CHIRI PhD students Jessica Gaff, Lelinh Duong and Shelley Waters.
Three out of seven ain’t bad, in fact it’s amazing! The Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute (CHIRI) is celebrating the successes of three of its PhD students, Shelley Waters, Jessica Gaff and Lelinh Duong, who took out three of a total of seven scholarships and bursaries awarded at the recent Graduate Women WA (GWWA) awards night.
Shelley received the 2018 Graduate Women Open Scholarship valued at $3,000. She’ll use the scholarship to travel to Melbourne to complete part of her project with her co-supervisor Associate Professor Bing Wang from Curtin’s School of Public Health.
Through her PhD, Shelley aims to shed light on how human cytomegalovirus (CMV) contributes to cardiovascular disease (CVD), and direct mechanisms by which CMV may contribute to CVD. Working with her co-supervisor in Melbourne will give Shelley valuable experience working with vascular and cardiac cell lines and techniques in isolating small molecules called microRNAs.
Jessica was awarded the 2018 GWWA Mary and Elsie Stevens Scholarship valued at $3,000. She will use the scholarship to purchase specialised lab equipment to advance her research into the underlying genetic and immunological factors contributing to sensory neuropathy – a painful and debilitating condition.
Lelinh received the 2018 GWWA Foundation Bursary valued at $3,000 and will use the scholarship to further her PhD project, for which she is investigating the underlying mechanisms behind macrophage dysfunction in the elderly tumour microenvironment. Lelinh’s goal is to contribute to the understanding of tumour development in an ageing population and potentially identify anti-cancer approaches for elderly people. The award will help fund analysis software required for her project.
The trio are grateful to the GWWA for their support.
“I would like to thank the inspiring women at GWWA, who are wonderful in their tireless efforts of representing and advocating the views of graduate women,” Lelinh said.
“The GWWA provides networking and support for graduate women, so I encourage women in the institute to engage with the GWWA community.”
GWWA scholarships are open to women currently enrolled in a higher degree at a university in WA, and are aimed at assisting women enrolled in higher degrees to enhance the quality of their degrees.
Selection is based on demonstrated academic achievement, the purpose for which the will be used and the extent to which the award will assist the applicant to enhance the quality of the higher degree they are enrolled in.
Congratulations Jessica, Lelinh and Shelley!
