2023 Award Winners
The Annual Scientific Meeting for The Australia & New Zealand Society of Respiratory Science and The Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand, TSANZSRS 2023, was held in March, in Christchurch, New Zealand, marking the first in-person TSANZSRS since 2019. It was a joy to be able to celebrate the 2023 TSANZ Award winners together during the TSANZ Awards for Respiratory Research Excellence ceremony.
In partnership with Lung Foundation Australia and National Asthma Council Australia, the Thoracic Society presented over ten awards totalling more than $150,000. The research awards are supported by the generosity of private donations, bequests, and sponsorship and these funded projects leverage additional financing from recipients’ institutions.
We extend our gratitude to our generous donors, sponsors, and organizational partners for supporting our world-class researchers and contributing to the development of respiratory knowledge and workforce capacity.
At the 2023 TSANZSRS we also announced the TSANZ Awards by Nomination, and the TSANZ Ann Woolcock New Investigator Award winner at the TSANZ Gala Dinner. The TSANZ Awards by Nomination recognise individuals who have made outstanding contributions to respiratory health and we extend our warmest congratulations to each recipient of this prestigious honour.
TSANZ would like to congratulate the following Award winners. For information on how to apply for next year’s Awards visit the TSANZ website Research and Awards page.
2023 RESPIRATORY RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS
| Award | Winner(s) |
| TSANZ Janet Elder International Travel Award – Early Career | Dr Elena Schneider-Futschik |
| TSANZ Janet Elder International Travel Award – Early Career | Dr Samuel Montgomery |
| TSANZ Janet Elder International Travel Award – Mid Career | Dr Chantal Donovan |
| TSANZ Ann Woolcock New Investigator Award Winner | Ms Denby Evans |
| Ann Woolcock New Investigator Award Finalists | Miss Julia Chitty, Dr Alistair Cook, Miss Emily Hemstock, Mr Andrew Vaitekenas, Ms Carolyn Wang |
| TSANZ Peter Phelan Research Award | Dr Dwan Vilcins |
| TSANZ Past Presidents Scholarship Award | Mrs Senani Rathnayake Mudiyanselage |
| TSANZ Robert Pierce Grant-In-Aid for Indigenous Lung Health | Assoc Prof Subash Heraganahally |
| TSANZ Chiesi Advancing Women in Respiratory Health Award – Early Career Respiratory Professional | Assoc Prof Yet Hong Khor |
| TSANZ Chiesi Advancing Women in Respiratory Health Award – Mid-Career Respiratory Professional | Dr Hayley Scott |
| Sukhdev Singh Sohal COPD Research Award, supported by TSANZ and LFA Hope Research Fund | Dr Maitri Munsif |
| TSANZ and National Asthma Council Australia Asthma and Airways Career Development Fellowship | Dr Bronwyn Brew |
2023 SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP AWARD WINNERS
| Award | Winner(s) |
| Funded by Asthma Australia; TSANZ Asthma and Allergy SIG Award | Dr Chantal Donovan for their presentation “GPR84 antagonist, GLPG1205, reduces disease features in experimental severe asthma” |
| Funded by TSANZ; TSANZ Cell, Immunology & Molecular Biology of the Lung SIG Award | Dr Rhiannon Werder for their presentation “Function of COPD susceptibility genes in iPSC-derived alveolar epithelial cells” |
| Funded by Radiometer; TSANZ Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease SIG Award | Ms Lena Ly for their presentation “Social determinants of advance chronic respiratory interventions: a scoping review” |
| Funded by Cystic Fibrosis Australia; TSANZ Cystic Fibrosis SIG Award | Dr Elena Schneider-Futschik for their presentation “Cystic Fibrosis Modulator triple combination in pregnancy and lactation – effects on the developing lung, gut and pancreas” |
| Funded by Lung Foundation Australia; LFA David Serisier Memorial Award for Translational Research in Bronchiectasis | Mrs Kobi Schutz for their presentation “Baseline characteristics of an RCT using a bronchiectasis management plan” |
| Funded by TSANZ; TSANZ Evidence Based Medicine SIG Award | Dr Qiang Zheng for their presentation “Immortal time bias affects effect size estimates” |
| Funded by TSANZ; TSANZ Interventional Pulmonology SIG Award | Dr Charlotte Wigston for their presentation “Pilot study: Taurolidine-citrate lock devices in Indwelling Pleural Catheters” |
| Funded by TSANZ; TSANZ Lung Cancer SIG Award | Dr Cheng Leong Yeo for their presentation “Audit on efficacy of fast track lung cancer clinic” |
| Funded by TSANZ; TSANZ Bill Musk Occupational & Environmental Lung Disease SIG Award | Dr Chandnee Ramkissoon for their presentation “Engineered stone dusts: what do they contain?” |
| Funded by Boehringer Ingelheim; TSANZ Orphan Lung Diseases, Lung Transplant, Interstitial Lung Disease and Pulmonary Vascular Disease (OLIV) SIG Award | Dr Ridzuan Mohsin for their presentation “Baseline lung allograft dysfunction predicts poor survival after transplantation” |
| Funded by TSANZ; TSANZ ASM Best Poster Award | Miss Paola Urroz for their presentation “Identifying treatable traits in people with bronchiectasis” |
| Funded by TSANZ; TSANZ Peter van Asperen Paediatric SIG Award | Dr Dustin Mills for their presentation “Factors associated with radiographic reversibility in paediatric Bronchiectasis” |
| Funded by TSANZ; TSANZ Physiotherapy SIG Award | Ms Kathryn Watson for their presentation “1-minute-sit-to-stand-test elicits less desaturation than 6MWT in advanced respiratory disease” |
| Funded by TSANZ; TSANZ Primary Care SIG Award | Miss Sanduni Madawala for their presentation “The healthcare experiences of patients with COPD: an IPA study” |
| Funded by Lung Foundation Australia; TSANZ John Reid Pulmonary Physiology and Sleep SIG Award | Dr Mario Fernando for their presentation “Oscillometry in severe eosinophilic asthma commencing mepolizumab or benralizumab” |
| Funded by Lung Foundation Australia; TSANZ Respiratory Infectious Diseases SIG Award | Miss Reanne Ho for their presentation “SARS-CoV-2 spike fails to induce inflammation in paediatric airway cells” |
| Funded by Caire Australia; TSANZ Respiratory Nurses SIG Award | Mrs Sarah Candy for their presentation “Providing choice in pulmonary rehabilitation” |
| Funded by TSANZ; TSANZ Nutrition SIG Award | Dr Megan Jensen for their presentation “Barriers to breastfeeding are common amongst women with asthma” |
| Funded by TSANZ; TSANZ Tobacco and Related Substances SIG Award | Dr Moya Vandeleur for their presentation “E-cigarette vapours cause irreversible damage in airway epithelial defence” |
2023 TSANZ Awards by Nomination
TSANZ 2023 President’s Award: Ms Letitia Harding
TSANZ 50th Anniversary Medal for Education and Training: Dr Elaine Yap & Professor Ian Yang
TSANZ Society Medal: Mrs Sue Morey