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Monday, 15 August 2011

A research leader at the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR), who is working to improve the way pharmaceuticals act on the human body, has been shortlisted for an Australian Museum Eureka Prize, for "Emerging Leader in Science."

Associate Professor Kevin Pfleger has been head of Molecular Endocrinology at WAIMR (which is affiliated with The University of Western Australia) for three years.

He is also Chief Scientific Officer of "Dimerix Bioscience", a spin out company commercialising the discoveries of his laboratory revolving around interactions of proteins that regulate how cells respond to hormones and neurotransmitters.

Associate Professor Pfleger has been shortlisted for the Eureka Prize that is awarded to a young scientist who has used leadership skills to create impact inside their institution, amongst their peers, within their discipline or in the wider community.

A spokesperson for the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes said Associate Professor Pfleger had been shortlisted because his work was focused on developing better therapeutic drugs with fewer side effects for a range of medical conditions such as prostate disorders and complications associated with diabetes that are becoming an enormous burden for the Australian community.

Associate Professor Pfleger's research has been funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian Research Council, the Raine Medical Research Foundation and Dimerix Bioscience.

After the winners are announced on 6 September in Sydney, Associate Professor Pfleger will fly to Manchester where he has been invited to present his most recent findings at the Drug Discovery 2011 Conference.

The Eureka Awards, which are a partnership between government organisations, institutions, companies and individuals committed to celebrating the vitality, originality and excellence of Australian science, are presented annually by the Australian Museum.

Associate Professor Pfleger, WA Young Scientist of the Year 2009, has also recently been honoured following selection of his work amongst the NHMRC's 10 of the Best Research Projects 2010.

Media references

Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 5563  /  (+61 4) 32 637 716

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