Prize-winning images showcase the beauty of medical research

Timed to coincide with National Science Week (10-18 Aug), the prize offers up a unique glimpse into the complex and fascinating world of medical research.

Dr Ka Ka Ting won first place in the prize with her striking image of the brain and amyloid plaques. These plaques are known to damage blood vessels, a major hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.

Her winning entry, titled ‘Cloudy Brain with a Chance of Forgetfulness’, depicts amyloid plaques in the hippocampus of a mouse brain. The hippocampus is crucial for storing memories, and its function can be impaired when these plaques damage brain cells and blood vessels. Dr Ting’s research, within the Centenary Institute’s Centre for Healthy Ageing, is focused on blood vessel health as a way to develop new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.

Second place was awarded to Dr Bobby Boumelhem from the Centenary Institute’s Centre for Cancer Innovations for his image ‘Close to my Heart’. It features cells taken from a breast cancer tumour grown in a dish, providing valuable insights into how these cells behave under various conditions. This research helps advance potential treatments for breast cancer.

The third place prize went to Research Assistant, Heidi Strauss in the Centenary Institute’s Centre for Rare Diseases and Gene Therapy, for her image ‘Roses are Red’. Her image displays 3D cells grown from a patient’s pancreatic tumour, used to create models that retain many of the characteristics of the real tumour, which can be used for testing new therapies.

Professor Marc Pellegrini, Executive Director of the Centenary Institute said, “Our scientific image prize is a window into the innovative medical research taking place at our Institute. These stunning images, created by our talented researchers, blend the beauty of art with the rigour of science, demonstrating our commitment to new discoveries that can save lives. I applaud all entrants for their inspiring contributions.”

The Centenary Institute’s scientific image prize has been awarded annually since 2009, with winners determined by a panel of external judges.