Research Australia

Research Australia is the national alliance representing the entire HMR pipeline from the laboratory through to the patient and the marketplace.

[Research Australia @ResAustralia]

Our Chair Prof Dawn Freshwater and CEO Nadia Levin spoke with @AUHealthJournal after this year’s Health and Medical Research Awards about the people driving Australian health and medical research. Watch below #ResAusAwards

[Australian Health Journal @AUHealthJournal]

RESEARCH AUSTRALIA AWARDS CELEBRATE RESEARCHERS IN LIFE-CHANGING SCIENCE & DISCOVERY Australia’s health and medical research awards, now in their 22nd year

With
Professor Dawn Freshwater, Chair
Research Australia @ResAustralia

Nadia Levin, CEO @nlsydney
Research Australia @ResAustralia

SEGMENT
Filmed in Sydney | October 2026

For more than two decades, the Research Australia Health & Medical Research Awards have recognised the individuals and teams transforming health outcomes across the country. Now in their 22nd year, these prestigious awards showcase the depth and breadth of Australia’s research and innovation community — from discovery and translation through to commercialisation.

The awards shine a spotlight on the researchers, clinicians, philanthropists and advocates whose work improves lives, strengthens the health system and supports Australia’s global leadership in health and medical research.

This year’s combined 2025–26 awards brought together a field of nominees from across the country, reflecting the remarkable strength and diversity of Australia’s health and medical research community. The Award categories were

- Discovery Award
- Health Services Research Award
- Digital & Data Health Innovation Award
- Advocacy & Philanthropy Award
- Frontiers Award

Australian Health Journal spoke with the Research Australia Chair and CEO immediately following the Awards ceremony.

The winners were announced here https://t.co/FnB8JzSCbc

Source: Adapted from Research Australia program for Awards

Australian Health Journal @AUHealthJournal
Produced & published by AUDIENCED
Appear on Australian Health Journal https://t.co/EqFmJO3DQ9

[Research Australia @ResAustralia]

Congratulations to Associate Professor Arutha Kulasinghe, recipient of the UNSW Frontiers Award at our 2025–26 Health and Medical Research Awards. #ResAusAwards

[Bench Side Story @BenchSideStory]

IDENTIFYING BIOMARKERS FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY USING SPATIAL BIOLOGY
With
Associate Professor Arutha Kulasinghe @aruthak, Chair in Spatial Medicine and Principal Research Fellow, Frazer Institute, University of Queensland @UQ_News, & Founding Scientific Director, Queensland Spatial Biology Centre @Qld_SBC, Wesley Research Institute @WesleyResearch, Queensland, Australia

RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Sydney, Australia | October 2026

Associate Professor Arutha Kulasinghe is a Principal Research Fellow at The University of Queensland's Frazer Institute, where he leads the Clinical-oMx Lab. He holds the inaugural Brazil Family Chair in Spatial Medicine and is the founding Scientific Director of the Queensland Spatial Biology Centre at the Wesley Research Institute. He completed his PhD at Queensland University of Technology.

A/Prof Kulasinghe is a pioneer of spatial biology in the Asia-Pacific region and among the first to apply spatial transcriptomics, proteomics and interactomics there. He combines these technologies in an integrated multi-omics approach to understand the biology that drives disease. His research centres on immuno-oncology in lung, skin, and head and neck cancers, with a particular focus on the tumour microenvironment and on finding biomarkers that predict which patients will respond to immunotherapy. He also develops liquid biopsy approaches for lung and head and neck cancer, and has led tissue-atlas studies of infectious diseases, including COVID-19 and pandemic influenza.

He has authored more than 120 peer-reviewed publications, in journals including Nature Genetics, Nature Communications, The Lancet Microbe and the Journal of Clinical Oncology. His honours include Cure Cancer's Researcher of the Year (2023), The Australian's Top Innovators (2024), a Research Australia UNSW Frontiers Award (2026) and InDaily Queensland's 40 Under 40 (2026). He has also been named on The Courier-Mail's Queensland Power Lists for technology and medicine (2026). His work is supported by the MRFF, NHMRC, US Department of Defense, Cancer Australia, Cure Cancer, industry, and hospital and philanthropic partners.

Source: Supplied
Media Access Credit: Research Australia 2025-26 Health and Medical Research Awards @ResAustralia

SEE OTHER RESEARCHER PROFILES

Bench Side Story @BenchSideStory
https://t.co/vzQCTpFOVv
Get your own interviews and research published on Bench Side Story

https://t.co/Qrj09SzaeC

[Research Australia @ResAustralia]

Still riding the high from our 2025–26 Health & Medical Research Awards 🎉 Thank you to everyone who celebrated with us. Winners here 👉 https://t.co/y4Eq5inBac #HealthMedResearch

[Wesley Research Institute @WesleyResearch]

Congratulations to A/Prof Arutha Kulasinghe @aruthak, Scientific Director of the @Qld_SBC and The Brazil Family Chair in Spatial Medicine, for winning the @ResAustralia UNSW Frontiers Award for the Cancer Blueprint Project.

