Two VIIN researchers are recipients of inaugural VESKI Inspiring Women Fellowships. Dr Catherine Satzke, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, and Dr Maria Liaskos, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, were yesterday presented with the awards by The Honourable Linda Dessau AM, Governor of Victoria.

The Inspiring Women Fellowships provide $150,000 over three years to ensure outstanding female researchers get the support they need to juggle career and carer commitments and remain competitive in their fields of endeavour.

VESKI Awards Ceremony at Government House. Pictured left to right: Professor Elizabeth Hartland, Dr Maria Liaskos, Dr Catherine Satzke and Professor Paul Hertzog. Photo credit: veski.org.au

Dr Satzke's research focuses on pneumonia, one of the most pressing paediatric problems in the world. Her work explores the relationship between carriage of the pneumococcal bacteria, disease and vaccination, as well as measuring vaccine impact globally. As well as leading microbiological research for an expanding program of work centred on vaccine impact studies in Fiji, Lao PDR and Mongolia, Dr Satzke contributes to vaccine trials in Vietnam, and carriage studies in Indonesia.

Dr Liaskos has received an NHMRC grant while on maternity leave and is focused on examining the mechanisms of immune suppression during Helicobacter infection, a bacterium in the stomach affecting more than three billion people worldwide, and a causative agent of gastric cancer.

Both researchers are active members of the Victorian Infection and Immunity Network with Dr Satzke a current VIIN Executive Committee member and Dr Liaskos having sat on organising committees and judging panels at past VIIN events. They are pictured above along with the two VIIN Co-convenors, Professor Elizabeth Hartland, Peter Doherty Institute, and Professor Paul Hertzog, Hudson Institute of Medical Research.

For further information:

http://hudson.org.au/hudson-researcher-receives-inaugural-veski-inspiring-women-fellowship/

http://www.veski.org.au/Victorias-first-female-Governor-presents-States-first-inspiring-women-fellowships

https://www.mcri.edu.au/news/dr-catherine-satzke-honoured-inspiring-woman-science