All Menzies Memorial Scholars

VERITY PACEY
2012 Menzies Memorial Scholar in the Allied Health Sciences

Verity holds a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Sydney and a Graduate Certificate in Sports Physiotherapy from La Trobe University. 

Her current position is senior physiotherapist in the Connective Tissue Dysplasia Clinic at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Verity began the physiotherapy service to The Children’s Hospital Institute of Sports Medicine.

The two-year Menzies scholarship will help Verity complete her PhD at The University of Sydney into the management and treatment of the connective tissue disease known as hypermobility or loose joints. 

Nov 2012

ASSOC PROFESSOR ANDREW PALMER
1991 Menzies Scholar in Law

Education:
Law degree, Monash University (1989)
BCL, St John's College, Oxford where he was the Vinerian Scholar.

Current position:
Associate Professor, Law School, University of Melbourne.
Barrister, Victorian Bar (admitted 1999).

Andrew Palmer is a lecturer and practising Barrister.

His research and teaching interests lie mainly in the area of evidence and proof, and he has twice acted as a consultant to the Victorian Parliament on inquiries into the law of evidence.

Career History:
Articles, Minter Ellison.
Centre for Philosophy and Public Issues at the University of Melbourne.
Lecturer, Law School, Monash University.
Since 1994, Lecturer then Senior Lecturer, Law School, University of Melbourne primarily engaged in the teaching of, and research into, the law of evidence.
Twice acted as a consultant to Victorian Parliamentary Committees conducting inquiries into aspects of the law of evidence.

Publications:
Proof and the Preparation of Trials (LBC, 2003)
Australian Principles of Evidence (2nd ed, 2004, with Jeremy Gans)

DR KEN C PANG
2007 NHMRC/R G Menzies Fellowship

Dr Ken Pang from the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research took up his Fellowship in 2008 at the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University. His study is "RNA transport: a new paradigm in cell-to-cell communication".

Commended - 2006 Victorian Premier's Award for Medical Research:

"Dr Pang has made a valuable contribution in a new area of biological research that focuses on the recently recognised non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Unlike the well-known mRNAs, ncRNAs do not code for proteins, but instead seem to regulate the expression and fate of mRNAs within cells.

"Dr Pang has chronicled both the evolution and developmental expression patterns of ncRNAs. He has assembled a comprehensive ncRNA database which has been accessed by biomedical researchers worldwide.

"He has described a new class of very large ncRNAs. Using the immune system as a model, he has also illustrated the likely importance of ncRNAs by showing that, when cytotoxic T lymphocytes develop, they express a characteristic set of novel ncRNAs which may contribute to their functional maturation.

"In parallel, Dr Pang has also studied how the immune system fights virus infections. He determined that minor changes in how foreign viral molecules are displayed to cytotoxic T lymphocytes can dramatically influence how well these cells respond to infection.

"Dr Pang’s research has been published in several high profile journals in the fields of both Genetics and Immunology."

Aug 2008

SUSANNA PARK
2010 NH MRC/RG Menzies Fellowship

Susanna completed a BSc with First Class Honours in neuroscience and a Bachelor of Psychology from the Australian National University (2004).  She received the University Medal in Neuroscience for her Honours research undertaken in the Neuronal Signalling Laboratory at the John Curtin School of Medical Research.  She completed her PhD under the supervision of Matthew Kiernan and Cindy Lin in 2010 focusing on chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity.

From Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Susanna took up her postdoctoral Fellowship in 2011 at the Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, University College London. She is working on the damaging impact of chemotherapy on nerves.

Susanna has several publications including two book chapters and has presented her research at national and international conferences for which she was awarded the Tow Research prize in 2007 and the Young Investigator prize at the Clinical Neurophysiology Workshop of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists in 2009.

Jan 2011

MATTHEW PASE
2011 Menzies Memorial Scholar in the Allied Health Sciences

Matthew Pase holds the degrees of Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) with First Class Honours (2009) and Bachelor of Science (Psychology and Psychophysiology) (2008) from Swinburne University of Technology. His PhD project is investigating whether a healthy diet can help to counter the slowing of brain function with age.

A tutor in psychology at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Matthew’s research is already internationally recognized through presentations at conferences and articles in peer-reviewed journals. His most recent international conference presentation won the prestigious Templeton Foundation prize for best PhD paper. Another of his conference presentations was listed as a highlight at the world’s largest conference of hypertension and cardiovascular disease this year held in Milan and attended by more than 6,000 delegates.

Sept 2011

KATHLEEN PAYNE
1999 Menzies Memorial Scholar in Law

Education:

BA and LLB (H1) from the University of Queensland (1997) (awarded the University Medal)
MPhil (Criminology) (1 year), Cambridge University (1999)

Kathy is a Barrister in Brisbane.

KATHRYN PETERSON
2007 Menzies Memorial Scholar in Law

Kate Peterson holds the degrees of BEc (Social Sciences) with First Class Honours and the University Medal (2004) and LLB with First Class Honours (2006) from the University of Sydney. She was ranked 3/316 in her graduating class.

Kate completed her one year scholarship at the London School of Economics where she gained an LLM (Labour Law).

She is a Senior Associate at Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Sydney.

Oct 2007

DR JOHN PIMANDA
2003 NHMRC/R G Menzies Fellowship

Dr John Pimanda from the Centre for Vascular Research at the University of New South Wales was awarded the Fellowship in 2003.  He was Haematology Fellow/Senior Medical Registrar at The Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney. 

John took up his Fellowship in 2004 at the Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge. His study was "Transcriptional Control of Stem Cell Identity and Development".

Oct 2003

THOMAS PRINCE
2009 Menzies Memorial Scholar in Law

Thomas Prince holds the degrees of LLB with First Class Honours and the University Medal (2008) and BSc with First Class Honours and the University Medal (2006) from the University of Sydney.

Tom took up the degree of LLM at University College, London in October 2009.

Oct 2008

DR KERYN PROCTOR
2004 Menzies Memorial Scholar in the Allied Health Sciences

Keryn Proctor holds the degree of Masters of Family Therapy from La Trobe University.

Kerry's PhD project entitled "The Breaking Through Project: A school, family and rural community partnership to reduce suicide risk and increase safety in schools for at risk youth", was carried out in the Bouverie Centre, La Trobe University. 

Breaking Through was developed in response to the concerns of the Departments of Education and Training (DE&T) and Human Services (DHS) about school bullying and violence and their link to depression and suicide in young people.  It is a community development and holistic approach to challenge discrimination in schools involving families, students, staff and workers.

Sep 2006