Australian Centre for HIV and Hepatitis Virology Awards to Dr Danushka Wijesundara and Zelalem Mekonnen
Two BHI researchers from the Virology Group, led by Professor Eric Gowans, received major awards from the recent Australian Centre for HIV and Hepatitis Virology (ACH2) Conference which was held in the Yarra Valley from 6-8 June. The Hospital Research Foundation’s Early Research Fellow Dr Danushka Wijesundara was awarded the Australian Centre for Hepatitis Virology (ACHV) Chris Burrell HCV International Travel Award (value $4000), while the ACHV Domestic Travel Award (value $1000) was awarded to PhD student Zelalem Mekonnen.
The photo shows four members of the BHI Virology Group with Professor Jens Bukh, from Copenhagen, Denmark, who was the first researcher to publish the finding that there are six major genotypes of the hepatitis C virus. He received the Novo Nordisk Foundation Prize in 2015 (valued at over $600,000) which is awarded to recognise unique medical research, or other research contributions, that benefit medical science. Professor Bukh was the invited plenary speaker at the ACH2 meeting. (L-R): Dr Danushka Wijesundara, Makutiro Masavuli, Professor Jens Bukh, Dr Branka Grubor-Bauk and Zelalem Mekonnen.