👉https://t.co/uQyHmr8IcG

@UQ_News #medicalresearch

[Research Australia @ResAustralia]

A big thank you to all involved in last night's stellar 22nd @ResAustralia #Health and #MedicalResearch #Awards. We announced the incredible winners & celebrated with a room full of exceptional talent. To all nominees, finalists, sponsors, organisers & members: we appreciate you.

[Research Australia @ResAustralia]

With the MRFF's Strategy and Priorities being updated, here's a handy presentation from @healthgovau on what, how and why now: https://t.co/XUVuXBbm13

Source: Australian Dept of Health, Disability and Ageing

#MedicalResearch #Consultation #MedicalResearchFutureFund

[Research Australia @ResAustralia]

A great step with the Australian Government (@ausgov) investing nearly $430 million, supporting "the nation's highest performing scientists to tackle some of Australia’s greatest health challenges."

https://t.co/lHpMOuQmnE #health #science #research

📸: https://t.co/XdiSkNMhJd

[Research Australia @ResAustralia]

The @nhmrc is investing nearly $1M to help Australian researchers build new international partnerships.

Strengthening global collaboration means greater innovation capacity for Australia’s research system: https://t.co/EfCsbGM0yo

#medicalresearch #health #globalpartnerships

[Research Australia @ResAustralia]

@ResAustralia's latest edition of INSPIRE, Issue 39, is now available! It spotlights the economic & social case for Australia’s #health & #medicalresearch and innovation sector, examining the jobs, industries & healthcare savings this investment delivers: https://t.co/JYlS9SRfRg

[Research Australia @ResAustralia]

Assistant Minister The Hon Rebecca White reinforces that self‑determined, culturally safe care is essential for closing the gap. A representative #FirstNations #healthworkforce is key to better access & trust in #care: https://t.co/eCR0l4RBnp

📸: Assistant Minister Rebecca White

[Research Australia @ResAustralia]

How prepared is Australia's #healthcare system for #AI?

The latest AI roadmap from the Australian Alliance for AI in Healthcare calls for development of an ambitious, #wellresourced National AI in Healthcare strategy.

Read more: https://t.co/NK26aYAe9b

📸: AAIH

[Research Australia @ResAustralia]

AMRAB is inviting feedback on the draft Australian Medical Research and Innovation Strategy 2026–2031 and Priorities 2026–2028 for the Medical Research Future Fund.

Have your say: https://t.co/fnkOJVXST5 #MRFF

#healthresearch #medicalresearch #MRFF

[Research Australia @ResAustralia]

Our latest issue of INSPIRE makes the economic case for health and medical research: the jobs it creates, the healthcare costs it avoids, and the returns it delivers. Read The Research Economy: https://t.co/JYlS9SRNGO

[Research Australia @ResAustralia]

Data Connect Australia has linked billions of health records with zero privacy breaches — powering everything from real-time COVID tracking to Australia's shift to HPV screening. Finalist, Digital & Data Health Innovation Award. 🎟️ https://t.co/lPQ3vA5g2B #ResAusAwards

[Research Australia @ResAustralia]

🏅 Discovery Award finalist Dr Caitlin Jones (@Sydney_Uni) co-led the OPAL trial, proving opioids provide zero benefit for acute back pain — now shaping WHO guidelines & US policy. 🎟️ https://t.co/lPQ3vA5g2B #ResAusAwards #HealthMedResearch

[Research Australia @ResAustralia]

Over 20 years, the Neil and Norma Hill Foundation has quietly seeded some of Australia's boldest rare disease research — from Rett syndrome gene therapy to a world-first childhood blindness model. 🎟️ https://t.co/lPQ3vA5g2B #ResAusAwards #HealthMedResearch

[Research Australia @ResAustralia]

Hospital delirium triples long-term dementia risk — a discovery hiding in plain sight in health records. Congrats to the Unlocking Hidden Insight team, finalists for the Digital & Data Health Innovation Award. 🎟️ https://t.co/lPQ3vA5g2B #ResAusAwards #DigitalHealth

[Research Australia @ResAustralia]

Discovery Award finalist Dr Angli Xue (Garvan Institute/UNSW) mapped the genomic networks behind 16 autoimmune diseases, uncovering 30% more disease-relevant connections and powering a new drug repurposing pipeline. #ResAusAwards @anglixue 🎥 https://t.co/WEbGy9lef1

[Research Australia @ResAustralia]

Meet SCANNER: Deakin University's world-first AI platform exposing the hidden scale of harmful digital marketing to young people — now shaping policy from Australia to Europe. A #ResAusAwards UNSW Frontiers Award finalist. 🎟️ https://t.co/lPQ3vA5g2B

[Research Australia @ResAustralia]

Professor Sam Kosari's nine years of research built the evidence behind on-site aged care pharmacists — driving a $333M federal commitment to safer medication care for older Australians. Bond University Health Services Research Award 🎟️ https://t.co/lPQ3vA5g2B #ResAusAwards