Winners 2022

Professor Grant Drummond

Professor Grant Drummond has engaged extensively in mentoring at the local, national and international level with more than 20 years of mentoring early career students and staff.  As an early supporter of the ACvA mentoring program he has continued to mentor within the program since its launch. Grant’s values of fairness and equity are clearly demonstrated in his actions and how he supports his team to work flexibly and achieve their career goals.

He is strongly motivated by legacy goals and his top priority is to contribute to the future of Australian cardiovascular research, not by his own personal contributions and achievements but through the quantity and quality of successful researchers of the next generation. He is generous with his time, especially helping and inspiring those facing challenges to achieve confidence and opportunities to change their lives and professional trajectories for the better.

One mentee says he has been instrumental for her to navigate the transitions throughout her career saying, “He is a trusted mentor because he always provides honest feedback with kindness. He is generous with his experience and kind in his approach.” Another mentee says, “Grant never hesitated to offer his support and identified resources to help me through some really tough times. It is because of Grant’s unwavering support that my career continued to progress despite significant personal challenges.” 

Grant Drummond is Professor and Head of the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology (PAM), and Co-director of the Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Disease Research (CCBDR) at La Trobe University. His work is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and the Heart Foundation of Australia.

Professor Julie Redfern

Professor Julie Redfern has a distinguished record of mentorship over three decades.  She has been an outstanding mentor, supervisor and role model for more than 40 students and early career researchers across various disciplines. She is deeply committed to fostering career success of her mentees.

She has a clear vision of what is required to become an independent researcher and a strong sense of responsibility to support researchers to achieve it. She introduces her mentees to key experts in their fields, nominates them for prizes and recommends them for leadership roles. Many of Julie’s team have moved on to hold leading and influential leadership positions within their scientific communities in Australia and internationally.

One of her mentees said, “Julie has patiently invested her time and effort in teaching me skills and knowledge needed beyond her expected responsibilities. She taught me what is needed and how to achieve a well-rounded track record …. Julie empowered me to grow my network so I can run projects and publish with researchers outside of CVD. She helped me gain confidence in myself through tireless support and encouragement and by respecting my thoughts and asking for my advice on other’s projects.” 

Julie Redfern is Professor of Public Health and NHMRC Investigator Grant L2 fellow. She is also a Physiotherapist, Research Academic Director in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney and a Professorial Fellow at The George Institute. She is CIA of the NHMRC Synergy Grant (SOLVE-CHD), a Co-Director of the ACvA Implementation and Policy Flagship and Co-chair CSANZ Clinical and Preventative Cardiology Council and member of the CSANZ Scientific Committee.