A The Kids Research Institute Australia researcher who is part of an international research project working to understand how our genes keep us healthy has been awarded an Australian Museum Eureka Prize.
Computational biologist Associate Professor Timo Lassmann is a core member and organizer of the FANTOM5 Project which was last night awarded the Scopus Eureka Prize for Excellence in International Scientific Collaboration.
FANTOM5 is a massive international collaboration involving 260 scientists from over 20 countries, including 22 Australians, working together to understand how our genome encodes the various cell types that allow us to maintain health.
FANTOM5 collaborators include Perth's Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, The University of Melbourne, University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, The Kids Research Institute Australia and RIKEN Japan.
The Kids Research Institute Australia Director Professor Jonathan Carapetis congratulated Associate Professor Lassmann on his team's award.
"I am extremely proud of Dr Lassmann for not only being a Eureka awardee but for being a member of this highly esteemed and influential research collaboration," Professor Carapetis said.
"The work Associate Professor Lassmann and the rest of the FANTOM5 team are doing is incredibly complex and will help us better understand and treat diseases affecting all parts of the body, including the brain, muscles and immune system."
Professor Carapetis and vaccine researcher Dr Tom Snelling were also finalists in the prestigious awards.
Watch the FANTOM5 video to find out more.
Learn more about the FANTOM5 Project here.
About The Kids Research Institute Australia:
The Kids Research Institute Australia is one of the largest, and most successful medical research institutes in Australia, comprising a dedicated and diverse team of more than 500 staff and students.
We've created a bold blueprint that brings together community, researchers, practitioners, policy makers and funders, who share our vision to improve the health and wellbeing of children through excellence in research.
The Institute is headed by leading paediatrician and infectious diseases expert Professor Jonathan Carapetis, with Founding Director Professor Fiona Stanley now Patron.
The Kids is independent and not-for-profit. The majority of funding comes from our success in winning national and international competitive research grants. We also receive significant philanthropic support from corporate Australia and the community.