Our story - Research news - SVI scientist receives top award for bone research
SVI scientist receives top award for bone research
October 1st, 2010
Bone research specialist Dr Natalie Sims from St Vincent’s Institute (SVI) has been awarded the prestigious Fuller Albright Award from the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR). The international award recognizes Dr Sims’ achievements in skeletal research, including discoveries of new factors that change the way that cells of bone behave, which has implications for arthritis and osteoporosis treatments.
The Fuller Albright Award is given in recognition of meritorious scientific accomplishment in the bone and mineral field to a researcher under 41 years of age. Dr Sims is the first Australian-based researcher to receive the award.
Dr Sims is head of SVI’s Bone Cell Biology and Disease Unit. She studies how bone cells communicate with each other, aiming to find new ways to combat disorders such as osteoporosis, arthritis and cancer-related bone diseases. The Award marks her as one of the new generation of leaders in bone research internationally.
Arthritis and osteoporosis are among the leading causes of pain and disability in Australia. Arthritis affects over 3 million Australians, including more than one-third of people aged 65 or over. Almost 600,000 Australians have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, with this number likely to be a substantial underestimate of the true extent of the problem.
Professor Emeritus Jack Martin, one of Australia’s most distinguished medical scientists, says that the Award honours Fuller Albright, whose unparalleled achievements made significant contributions to our understanding of bone and the effects of disease on bone.
“Natalie maintains the high international standard required for this very special Award, which is made only to scientists who have achieved exceptionally in a field of endeavour that is highly competitive. I would put it easily on par with winning an Olympic Gold Medal, one requiring brilliance and endurance”, he said.
Dr Sims said that she was honoured to receive the Fuller Albright Award.
“The American Society is the largest and most prestigious bone research society in the world. This award makes it very clear that my research, done in an Australian laboratory, is highly competitive internationally. Funding for research in skeletal disease is very difficult to obtain, but understanding bone biology is essential for progress in treatment of cancer metastasis, arthritis and bone diseases. ”
Natalie hopes that by understanding how bone cells communicate with each other, the team at SVI will be able to find new ways to treat skeletal disorders.
“We need new treatments to prevent fractures in osteoporosis and cancer and to relieve the pain and disability of arthritis; this award shows that we are on the right track,” she added.