None
Monday, 7 December 2015

A karate-loving biochemistry honours student from The University of Western Australia who hopes to work towards a cure for the devastating progressive disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy is one of three recipients of the 2016 Forrest Research Foundation Scholarships.

Marisa Duong, 22, a former Kalamunda High School student will join University of Tasmania graduate, Anna Cresswell, and Karissa Lear from the US in accepting the prestigious scholarships announced by Andrew and Nicola Forrest.

The scholarships are available to outstanding international and Australian students who wish to undertake a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at one of Western Australia’s five universities.

Ms Duong said she was thrilled with the news which will enable her to research Duchenne muscular dystrophy which leads to the premature deaths of one in 3,500 boys worldwide each year.

“At the moment there is no cure and no effective treatment for this muscle wasting disease which is caused by a genetic fault that prevents the production of a protein called dystrophin,” Ms Duong said.

“I hope that the techniques I develop through my research might ultimately be applicable to other conditions and diseases including Alzheimer’s, atherosclerosis, diabetes, heart attack, HIV/AIDS, kidney and liver disease, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson's, Rheumatoid arthritis, stroke and aging.”

24-year-old Anna Cresswell from Hobart is working on a shallow reef research project looking at the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef in northwest WA as part of the BHP Billiton and CSIRO marine research partnership. She will study the Ningaloo Reef to look for answers for persistent problems facing coral reef systems globally, such as increasing sea temperatures, pollution, overfishing and ocean acidification. Anna Cresswell is also a recipient of the BHP Billiton Marine Research Scholarship.

Biological science student Karissa Lear, 24 from Florida in the US, will complete her PhD at Murdoch University and will research the behaviour and activity patterns of the critically endangered Largetooth Sawfish, found in the Kimberley region of WA.

In October 2013, the Forrests made what is believed to be the largest single philanthropic donation in Australian history – $65 million to attract the best minds to Western Australia.

The donation included $50 million for the establishment of the Forrest Research Foundation to fund scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships across all five WA universities. A further $15 million will go towards the establishment of Forrest Hall – a new building to house scholarship and fellowship recipients.

The Forrest gift underlines their belief that “only education can be the final key to eliminate poverty in the world and raise the universal standard of living” and that “research is the key to unlocking the potential of the future”.

"Staying at the cutting edge of the research world means we need to foster learning and research at the highest level and we are thrilled at the calibre of the bright young minds who will take up the 2016 Forrest Scholarships,” Nicola Forrest said.

Marisa Duong – UWA

22-year-old Marisa Duong moved to Australia from Vietnam in 2008 to study Year 10 at Kalamunda High School. She plans her PhD to be a continuation of her Honours project, researching the progressively debilitating disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy which leads to the premature deaths of one in 3,500 schoolboys globally. “Although the primary defect is genetic, secondary processes involving persistent inflammation and oxidative stress exacerbate disease progression, and, as such, are potential therapeutic targets,” she said, “My research aims to develop a technique that could pinpoint which specific proteins change their structures under oxidative stress. That way, we could better understand what happens inside the disease cells, thereby helping develop effective treatments.” Ms Duong who said she loves both being in the laboratory and karate, said she will look for opportunities to translate the skills gained during her PhD studies into commercialisation initiatives in WA.

Anna Cresswell – UWA

A graduate from the University of Tasmania with a Bachelor of Science and first class honours in Marine Science, 24-year-old Anna Cresswell said she first visited Ningaloo Reef when she was 10-years-old and “got hooked’ on coral reefs. “Ten years later, in a gap year, I returned to work for six months as a guide for whale shark and mantra ray voyages for tourists,” she said. “That experience was the foundation for a determination to follow a career that would allow me to make a difference in understanding and conserving marine environments.” Anna, who enjoys underwater photography, surfing, snorkeling and diving will complete her PhD working within the Marine Ecology Group at the UWA Oceans Institute and the School of Plant Biology. “UWA is developing state-of-the-art facilities to enable critical research into the sustainable use of marine resources, environmental protection and climate change,” she said. “At a time of rapid global change it is essential to understand the functioning and resilience of ecosystems.”

Karissa Lear – Murdoch University

Karissa Lear, 24, said growing up close to the ocean in the US sparked an early interest in marine science where one of her favourite things was “to search through rocky tidepools for sea stars and sea cucumbers”. This fascination with marine life persevered throughout her childhood and led to an undergraduate degree at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. “I then moved to a marine laboratory in Florida where I spent two years studying the behaviour and physiology of sharks and other elasmobranchs using acceleration data logging tags,” she said. “I love using this technology to learn what these animals do in the open ocean where we can’t directly observe them.” Karissa’s PhD will investigate the behaviour and activity patterns of Largetooth Sawfish using the same acceleration data loggers, technology also found in smart phones, Fitbits, and video game controllers. “The information will be used to predict how climate change and land use will impact future sawfish populations in Australia, and to assess how to best guide conservation measures for this critically endangered species,” she said.

Media references


David Stacey (UWA Media and Public Relations Manager) (+61 8) 6488 3229 / (+61 4) 32 637 716

Tags

Channels
University News
Groups
Science Matters