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Flying the flag for WA research thanks to Business Events Aspire Awards

Dr Matthew ‘Tepi’ Mclaughlin is the 2022 The Kids Research Institute Australia Aspire Award winner - coordinated by Western Australia’s peak body for business events, Business Events Perth.

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The Kids Research Institute Australia Director of Research Professor Catherine Elliot with Dr Tepi Mclaughlin and Business Events Perth Chief Executive Officer Gareth Martin.

Some of The Kids Research Institute Australia’s best and brightest will travel to premier conferences thanks to funding from the 2022 Business Events Aspire Awards.

Dr Matthew ‘Tepi’ Mclaughlin is the 2022 The Kids Research Institute Australia Aspire Award winner - coordinated by Western Australia’s peak body for business events, Business Events Perth.

Business Events Perth’s Aspire Awards sponsor local academics, researchers, and health professionals to attend a relevant conference in their discipline to further their professional development.

Dr Mclaughlin is a physical activity researcher at The Kids Research Institute Australia - who has led national and international advocacy activities.

With research expertise in public health and implementation science, he recently spearheaded the Three Transport Priorities — which were launched with federal politicians ahead of the 2022 Australian Federal Election.

Dr Mclaughlin will use his award to attend the premier Micromobility Conference and the Asia-Pacific Society for Physical Activity (ASPA) Conference – providing him with a forum to share expertise and hear about the latest in physical activity research, policy, and practice.

“People underestimate physical activity and its benefits – and by attending these conferences, there is a lot of learnings I can bring back to The Kids Research Institute Australia,” Dr Mclaughlin said.

“I am also privileged to fly the flag for Western Australia and let everyone know we’ve got some fantastic research happening over here too.”

Dr Bradley MacDonald, PhD student as part of the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases END RHD Program, was also successful in the awards, being named the 2022 AMA WA Aspire Award winner.

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Dr Bradley MacDonald with Australian Medical Association Chief Operating Office Amit Vohra.

Dr MacDonald’s work is focused on improving the prognosis of rheumatic heart disease from a population and clinical perspective. He uses novel echocardiographic measures to determine whether early cardiac remodelling in paediatric rheumatic heart disease influences the outcome. 

He will use his award to travel to the World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology next year and hopes to present some of his work on a global stage.

“The World Congress is a rare opportunity to learn from leaders in the field of paediatric cardiology and inspire further directions for the care of children in Western Australia.” Dr MacDonald said.

For more than two decades, the Business Events Aspire Awards have provided Western Australian experts with the opportunity to share knowledge, connect and collaborate with industry leaders at business events all over the globe.

Business Events Perth CEO Gareth Martin said Business Events Perth is proud to recognise some of the State’s Western Australia’s brightest minds and provide them opportunities to showcase their work State to the international community. through this program.

“We’re extremely honoured to be supporting our 2022 Aspire recipients to attend international conferences, where they will meet with other leaders in their fields and create opportunities to bring those conferences to Western Australia in the future.”