TQEH Research Expo 2020 was held on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 October.
Each October the Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research holds TQEH Research Expo which now forms part of CALHN Research Week. TQEH Research Expo provides researchers in training with the opportunity to gain valuable experience in delivering presentations before a broad audience.
For the first time since 2008, TQEH Research Expo was held in the main lecture theatre at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (on Friday), to allow a larger live audience to attend while adhering to COVID restrictions. This year all sessions could also be attended via Zoom. We would like to thank Professor Toby Coates for his outstanding Plenary Lecture [watch Zoom recording], invited guests who were able to attend in person – especially those who chaired sessions, as well as researchers/clinicians who judged abstracts and presentations. [scroll down to see a photo slideshow below the table of Award Winners].
Save the date for the 30th TQEH Research Expo, to be held on Thursday 14th and Friday 15th October 2021!
TQEH Research Expo 2020 Award Winners
Congratulations to all students who presented the results of their research at the 29th TQEH Research Expo. Eight prizes were awarded across different categories thanks to our generous sponsors (see table below the photo).

Category | Prize Sponsor | Winner | BHI Research Group |
---|---|---|---|
Best Lay Description | The Hospital Research Foundation ($350) | Sean Mangion, University of South Australia | Therapeutics Research Centre |
Best Mini-Oral Presentation (Undergraduates) | The University of Adelaide, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences ($500) | Dawn Whelan, The University of Adelaide | Viral Immunology Group |
Best Mini-Oral Presentation (PhD students) | University of South Australia, Clinical & Health Sciences ($500) | Muhammed Awad, University of South Australia | ENT Surgery |
Best Oral Presentation: Honours Students | Lonza & The Hospital Research Foundation ($1000) | Michelle Sims, The University of Adelaide | Clinical Pharmacology Research Group |
Best Oral Presentation: Junior Laboratory PhD students | Southern Cross Science & The Hospital Research Foundation ($1000) | Gohar Shaghayegh, The University of Adelaide | ENT Surgery |
Best Oral Presentation: Senior Laboratory PhD students | University of South Australia, Clinical & Health Sciences ($1000) | Dr Michael Gouzos, The University of Adelaide | ENT Surgery |
Best Oral Presentation: Clinical Research Group 1 | The University of Adelaide, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences ($1000) | Alannah Quinliven, The University of Adelaide | Rheumatology Research Group |
Best Oral Presentation: Clinical Research Group 2 | The Hospital Research Foundation ($1000) | Dr Giri Krishnan, The University of Adelaide | ENT Surgery |
The full program, including Abstracts, can be downloaded here.
The 29th TQEH Research Expo Plenary Lecture, held at 12pm on Friday 16 October, was chaired by Professor Guy Maddern, Director of Research, Basil Hetzel Institute, TQEH.
Professor Toby Coates, Director of Kidney and Islet Transplantation at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, and Professor of Medicine at The University of Adelaide presented his talk “Recycling Islets to Treat Diabetes” to a live audience, as well as a Zoom audience!
Professor Toby Coates is a Renal Transplant Nephrologist at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH), whose work in the area of kidney and pancreatic islet cell transplantation has saved the lives of countless diabetes and kidney disease patients across South Australia. One of the highlights of his career is successfully performing the first islet cell transplant surgery in SA in 2010 as a cure for type 1 diabetes. Professor Coates also leads the Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, in the Central Northern Adelaide Renal and Transplantation Service (CNARTS) at the RAH, focusing on the isolation and transplantation of healthy pancreatic islets as an innovative treatment and potential cure for type 1 diabetes. Professor Coates is committed to improving the lives of those living with kidney disease and diabetes.
Sponsors:
The following sponsors are thanked for supporting TQEH Research Expo 2020: The Hospital Research Foundation, The University of Adelaide (Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences), University of South Australia (Clinical and Health Sciences), Lonza, Southern Cross Science, Chem-Supply, Beckmann Coulter, Eppendorf, Bio-Strategy and the Australian Genome Research Facility Ltd.
If you would like to find out more about sponsoring the 2021 TQEH Research Expo please email Kathryn Hudson.
2020 TQEH Research Expo Organising Committee
Position | Name | Affiliation | Phone | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Chair | A/Prof Joy Rathjen | BHI Scientific Director | +61 8 8222 6524 | joy.rathjen@sa.gov.au |
Member | Ms Gwenda Graves | BHI Research Secretariat | +61 8 8222 6870 | gwenda.graves@sa.gov.au |
Member | Dr Rebecca Anderson | BHI Communications Officer | +61 8 8222 7345 | rebecca.anderson@adelaide.edu.au |
Member | Ms Kathryn Hudson | BHI Facilities Manager | +61 8222 7427 | kathryn.hudson@sa.gov.au |
Member | Dr Prue Cowled | Discipline of Surgery, University of Adelaide | +61 8 8222 7541 | prue.cowled@adelaide.edu.au |
Member | Dr Adrian Abdo | Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide | adrian.abdo@adelaide.edu.au | |
Member | Dr Yuliy Chirkov | Cardiology Unit, TQEH | +61 8 8133 4010 | yuliy.chirkov@adelaide.edu.au |
Member | Dr Jenny Hardingham | Department of Haematology and Medical Oncology, TQEH | +61 8 8222 6142 | jenny.hardingham@sa.gov.au |
Member | A/Prof Anne Hamilton-Bruce | Neurology Unit, CALHN | +61 8 8222 6411 | anne.hamilton-bruce@sa.gov.au |
Member | Ms Sue Lester | Rheumatology Unit, TQEH | +61 9133 4026 | susan.lester@sa.gov.au |
Member | Dr Eric Smith | Department of Haematology and Medical Oncology, TQEH | eric.smith@adelaide.edu.au | |
Member | Ms Abbey Bell | The Hospital Research Foundation | +61 8 8244 1100 | abell@hospitalresearch.com.au |
Member | Dr Rosanna Tavella | Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide | rosanna.tavella@adelaide.edu.au | |
Member | A/Prof Joanne Young | Department of Haematology and Medical Oncology, TQEH | +61 8 8222 8695 | joanne.young@adelaide.edu.au |
2019 TQEH Research Expo

