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For the Love of Science-Take 2!
Posted: 18th February 2020
We are pleased to announce that $200,000 was raised at SVI's 2nd Annual 'For the Love of Science' fundraising dinner. Proceeds from the event are designated for our Rising Star Program.
The Rising Stars Program was established to celebrate and support SVI’s best and brightest young scientists. Rising Star Award recipients are provided seed funding for their research to give them the early results and track record they need to attract further funding.
Last year’s Rising Star recipient, Dr Jacki Heraud-Farlow, is recognised for her excellence as an early career researcher both at the Institute and further afield. Her work focuses on Aicardi Goutières Syndrome, a rare genetic condition which affects newborn infants and usually results in severe mental and physical handicap.
Jacki spoke to the dinner guests about what their support meant to her and her research:
“The award I received from funds raised at this dinner last year was used to generate some important new models that we can use to study Aicardi Goutières syndrome in the lab setting. It is quite early stage and would have taken much longer to attract traditional funds for this work, so what you have done is really accelerate our research.
“Fortunately, I’m also really happy to say that at the end of the year my peers also saw the value in this work and have awarded me my first grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council to continue this work for the next 3 years.
“So in addition to providing financial support to the projects that we run in the lab, I’m also so grateful for the philanthropic support from people like yourselves that has given me the confidence at this early stage in my career, time to focus on the projects and also the catalyst to follow projects that have led to more funding.”
Thank you to all of our wonderful guests who attended the event – for their support and interest in the Institute, and for supporting our Rising Stars. And to those five donors who made Rising Star pledges on the evening – your generosity is also much appreciated.
We’d especially like to acknowledge the event committee members Caroline Daniell, Kallie Blauhorn and Karen Inge; the masterful MC, Jim Wilson; our outstanding auctioneer, Jim Hatzimoisis and the magnificent voices of the Veneto Club Choir, who all contributed to make it a successful and entertaining evening.
Congratulations to the bidders who triumphed in the auction, and to the lucky winners of the raffle. And last but not least, congratulations to the lucky winners of our raffle prizes on the evening; we are sure they will enjoy their great prizes!
Sponsors and supporters
Raffle winners
Raffle Item Winner’s Name
Village Roadshow VIP Pass Mark Guirguis
Peter Rowland Food & Beverage Voucher Margaret Marks
2 nights’ Accommodation at Crown Metropol William Bell
T2 Wellness Hamper Ilana Atlas
Maha East Voucher Peter Gaunt
Mr Porter Men's Accessories Pack Maria Ryan
Tumi Hair Hamper Chris Lord
La Face Spa Package Chris Thomas
The Saturday Paper & The Monthly Maria Smith
12-month digital subscription
Melbourne Fashion Festival Tickets Mem Kirby
Bass & Flinders Bottle of Gin & Bar set Margaret Lodge
Aesop Luxury Skin & Body Set Maria Ryan