Four outstanding members of The Kids Research Institute Australia family have been named as finalists in the 2024 Western Australian of the Year Awards.
Paediatric oncologist and cancer researcher Professor Nick Gottardo is a finalist in the Professions category in recognition of his dedicated and compassionate treatment of children with brain cancer and his tireless work to find less toxic, more effective treatments.
Professor Gottardo co-leads the Brain Tumour Research Program within the The Kids Cancer Centre, and at Perth Children’s Hospital is Head of the Paediatric and Adolescent Oncology/Haematology Department, and the Stan Perron Chair in Paediatric Oncology and Haematology. He is also an Adjunct Clinical Professor at The University of Western Australia and holds a number of key industry positions.
Professor Gottardo’s research focuses on better understanding brain tumours and testing novel therapies, including via international clinical trials, to give children with brain cancer the best possible chance of survival or – for those whose cancers are incurable – buy them as much quality time as possible. He is highly regarded for his positive approach to patient care, with an emphasis on dignity in treatment.
Paediatrician and researcher Professor Desiree Silva is also a finalist for the Professions category in recognition of her pioneering research into childhood development in Western Australia.
Professor Silva is Co-head of The ORIGINS Project – a collaboration between The Kids Research Institute Australia and the Joondalup Health Campus – and Head of Paediatrics and Neonatology at Joondalup Health Campus.
The ORIGINS Project, co-founded by Professor Silva and Australia’s biggest study of its kind, is exploring early environmental and genetic factors to better understand how childhood diseases such as allergies, asthma, obesity, ADHD, anxiety and autism develop. Sparked by the increasing understanding that an individual’s lifetime health and disease may be programmed at a very early stage – while a child is still in the womb – the decade-long study is tracking 10,000 babies born in the Joondalup/Wanneroo area from pregnancy to adolescence, along with their parents and siblings.
Professor Silva is also known for her research and leadership around the benefits of community swimming pools in improving skin, eye and ear health for Aboriginal children, the benefits for children of interacting with nature, and improved ADHD care.
Yamatji Elder and cultural governance advisor Aunty Mara West is a finalist in the Aboriginal category in recognition of her four-decade career working to change perceptions of Aboriginal people and close the gap in health and social issues.
In addition to being Operations Manager within the Kulunga Aboriginal Unit at The Kids Research Institute Australia, Dr West’s many leadership roles include Chair of the Governing Council at North Metro TAFE, Chair of the Homelands Water and Energy Group at Murdoch University; and Chair of the HEAL WA Aboriginal Steering Group.
At The Kids Research Institute Australia she helps researchers navigate the Aboriginal health arena, providing cultural governance and acting as cultural lead on numerous research projects to ensure research responds to community needs, respects the knowledge and authority of community Elders, and meets the Institute’s rigorous Guidelines for the Standards of Conduct of Aboriginal Health Research, which she was instrumental in developing.
Throughout her career Dr West has combined her knowledge as an Aboriginal woman with her extensive expertise in education, sustainable development and health research to ensure there’s always an Aboriginal voice at the table and bring people from all walks of life together to build better outcomes for Aboriginal people and communities.
Health consumer champion Mitch Messer, who works within the community involvement program at The Kids Research Institute Australia, is a finalist in the Community category in recognition of a more than 40-year career spent working to bridge the gap between health consumers, the health system and policy makers.
As a person with lived experience of cystic fibrosis (CF), and someone whose own quality of life has radically improved thanks to new CF modulator treatments made available following persistent advocacy, Mr Messer understands only too well how dramatically the game can change when consumer voices are heard.
He has represented this voice at state and national level, including presenting to Federal Parliament on the life-changing effects of new CF drugs; and in his capacity in multiple volunteer roles, including past President of Cystic Fibrosis Australia, founding member and past Chair of the Health Consumers’ Council of WA, and past Chair of the Consumers Health Forum of Australia.
At The Kids Research Institute Australia Mr Messer advises researchers, recruits and manages consumer reference groups, determines consumer priorities, and guides research projects to involve consumers at every stage, from bench to bedside and into the community.
The winners of these and other categories will be announced on Thursday, 30 May at Celebrate WA’s gala dinner.