La Trobe University researcher Dr Brooke Patterson has won the Premier's Award for Health and Medical Research Excellence.
Dr Patterson, from the Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, School of Allied Health, Human Services, and Sport (SAHHS), was one of two La Trobe researchers recognised at the awards. She also won the Clinical Researcher Award.
Dr Ebony Monson, from La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS) and School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment (SABE), won the Basic Science Researcher Award.
Dr Patterson designed an injury-prevention program called Prep-to-Play for women and girls playing community-level Australian rules football. The program aims to reduce injuries, with a focus on knee injuries and concussion.
"Winning this award is meaningful because it recognises research that has practical, real‑world impact," Dr Patterson said.
"Women and girls deserve evidence‑based programs that help keep them safe, confident and on the field, and Prep to Play is about making sport more accessible and sustainable at the grassroots level. I'm proud of the work our team has done alongside community clubs and organisations and I'm excited to continue translating research into meaningful change."
Dr Monson's research aims to redefine how we understand early immune responses to viral infections and opens up new possibilities for broad-spectrum antiviral therapies that could improve global health outcomes.
Dr Monson said she felt incredibly excited and humbled by the award recognition.
"This means a lot, especially in a field where so many people are doing amazing work," Dr Monson said.
"It makes me feel really proud to be recognised as an emerging leader in my field and also to represent something visible for young girls who might be thinking about a career in science, because you can't be what you can't see.
"It also makes me feel really energised about what comes next. I'm incredibly grateful for the recognition of our work and to my team, mentors and collaborators. This is absolutely a shared effort and it wouldn't be possible without them."
Established in 1995, the Victorian Premier's Awards for Health and Medical Research recognise the exceptional contributions of Victoria's early career health and medical researchers (Early Career Researchers) and highlight the breadth of work being undertaken in Victoria to make significant improvements to the lives of people around the world.
Photo (L-R): Dr Brooke Patterson and Dr Ebony Monson
