At its 16th annual awards ceremony held tonight in the HMRI Building, the Hunter Children’s Research Foundation distributed $50,000 in grants and celebrated the achievements of its C.A.R.E recipients.

Dr Alexis Hure receives $25,000 to investigate low birth weight risk factors

At its 16th annual awards ceremony held tonight in the HMRI Building, the Hunter Children’s Research Foundation distributed $50,000 in grants and celebrated the achievements of its C.A.R.E recipients.

Dr Adam Collison, a member of the University of Newcastle’s Priority Research Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Diseases, and Public Health researcher Dr Alexis Hure each received $25,000 grants from the Foundation.

Dr Collison will be investigating the prediction of egg allergy severity in children by non-invasive exhaled nitric oxide measurement. Reports indicate that up to 10 per cent of Australian infants have a food allergy – egg is the most common, followed by peanut.

Dr Hure is leading a team that will identify maternal health factors which represent risk factors for low birth weight. The study will also look at the factors that put women most at risk and assess the impact of cumulative and long-term risk factors.

In the C.A.R.E  awards, the Research Mentor of the Year honour went to Professor Diana Keatinge for her role in encouraging nurse clinicians to use research in their clinical practice and to undertake research relevant to nursing practice.

Paediatric Oncologist Dr Frank Alvaro received the Achievement in Research  award, while the Encouragement for Research award went to Luke Hatchwell and Elizabeth Kepteores, with the Member for Wallsend Sonia Hornery presenting.

Finally, Margaret Allwood was honoured with the Achievement in Quality Improvement Award for her work with RESUS4KIDS resuscitation program.
The event was attended by more than 70 supporters, clinical staff and researchers.