

Winner: Chiara Pavan

Philanthropic Postdoctoral Travel Award

Winners: Xavier Maddern, Ming Shiuan Soh, Francesca Alves

Wally and Jean Jackson Postdoctoral Prize

Winner: Lauren Bleakley

Scientifix Postdoctoral Travel Award

Winner: Huan Liao

New recognition awards

Three new awards were added to this year’s event.

Excellence for Research Assistance Award

Winner: Kathleen Teng

Rinaldo Bellomo Critical Care Research Travel Award

Winner: Alemayehu Jufar

Rocket Award

Winner: Philanthropy Team

We also recognised Wayne McMaster’s contribution to The Florey through the Exceptional Service – Florey Commercialisation Committee Award.

Neuropix Competition

Scientific Award

Winner: James Spyrou for A Mind is Born

People’s Choice Award

Winner: Andrew Quattrocchi for They Are Coming

Length of Service Awards

These Length of Service Awards recognise not only important milestones in tenure, but also showcase the collective Institute knowledge and expertise.

35-year milestone: Professor Clive May, Craig Thomson

25-year milestone: Professor David Abbott, Anthony Dornom, Carmel Jacobson, Sharon Layfield, Rian Mackenzie, Sally Malone, Gregory Thomas

20-year milestone: Professor Paul Adlard, Maria Bastias, Krista Brown, Professor Ashley Bush, Dr Andrea Gogos, Professor Mohammed Akhter Hossain, Dr Ya Hui Hung, Dr Antonia Lynch, Dr Kay Richards, Gena Shoykhet, Anna Stobie, Professor Bradley Turner, Thomas Vale

15-year milestone: Professor Scott Ayton, Dr Ian Birchall, Dr Karen Borschmann, Dr Christopher Bye, Ross Humphreys, Simone Mandelstam, Dr Joanne Robertson, Amelia Sedjahtera, Associate Professor Fazel Shabanpoor, Dr Christiane Stehmann, Dr Christopher Tailby, Frances Tait, Elsa Tsui

10-year milestone: Professor David Ames, Alex Barac, Kathleen Bagot, Feng Chen, Joanna Gajewski, Associate Professor Justin Rubio, Alicia Sedo Morfill

Florey Awards 2025 length of service

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