2019 EMCRA Collaborative Award recipients announced

Four teams of early- and mid-career researchers from across the School of Biomedical Sciences will receive a share of $60,000 in funding for interdepartmental collaborative projects.

The Early-Mid Career Researchers Association (EMCRA) Collaborative Award encourages collaboration between level A and B postdoctoral researchers from the School’s five departments. Established in 2017, it also aims to help build research independence ahead of applying to larger funding schemes.

The winners are awarded between $10,000 and $20,000 for each project. And, all applicants receive detailed feedback on their applications from external reviewers to help with future grant applications.

Congratulations to this year’s EMCRA Collaborative Award recipients:

  • Dr Jeffrey Liddell (Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics) and Dr Nichollas Scott (Department of Microbiology and Immunology) for their project: “Identifying the glial neurotoxic factor/s responsible for neurodegeneration
  • Dr Mariana Del Rosso de Melo (Department of Physiology), Dr Makhala Khammy (Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics) and Dr Aung Aung Kywe Moe (Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience) for their project: “Is cardiorespiratory regulation affected by perinatal cannabinoid exposure?
  • Dr Michael Morgan (Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience) and Dr Susan Northfield (Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics) for their project: “Elucidating roles of BDNF in osteoarthritis pain using peptide mimetics
  • Dr Stacey Keenan (Department of Physiology) and Dr Joanna Sacharz (Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) for their project: “Targeting Fat: Characterisation of protein-protein interactions regulating lipid metabolism

About the award

The award is organised by EMCRA, which supports early-mid career postdoctoral researchers throughout the School of Biomedical Sciences by providing networking and collaborative opportunities between departments. EMCRA also gives a voice for these researchers among more senior members of the School, through active involvement with the School’s Research and Executive Committees.

Groups of between two and four level A and B postdoctoral researchers, from at least two different departments within the School, on a project of their own devising are encouraged to apply for the award.

In 2019, EMCRA received 15 applications from a total of 36 applicants.

“The applications were of incredible quality, reflecting the exceptional talent of the postdocs in our School,” the EMCRA Co-Chairs said in their announcement of the award recipients.

To help identify potential collaborators, profiles for many early-mid career researchers are available on the EMCRA website. Level A and B researchers from across the School are encouraged to submit a profile.

Find out more about EMCRA and the Collaborative Award here.