Momentum Fellows
Dr Grace Lidgerwood
Dr Grace Lidgerwood is a Research Fellow specialising in stem cell disease modelling. With over a decade of experience in translational disease modelling for retinal diseases, her research has secured more than $1.6 million in funding and contributed to her growing national profile in retinal cell biology. Since earning her PhD in 2018, her research impact has significantly expanded. However, her career trajectory has been affected by major interruptions, including disproportionate caring responsibilities, health conditions, and additional family commitments, which have hindered her ability to sustain academic progress and research momentum.
Despite these challenges, she has maintained a strong publication record in high-impact journals such as Nature Communications and Cell Genomics, fostered key collaborations both domestically and internationally, secured competitive grant funding (including as a Chief Investigator on MRFF, Dementia Australia, and Macular Disease Foundation grants), and contributed to the academic community through supervision of RHD students and community engagement initiatives.
The Momentum Fellowship offers a vital opportunity to rebuild her professional foundation and advance towards a sustainable and impactful academic career.
Abdou Hachani
Dr. Abdou Hachani is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Melbourne. His research focuses on bacterial pathogenesis, particularly the mechanisms by which pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus adapt and survive within host environments. In collaboration with colleagues, Dr. Hachani developed an innovative method leading to the discovery that S. aureus evades immune detection by residing inside human cells, a finding published in eLife in 2023. This work builds upon his previous research on bacterial adaptation during severe infections, including a study on niche-specific genome degradation and convergent evolution in S. aureus, published in eLife in 2022.
In early 2023, Dr. Hachani faced a significant health issue that slowed the progress of his critical research. The Momentum Fellowship will provide essential resources to ensure the continuation of his pivotal work while supporting his recovery and professional development. This opportunity is crucial for sustaining the momentum of his discoveries, reestablishing his research trajectory, and enhancing his competitiveness for future Category 1 funding applications.
Dr Manarangi De Silva
Dr Manarangi De Silva leads research projects addressing maternal morbidity, stillbirth, and maternal death in the Asia-Pacific region. Her work has already influenced policy changes and resulted in publications in The Lancet Regional Health. The Momentum Fellowship will provide essential support to complete these impactful projects and strengthen global collaborations with partners, including lead clinicians in the Solomon Islands, the World Health Organization, Pacific Ministries of Health, and the Burnet Institute. These efforts will enable the formation of new research initiatives aimed at improving maternal health outcomes across the region.
Despite significant personal challenges since 2020, including two complicated pregnancies with severe hyperemesis gravidarum and recurrent vasovagal syncope, Manarangi successfully completed her PhD. However, these experiences limited her ability to fully progress her academic career. The Momentum Fellowship will support her return from parental leave, allowing her to advance her research, expand global networks, and increase her competitiveness for future grants and leadership opportunities.
Dr Simranpreet Kaur
Dr. Simranpreet Kaur is pioneering Australia's only multidisciplinary research program dedicated to KIF1A-Associated Neurological Disorders (KAND), a severe childhood dementia disorder with limited life expectancy. Despite its rarity and lack of research, Dr. Kaur has engaged the global KAND family community to expand this initiative, advance knowledge, foster clinical trials, and alleviate the burden on affected families. Her personal experience as a caregiver for a child with additional needs inspired her research, which aims to improve children's health. She has maintained high productivity with the support of the University of Melbourne (UoM) and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) networks, despite career disruptions and chronic illnesses. The Momentum Fellowship is crucial to overcoming personal challenges and advancing her career, enabling her to strengthen her research efforts, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and enhance her competitiveness for external grants, while also bridging salary gaps and supporting a Research Assistant. This support will empower her to accelerate research initiatives, attain leadership roles in research and advocacy, and expand her research program.
Dr. Elena Schneider-Futscik
Dr. Elena Schneider-Futschik leads the cystic fibrosis pharmacology lab, where she contributes groundbreaking research to develop intervention strategies for vulnerable patient cohorts. Her work has made exceptional contributions to understanding and addressing cystic fibrosis, one of the most common chronic life-threatening genetic disorders. She has successfully secured a grant from Vaincre la Mucoviscidose and submitted NHMRC Investigator and Ideas Grants and a MRFF Respiratory Grant. The Momentum Fellowship supports her research by providing resources to maintain her progress and secure external funding, enabling her to continue advancing her vital work in cystic fibrosis pharmacology.
Dr Bao Nguyen
Dr. Bao Nguyen is a clinician-researcher specializing in human vision neuroscience. She completed her optometry degree, PhD, and postdoctoral training at The University of Melbourne, where she also earned a Graduate Certificate in Adolescent Health and Wellbeing. Her research explores changes in the visual system across the lifespan and in neurological conditions, using clinical tests and neuroscientific methods. As a lecturer, she focuses on enhancing professionalism and empathy among optometry students and develops digital resources to expand optometry practices. Dr. Nguyen also manages an interdisciplinary project to create a device for detecting raised intracranial pressure. She is developing skills in entrepreneurship and innovation, supported by the Momentum Fellowship, which will aid her medtech development efforts by enabling her to strengthen relationships with university and industry partners and advance her project.
Dr Vanessa Ferdinand
Dr Vanessa Ferdinand is a researcher in Computational Cognitive Science in the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences. The Momentum Fellowship will support Vanessa to progress a new collaboration with the Melbourne Centre for Data Science, specifically on predictive processing in human behaviour and the extraction of causal features from complex data. The Fellowship provides Vanessa with research independence and resources to complete existing projects and develop new collaborations that focus on her career development.
Dr Claudia Marck
Dr Claudia Marck is a Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health. Claudia's research focuses on improving health outcomes for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic neurological disease, most commonly diagnosed in young women. This Fellowship will enable Claudia to increase her research outputs and re-build national and international collaborations. It will also enable her to undertake knowledge translation and exchange activities including, for example, developing materials for clinicians with the aim to improve practice.
Dr Alexandra Devine
Alex Devine is a leading disability researcher in the Disability and Health Unit at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health. Alex has led innovative disability-inclusive research and development projects in Australia and internationally. Her research aims to improve the experience of engaging with disability systems such as Disability Employment Services (DES) and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The Momentum Fellowship will support Alex to progress research focusing on people with psychosocial conditions, First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse communities and how they engage with these complex systems.
Dr Emily Karanges
Emily Karanges is a Research Fellow in youth substance use and mental health in the Centre for Youth Mental Health. With a background in behavioural neuroscience and pharmacoepidemiology, Emily's research focuses on early intervention and youth-focused treatment development for problematic cannabis use and withdrawal. The Momentum Fellowship will enable Emily to develop a program of research on cannabis use disorder and its treatment in young people. The fellowship will support Emily's expertise in clinical trial and cannabis use research, generating critical pilot data to support funding applications, strengthening collaborations, and building leadership capacity.
Dr Sheila Patel
Sheila Patel is a Senior Research Fellow based in the Department of Medicine at Austin Health, Melbourne Medical School. Her research identifies novel biomarkers of cardiovascular disease. The goal of her research is to use personalised medicine to prevent or delay cardiovascular disease and its complications, by developing new treatment strategies in cardiovascular disease. The Momentum Fellowship will support Sheila's research goals, enhance her competitiveness for funding applications and research independence and build her leadership capacity.
Dr Jess Heerde
Jess Heerde is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Paediatrics (Melbourne Medical School), Research Fellow (Westpac Scholars Trust) and Honorary Research Fellow (Centre for Adolescent Health, Population Health Studies of Adolescents, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute). She is a research leader in youth homelessness. The Momentum Fellowship will help Jess to progress and build momentum for subsequent funding applications and enhance her capacity for her ongoing research and advocacy in this field.
Dr Kate Filia
Kate Filia is an emerging leader in the field of social inclusion and mental health. Based in the Centre for Youth Mental Health, Kate has developed a novel measure of social inclusion, and a research program dedicated to understanding differences between, and improving, social inclusion across psychiatric diagnoses, developmental stages, in caregivers and at-risk population groups. Kate has experienced significant career interruptions and this fellowship will enhance her capacity to pursue opportunities as an independent researcher, as well as leverage opportunities for future funding support.