We're thrilled to invite you to meet our HMRI researchers of the year, as part of our free Medical Research Week Community Seminar.
Each year, HMRI recognises three researchers for their outstanding contribution to health and medical research and celebrates the excellence they have achieved through their work.
With presentations from Professor Brett Nixon, Professor Pradeep Tanwar and Associate Professor Michelle Kennedy, you will get to know the people behind the research. Learn more about why they do what they do, what drives and motivates them and what the support from people like yourself means to them.
The evening will culminate with the exclusive unveiling of the HMRI Art Series for 2023 – the product of a collaboration between the Researcher of the Year and an artist who strives to represent their research through the medium of art.
Newcastle-based visual artist Mitch Revs will unveil his piece inspired by the work of Professor Brett Nixon.
The HMRI Art Series is made possible each year because of the continued support from Chris and Shirley Piggott.
Registration for our Medical Research Week Community Seminar is free, but in-person places are limited to 130 people. We hope you can join us!
When: Wednesday 7 June 2023
Time: 5.30 pm - 8.00 pm AEST
Where: In-person in Caves Theatre, Level 4, HMRI Building OR Online
Click here to register for the in-person event at HMRI
Click here to register for the online live stream
Meet our presenters
Associate Professor Michelle Kennedy - HMRI 2022 Award for Early-Career Research, supported by the Cameron Family.
The 2022 Early Career Researcher of the Year is Associate Professor Michelle Kennedy from the HMRI Equity and Health and Wellbeing Research Program.
Associate Professor Kennedy is a Wiradjuri woman who has grown up on Worimi country. She is an NHMRC early-career researcher, partnering with Aboriginal communities to place the power in their hands and address priority areas to improve Indigenous health.
Michelle has created a smoking cessation program for pregnant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
Professor Pradeep Tanwar - HMRI 2022 Award for Mid-Career Research, supported by HMRI Community of Donors.The HMRI 2022 Mid-Career Researcher of the Year is Professor Pradeep Tanwar from the HMRI Cancer Detection and Therapy Research Program.Pradeep specialises in gynaecological research and is the Director of the University of Newcastle’s Global Centre for Gynaecological Diseases. His work investigates what goes wrong with the female reproductive organs in pathologies, specifically endometriosis and gynaecological cancers, and how we can fix it.
Professor Brett Nixon - HMRI 2022 Award for Research Excellence, supported by the Cameron Family.
The HMRI 2022 winner for Research Excellence is Professor Brett Nixon from the HMRI Infertility and Reproduction Research Program. Brett is the Director of the HMRI Infertility and Reproduction Program
His research focuses on the mechanisms by which environmental exposures impact sperm quality and the repercussions of such changes for embryo development. This research has broad application for the diagnosis of sperm dysfunction and the design of novel therapeutic intervention strategies to alleviate the burden of male infertility and improve offspring health.
Artist, Mitch Revs
Starting as an apprentice tattooist, Mitch Revs found he had a natural talent for drawing and creating and wanted to turn what became a one-on-one piece of art, into something that could be shared and enjoyed by many. And so, this self-taught artist transitioned into designing and painting murals, fine art pieces and digital illustrations.Mitch’s checklist when creating art is simple: Does it make people smile? Does it make people happy?
Mitch will be unveiling the art piece he has created inspired by the life's work of Professor Brett Nixon, the HMRI 2022 Award for Research Excellence winner.