Medical research leader wins 2021 Aspire Award

Director of the Raine Medical Research Foundation, Dr Amanda Cleaver will attend an international conference in her field when overseas travel resumes, thanks to the Business Events Perth Aspire Awards and The University of Western Australia.

Business Events Perth, funded by the State Government through Tourism Western Australia, has been running the Aspire Awards Program for 22 years with the program sponsoring hundreds of local academics and researchers to attend a relevant international conference in their discipline, to further their development and profile Western Australia on the international stage.

The Raine Medical Research Foundation supports medical research in WA through competitive grants, fellowships and awards programs. Established in 1957 after a bequest from Mary Raine, it has supported more than 500 scientists to carry out important research into human diseases and disorders.

In her role as Director Dr Cleaver, who has a background in cancer biology and a 20-year career in research and research management, is responsible for the foundation’s operational and partnership management, as well as overseeing its strategic priorities.

The Perth-based mother-of-two plans to use the award to attend the International Network of Research Management Associations (INORMS) Congress in Durban, South Africa in 2023.

“The theme of the conference is ‘Towards a Utopia in Research and Innovation Management’ which is of particular interest to me as the research and innovation sector in WA has gained a lot of momentum in recent years and so I am thrilled to win this award.

“It will provide me with the opportunity to meet international leaders in the field and use the lessons learned to develop effective funding programs for WA researchers and innovators in partnership with universities, government, other not-for-profit organisations and the commercial sector.”

Dr Amanda Cleaver
Director, Raine Medical Research Foundation

UWA Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Simon Biggs said the Raine Medical Foundation had been supporting excellence in medical research for over 60 years.

“The foundation is one of the biggest funds available to support medical and health research in Western Australia and Amanda provides amazing support to this research community as scientists investigate some of the most challenging diseases and disorders facing the world today,” Professor Biggs said.

Postdoctoral researcher and 2020 Forrest Fellow in the Brain Tumour Research program at the Telethon Kids Institute and UWA, Dr Jessica Buck won the Telethon Kids Institute Aspire Award and plans to attend the 2022 International Symposium on Paediatric Neuro-Oncology (ISPNO) meeting in Hamburg, Germany.

Senior Research Commercialisation Officer at UWA, Dr Bayode Ero-Phillips, will attend the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) Annual Meeting, held in the USA, after winning the City of Perth Aspire Award.

Business Events Perth Chief Executive Officer Gareth Martin said he was delighted to support the ongoing professional development of three individuals whose work has such a direct impact on the lives of Western Australians.

“We’re incredibly proud to be supporting Dr Cleaver, Dr Buck, and Dr Ero-Phillips, who will represent Western Australia’s considerable expertise in their fields on a global platform at their chosen conferences,” Mr Martin said.