NRL News
Edition 5, 2019
NRL News
NRL EVENTS: 36th ANNUAL NRL SYMPOSIUM NEW SCIENTIST AWARD WINNER
As a commitment to fostering the engagement of individuals embarking on their career in the medical laboratory science industry, NRL introduced a New Scientist Award at this year’s Symposium. NRL would like to congratulate the recipient of this award; Ms Amanda Bordin, a PhD student from The University of Queensland’s Centre (UQ) for Clinical Research who, as part of improving the management of bacterial lung infections in people with Cystic Fibrosis (CF), presented her research on Mycobacterium abscessus complex (MABSC) detection and resistance characterisation.
The New Scientist Award was introduced for individuals who have worked in the field for less than five years and who deliver the best presentation at the Symposium based on the relevancy, clarity and impact of their work. As the winner, Amanda received $500 and a complimentary registration to attend next year’s meeting.
Amanda explained the importance of her work- “MABSC is resistant to many commonly used antibiotics, and it can develop resistance against the few that remain, which is an increasing worry for people with CF. Currently the method used to detect the organism and predict antibiotic resistance can take weeks, which leaves doctors with little information to guide treatment decisions and limit the spread of infections. By developing new techniques to rapidly detect MABSC and predict antibiotic resistance in people with CF, I hope to make it easier for them to receive fast, effective treatment.”
NRL was delighted with the high calibre of research presented by all finalists and encourages all new scientists to apply and attend next year.
