The National Foundation for Medical Research and Innovation offers the Dr John Raftos AM Award for Advancing Innovation every two years to an existing NFMRI grant recipient for an outstanding contribution towards the development and advancement of a biomedical innovation related to the nature, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and incidence of disease and other health problems that have a significant impact on the health of humans.
The medal is awarded with a prize of $50,000, in the form of a grant to support the research activities of the recipient.
About Dr John Raftos AM
Dr John Raftos was a leading cardiologist and hypertension researcher who served our Foundation from 1982-2007.
As a cardiologist, he was instrumental in the development of revolutionary treatments using anti-hypertension drugs, including beta-blockers. A world expert in his field, he was widely published in international medical journals and was made a life member of the High Blood Pressure Council of Australia. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1991 for his “services to medicine, particularly in the field of hypertension and cardiology”.
Dr Raftos became president of Sydney Hospital in 1978 and shortly afterwards joined our Foundation, many years of which he served as Chairman of the Board.
Dr Raftos passed away at the age of 87 and will be remembered as a determined and passionate individual who was not afraid of a challenge and happy to advocate for change.
About the Award
The award is presented to the researcher judged by our Research Advisory Committee (RAC) and Board to be responsible for outstanding contributions to biomedical innovation advancement following the review of the acquittal forms and other supporting materials including published papers, patents, evidence of translation etc. Innovations will include Australian research and discoveries into new medicines, vaccines, biologicals, devices, tools or diagnostics.
The Directors of the Foundation are the final judge of the award. The award may be shared if the judges agree that more than one applicant is equally worthy of the award. If there aren’t any suitable candidates, the Foundation may elect not to offer the award in any particular year.
The recipient of the award will be invited to present at the NFMRI annual award ceremony, which is normally held in November or December each year.
2024 Dr John Raftos AM Award Winners: Prof. Michael Good AO and Prof. Peter van Wijngaarden
Prof. Peter van Wijngaarden and Prof. Michael Good AO are the recipients of NFMRI’s 2024 Dr John Raftos AM Award for Advancing Innovation. The Board of NFMRI awarded the medal to Prof. Good for the significant advancement of both the malaria and group A streptococcus vaccines supported by NFMRI, as well as to A/Prof van Wijngaarden for the translation of his state-of-the-art retinal camera prototype via the establishment of spin-off company “Enlighten Imaging”. Both candidates have achieved tremendous success in their own right, and as both were equally worthy of the Award, it was resolved by the Board to present two Awards in 2024. Each recipient will receive a prize of $50,000 in the form of a research grant to continue supporting their research activities.
Some of the key highlights from both recipients can be found below:
1. Prof Michael Good AO, Griffith University “Producing and testing a GMP grade peptide conjugate vaccine to prevent infection with group A streptococcus”, $251,000 over three years (2015-2017) Indication: group A streptococcus | Type: vaccine
Key outcomes/outputs to date include:
- Leveraged $3,500,000 from the Heart Foundation
- Leveraged over $750,000 of funding from external sources, including Lowitja, Snow Foundation etc.
- $550,000 in funding and over $500,000 in kind to fund a Phase 1 clinical trial from the Li Ka Shing Institute (Canada)
- Investment from industry
- Currently in Phase 1 clinical trial overseas
- Anticipated commercialisation through Australian NewCo establishment in 2023/24
“Manufacture and evaluation of a chemically attenuated Plasmodium falciparum whole parasite blood- stage malaria“, $200,000 (2018-2021)
Indication: malaria | Type: vaccine
Key outcomes/outputs to date include:
- Rotary Health grant, $1,035,648
- Medical Research Future Fund, $500,000
- Private trust funding, $570,000
- Private philanthropic donor, $372,027
- Griffith University funding, $334,968
- Collaborating with industry and currently in clinical trial
2. Prof Peter van Wijngaarden, Centre for Eye Research Australia “Translating an eye imaging biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease to the clinic”, $250,000 from 2019-2021
Indication: Alzheimer’s disease | Type: Device
Some of the key highlights from this project’s progress include:
- BioMedTech Horizons 2.0 grant, $1,000,000
- NHMRC research grant, $1,400,000
- Funding from multiple external sources, $2,600,000
- Well advanced camera prototypes
- Strong IP position
- Spin-off company “Enlighten Imaging”
- Has garnered support from the likes of Bill & Melinda Gates and Jeff Bezos via the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation
