Research into how the human body fights viral infections has led to Monash PhD researcher Ms Fleur Tynan being tonight announced as one of six winners of the 2006 Victoria Fellowships.
Ms Tynan will receive her award from the Governor of Victoria, Professor David de Kretser.
Her research at Monash University's Protein Crystallography Unit is focussing on interactions between proteins that occur in the body in response to a viral threat.
Currently completing her doctoral studies, Ms Tynan's efforts have already been rewarded with publications in high profile journals including Nature Immunology.
Ms Tynan will use her Victoria Fellowship to travel to the laboratory of Professor Mark Davis at Stanford University to learn advanced cellular imaging techniques.
These techniques include creating live-action videos highlighting the movement of proteins in response to a viral threat.
"New viral threats emerge with each change in season," Ms Tynan said. "This makes it imperative that we understand the fundamentals of the human immune response to viruses."
Ms Tynan's research may also pave the way for developing therapeutics that assist in the anti-viral immune response.
The Victoria Fellowships, worth $18,000 each, were established nine years ago by the Victorian Government to recognise young researchers with leadership potential and to enhance their future careers, while developing new ideas which could offer commercial benefit to Victoria.
Ms Tynan completed a Bachelor of Science at Monash University in 2001.
For more information contact Ms Penny Fannin.