Summer scholarship program shines

The Centenary Institute’s Summer Research Scholarship Program for undergraduate students has drawn to a close with 14  students undertaking a series of ‘rapid-fire’ style presentations to staff, explaining their completed research projects and talking about their work-related experiences at Centenary over the summer months.

The scholarship program, open to second and third-year students from the University of Sydney and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) had provided successful applicants with hands-on experience working in a medical research institute.

The presentations component of the program, judged by an impartial panel, offered up cash prizes for the leading talks of the day. Following informative and engaging presentations by all students, the following awards were announced:

First place presentation ($500): Andrew Quattrocchi (pictured), University of Sydney – Alzheimer’s disease: Determining the role of aged perivascular macrophages.

Second place presentation ($250): Carla Jensen, University of Sydney – Visualising CAR-T cells and mesothelin positive cells using immunofluorescence.

Third place presentation ($150): Simone Morris, University of Sydney – Identifying the interplay between the microbiome, smoking and the immune system.

The best presentation from a student looking to undertake their Honours project with Centenary, worth $2,000 also went to Andrew Quattrocchi.

Centenary’s 2020/21 Summer Research Scholarship Program gave students the opportunity to undertake paid research projects with leading scientists in areas ranging from cancer research to bioinformatics. In addition to providing students with practical research skills and experience the program is seen as a potential stepping-stone for future career opportunities in the science and medical research space.