Dennis Lowther Award
Student Award
The Dennis Lowther Award recognises a student member of the society who has demonstrated outstanding research contributions and communication.
This award is named after Dennis Lowther who established the connective tissue research group at Monash University in the 1960s and developed a strong graduate teaching program and student mentorship.
Eligibility requirements
This award is open to applicants who:
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are a financial student member of MBSANZ
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register for the society conference and submit an abstract for a poster presentation
Application Requirements
Applicants for this award apply at the time of submitting an abstract for a poster presentation at a society meeting by providing:
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verification of their status as a student at a higher education institution
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abstract submitted to the society conference for a poster presentation
Award review committee
Finalists are invited to give a poster presentation at the society conference. The award is determined by the selection committee chaired by the President and based on the poster presentation delivered at the society conference.
2024 Awardee
The Dennis Lowther Award for 2023 was awarded to Amelia Moran (University of Western Australia).
Amelia is an Honours student in the School of Human Sciences at the University of Western Australia. Immunotherapies are a contemporary technique that are less successful in solid cancers such as breast cancer. Her work aims to investigate how matrix stiffness affects immune cell killing of cancer and cancer evasion of immune cells. She uses hydrogel engineering to mimic healthy and cancerous breast tissue, embedding cancer and immune cells in each condition. Markers of activation and immunosuppression, transcriptome profiles and live migration of each cell type are key investigatory outcomes. Her work is supported by Cancer Council WA and Biozone Collaboration Grants.