02 9541 3500ATA Scientific Travel Award winners – Jun 2012
ATA Scientific would like to thank all those that participated in the Apr/May issue of our Travel Award promotion.
Congratulations to our first prize winner Miss Bianca M. Blunden, PhD candidate at The University of New South Wales, School of Chemical Engineering, Centre for Advanced Macromolecular Design under her supervisor Prof Martina H.Stenzel.
Bianca’s project is primarily focused on the study of the attachment of ruthenium complexes to polymers. “We are aiming to develop macromolecular ruthenium complexes that are viable anti-cancer drugs.” Is it proposed that the attachment of these complexes to polymers will further increase their benefits as anticancer agents since diseased tissue has an endothelial layer of blood vessels that is more porous to large molecules and does not generally have a lymphatic drainage system.
Bianca plans to use her award to assist her in attending the 76th Prague Meeting on Macromolecules being held on 1−5 July 2012 and to help her cover the expenses for her current research exchange in Europe. Bianca is currently overseas in Germany testing the cell uptake efficiency of the ruthenium polymers.
Congratulations to our second prize winner Mr Matthew Leonard, PhD candidate at RMIT University, School Applied Sciences, Chemistry discipline, Organic synthesis group under his supervisor A/Prof.Helmut Hügel.
Matthew Gordon Research Conference 2012 2 21 300×279 ATA Scientific Travel Award winners Jun 2012His laboratory is dedicated to the study of fundamental chemical synthesis through the application and auspices of natural product based medicinal compounds. Matthew is in his second year of his PhD candidature researching novel green chemical syntheses of non steroidal antiandrogens such as RU 58841 and related novel structures that are effective for the treatment of alopecia (baldness), hirsutism (excessive hairiness in females) and acne. For example, RU58841 has a short half-life of less than 1h, therefore topical application not only avoids the extensive hepatic metabolism (N-dealkylation) but also provides for effective regional treatment without systemic antiandrogen activity due to the formation of active metabolite.
“Thank you so much, it means a lot to me to be recognized and supported in these kind of endeavours”, said Matthew upon receiving the news.
Matthew plans to use his prize money to attend the Gordon Research conference on Heterocyclic compounds in Newport, Rhode Island on 24-29 June 2012 and also to attend a scientific development meeting with Advion instruments in Ithaca, New York on 20-Jun-2012 to observe their new compact mass spectrometer.
We would like to thank all those that participated. The next Travel Award for Jun/Jul 2012 is now available on our website.
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