The Paul and Valeria Ainsworth Precision Medicine Research Fellowship supports the advancement of early to mid-career researchers at WIMR, and WIMR\u2019s Precision Medicine initiative.
\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/8c3d0dda-a960-4e5c-b9c1-5a2e24465768_222_159.jpeg\")
\nThe Fellowship is awarded to one high achieving early or mid-career researcher whose work represents an innovative approach to their discipline, using Precision Medicine, where the potential for translational outcomes are significant.\u00a0 It is expected that the Fellowship will help provide preliminary data and track record, allowing the winner to successfully apply for a larger grant from an independent granting body, such as the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) or Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).<\/p>\n
Professor Philip O\u2019Connell, WIMR\u2019s Executive Director and Chair of The Paul and Valeria Ainsworth Precision Medicine Research Fellowship selection panel, says that the calibre of applications was very high.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe panel and I were very impressed with the applications received, from within WIMR and beyond.\u00a0 On behalf of the selection panel, I\u2019d like to thank all those researchers who took the time and effort to apply.\u201d<\/p>\n
Curing Hepatitis B<\/strong> Associate Professor Tu says, \u201cMy research focuses on how Hepatitis B establishes a chronic infection.\u00a0 If we can find out how the virus stays in the liver, we can try to make drugs to reverse this and cure the infection.<\/p>\n \u201cMy goal is to develop a cure for Hepatitis B and stop liver cancer from taking hold in those affected by the disease.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a huge issue; a person dies every minute due to Hepatitis B and anything that can reduce this outcome is worthwhile.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the moment, we have no cure, and the major limitation is time and resources.\u00a0 We have such passionate, experienced, and smart researchers looking at this.\u00a0 We just need the support to make it happen.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is why The Paul and Valeria Ainsworth Precision Medicine Research Fellowship is so vital.\u00a0 I cannot overstate the impact this funding will have on our research. I am extremely grateful to have been selected, and I sincerely thank Paul and Valeria Ainsworth for their vision and support.\u201d<\/p>\n Living with Hepatitis B<\/strong> \u201cMy family is from Vietnam, where chronic Hepatitis B affects about 20% of the population.<\/p>\n \u201cThat diagnosis was a shock and upsetting, but at the same time, I didn\u2019t know what it meant.\u201d<\/p>\n Associate Professor Tu is not only searching for a cure for Hepatitis B, he is also advocating for the Hepatitis B community.<\/p>\n \u201cI was fed up with the lack of resources and support networks for people with Hepatitis B, so I started a website myself called HepBcommunity.org.\u00a0 We have scientists and doctors answering people\u2019s questions 24\/7 as a completely free volunteer service and have now supported more than 1,500 people on the site.<\/p>\n \u201cWith others living with Hepatitis B, I have also started Hepatitis B Voices Australia, an independent non-profit that advocates, supports, represents and amplifies the voices of those affected by Hepatitis B.\u201d<\/p>\n Congratulations to Associate Professor Thomas Tu, and thank you to all who submitted applications for The Paul and Valeria Ainsworth Precision Medicine Research Fellowship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR) is delighted to announce the winner of The Paul and Valeria Ainsworth Precision Medicine Research Fellowship. Congratulations to Associate Professor Thomas Tu from WIMR\u2019s Storr Liver Centre. The Paul and Valeria Ainsworth Precision Medicine Research Fellowship supports the advancement of early to mid-career researchers at WIMR, and WIMR\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":3247,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"categories":[19],"class_list":["post-3245","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cat-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wimr.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/3245","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wimr.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wimr.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wimr.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wimr.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wimr.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nAssociate Professor Thomas Tu\u2019s application focused on a Precision Medicine approach to solving key issues related to Hepatitis B, liver cancer, and developing new treatments.<\/p>\n
\nAssociate Professor Tu truly understands the need for better outcomes for those living with Hepatitis B.\u00a0 He was diagnosed with Hepatitis B at the age of 14.<\/p>\n