Research Awards

Celebrating research impact and excellence

We honour leading health and medical researchers each year through the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) Research Awards.

A number of awards have been established to celebrate exceptional contributions to health and medical research.

The HMRI Award for Research Excellence is HMRI’s premier award and recognises the achievements of an outstanding researcher who has made a sustained contribution to research in the Hunter.

The HMRI Director’s Award for Mid-Career Research recognises and rewards the dedication and achievements of one of the Hunter’s most gifted mid-career researchers.

The HMRI Award for Early Career Research supports and raises awareness of the work of the Hunter’s most talented early career researchers, at a critical time in their career.

The HMRI Research Team Excellence Award recognises and rewards an outstanding team who has collectively demonstrated excellence in health and medical research for the wellbeing of our communities.

2023 HMRI Research Award Recipients

HMRI Award for Research Excellence

Professor Zsolt Balogh

Professor Zsolt Balogh is Director of HMRI’s Injury and Trauma Research Program and Director of Trauma at Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital, the largest volume and lowest mortality trauma centre in NSW.

Outside of his clinical role, which sees him perform around 1,000 surgical operations each year and review 80 outpatients each week, and his role as convenor of the Master of Traumatology postgraduate program at the University of Newcastle, Professor Balogh demonstrates dedication to medical research.

He has authored over 300 peer-reviewed articles, has been cited over 24,000 times, and has convened a multi-disciplinary team of clinical researchers at HMRI dedicated to reducing the burden from injury, the 3rd leading cause of death.

HMRI Award for Mid-Career Research

Professor Matt Dun

Professor Matt Dun, is a discovery scientist and Deputy Leader of HMRI’s Precision Medicine Research Program.

A highly accomplished researcher, Professor Dun is dedicated to eradicating the deadliest childhood disease, DIPG/DMG, an aggressive form of brain tumour.

Professor Dun has become a major contributor to the scientific advancement of understanding the disease through global collaborations and connections.

His work has led to the commencement of an adaptive combination therapy international phase II clinical trial for patients diagnosed with DMG, which is already seeing promising results.

HMRI Award for Early Career Research

Associate Professor Rachel Sutherland

Associate Professor Rachel Sutherland is a Population Health researcher specialising in Nutrition and Dietetics.

As an MRFF Investigator Fellow, her research focuses on preventing chronic diseases such as obesity through evidence-based nutrition and physical activity interventions. She is committed to implementation science, ensuring these interventions are effectively scaled and integrated into routine practice to benefit communities.

Dr. Sutherland’s pioneering work in implementation science addresses the critical gap between research and practice. Her SWAP IT program helping school students to eat healthier has been rolled out nationally in schools all across Australia.

HMRI Research Team Excellence Award

The Newcastle Centre of Excellence in Cardio-Oncology

The Newcastle Centre of Excellence in Cardio-Oncology, led by Professor Aaron Sverdlov and Professor Doan Ngo, is Australia’s first dedicated cardio-oncology team.

The group aims to improve health for people living with and beyond cancer through better diagnostic, screening and treatment of cancer-therapy related cardiovascular complications. As a preclinical and clinical program, the research team aims to improve health for people living with and beyond cancer through better diagnostic, screening, and treatment of cancer-therapy related cardiovascular complications.

The team is made up of PhD and post-doctorate students, early career, mid-career and senior researchers.

Past Award Winners

Past Winners of HMRI Award For Research Excellence

2022 | Professor Brett Nixon
2021 | Professor Michael Breakspear
2020 | Laureate Professor Nick Talley
2019 | Professor Frances Kay-Lambkin
2018 | Professor Jennifer Martin
2017 | Professor Clare Collins
2016 | Professor John Wiggers
2015 | Professor Julie Byles
2014 | Professor Brian Kelly
2013 | Professor Philip Hansbro
2012 | Professor John Attia
2011 | Professor Amanda Baker

2010 | Laureate Professor Paul Foster
2009 | Professor Chris Levi
2008 | Professor Rodney Scott
2007 | Professor John Forbes
2006 | Conjoint Professor Jim Denham
2005 | Laureate Professor John Aitken
2004 | Professor Dirk van Helden
2003 | Professor Peter Gibson
2002 | Emeritus Professor Peter Dunkley
2001 | Professor Nikolai Bogduk
2000 | Laureate Professor Roger Smith
1999 | Laureate Professor Robert Sanson-Fisher

Past Winners of HMRI Award For Mid-Career Research

Past Winners of HMRI Award For Early Career Research

2022 | Dr Michelle Kennedy
2021 | Dr Nicole Nathan
2020 | Dr Andrew Gardner
2019 | Associate Professor Stephen Smith
2018 | Dr Serene Yoong
2017 | Associate Professor Gillian Gould
2016 | Dr Andrew Bivard
2015 | Dr Susan Hua
2014 | Dr Chris Williams
2013 | Associate Professor Vanessa McDonald
2012 | Dr Luke Wolfenden
2011 | Associate Professor Mark Baker
2010 | Professor Peter Greer

2009 | Professor Philip Morgan
2008 | Associate Professor Jodie Simpson
2007 | Professor Mark Parsons
2006 | Dr Carmel Loughland
2005 | Professor Peter Wark
2004 | Professor Xu Dong Zhang
2003 | Professor Amanda Baker
2002 | Professor Geoff Isbister
2001 | Patrick Johnston
2000 | Dr Jennette Sakoff
1999 | Dr Vicki Clifton
1998 | Associate Professor Darren Shafren

Past Winners of HMRI Research Team Excellence Award

News and Events

4 Apr 2025

Research Awards

Celebrating research impact and excellence

We honour leading health and medical researchers each year through the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) Research Awards.

2023 HMRI Research Award Recipients

HMRI Award for Research Excellence

Professor Zsolt Balogh

HMRI Award for Mid-Career Research

Professor Matt Dun

HMRI Award for Early Career Research

Associate Professor Rachel Sutherland

HMRI Research Team Excellence Award

The Newcastle Centre of Excellence in Cardio-Oncology

Past Award Winners

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