Researchers win at Australian Society for Medical Research Awards

The study of common anti-cancer genes in two of the most common non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma sub-types was enough to secure a win at last week’s Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR) Awards.

Dr Carlos Aya Bonilla from the Griffith Health Institute and the university’s School of Medical Science received the prize for Best Poster Award, after explaining to judges how he has indentified a novel anti-cancer gene in the origin and development of these lymphomas.

“The aim now is to increase the role of this particular gene and in the future, hopefully this finding can lead to the discovery and development of better therapies,” said Dr Bonilla.

On the same evening, Dr Bridget Maher and Professor Alfred Lam, also from the Griffith Health Institute,were also awarded. Dr Maher was a finalist for the Post Graduate Student Award for her research into migraine treatments and Professor Lam received the prestigious Clinical Researcher Award.

“I was very pleased to attend theQueensland 2013 Health and Medical Research Awardsin Brisbane last Friday evening, where researchers from the Griffith Health Institute were well represented,” said Griffith Health Institute director Professor Lyn Griffiths. “These prestigious awards recognise excellence in all areas of health-related research performed in Queenslandand the GHI was highly successful this year.Congratulations to these GHI researchers.”