Category | Prize Sponsor | Winner | BHI Research Group |
---|---|---|---|
Best Oral Presentation: Honours and Summer Students | The University of Adelaide & The Hospital Research Foundation ($1000) | Ahad Sabab | ENT Surgery |
Best Oral Presentation: Junior Laboratory PhD students | University of South Australia ($1000) | Laurine Kaul | Surgical Science Research Group |
Best Oral Presentation: Senior Laboratory PhD students | University of South Australia & Southern Cross Science ($1000) | Amita Ghadge | Breast Biology and Cancer Unit |
Best Oral Presentation: Clinical Trainees | The Hospital Research Foundation ($1000) | Oscar Russell | Rheumatology Research Group |
Best Oral Presentation: Clinical Higher Degree Students | The University of Adelaide ($1000) | Mark Thompson | Adelaide G-TRAC Centre |
Best Poster and Mini-Oral Presentation Prize (Laboratory) | The Hospital Research Foundation ($500) | Maryam Nakhjavani | Solid Tumour Group |
Best Poster and Mini-Oral Presentation Prize (Clinical) | The Hospital Research Foundation ($500) | Tom Eldredge | Oesophageal Physiology Group |
Best Lay Description | Chem-Supply ($350) | Unyime Jasper | Adelaide G-TRAC Centre |
Sponsors
We thank the following sponsors for supporting the 2019 TQEH Research Expo: The Hospital Research Foundation, The University of Adelaide (Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences), University of South Australia (School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences), Southern Cross Science, Chem-Supply, Beckmann Coulter, Eppendorf, Abacus dx, Bio-Strategy and the Australian Genome Research Facility Ltd.
Program
2019 TQEH Research Expo Program Booklet
2018 TQEH Research Expo
To view the slideshow, click on the left and right arrows on the sides of each image.
2018 TQEH Research Expo Award Winners

Category | Prize Sponsor | Winner | BHI Research Group |
---|---|---|---|
Best Oral Presentation: Honours and Summer Students | The Hospital Research Foundation | Ashley Twigger | ENT Surgery |
Best Oral Presentation: Junior Laboratory PhD students | Co-sponsored by ThermoFisher Scientific and The University of Adelaide | Giri Krishnan | ENT Surgery |
Best Oral Presentation: Senior Laboratory PhD students | The University of Adelaide | Lisa Cherian | ENT Surgery |
Best Oral Presentation: Clinical Trainees | The Hospital Research Foundation | Rachel Goggin | ENT Surgery |
Best Oral Presentation: Clinical Higher Degree Students | University of South Australia | Anupam Gupta | Adelaide G-TRAC |
Poster Prize | Southern Cross Science | Namfon Pantarat | Breast Cancer Research Unit |
Best Lay Description | Lonza | Rachel Goggin | ENT Surgery |
Ivan De La Lande Award (for eligible Clinical Pharmacology or Cardiology student/trainee) | Clementine Labrosciano | Translational Vascular Function Research Collaborative (Medicine) |
2018 Sponsors and Prizes
The following organisations are thanked for sponsoring TQEH Research Expo 2018.
The Hospital Research Foundation, The University of Adelaide (Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences), The University of South Australia (School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences), Southern Cross Science, ThermoFisher Scientific, Lonza, Beckmann Coulter, Eppendorf, the Australian Genome Research Facility, Abacus dx and Coherent Scientific.