CCRG Doctoral Fellow receives prestigious QCvRN scholarship
Dr Gabriele Fior from The Prince Charles Hospital’s Critical Care Research Group (CCRG) has been awarded a prestigious Queensland Cardiovascular Research Network (QCvRN) scholarship. Receiving his award at the QCvRN Gala event last month, Dr Fior was one of three researchers to be recognised in the inaugural round of the scheme.
“This award came at an important time in my career. I have recently relocated from Italy with my wife and our two young daughters to undertake my PhD at CCRG. To say that the adjustment to life in Australia has been difficult is an understatement but being recognised by QVCRN with this scholarship has reinforced that we made the right decision,” said Dr Fior.
QCvRN announced three scholarships across biomedical, clinical and health services research areas in the inaugural year of the scheme, with Dr Fior being recognised alongside Dr Dalia Mizikovsky (University of Queensland) and Dr Sumudu Hewage (Queensland University of Technology).
QCvRN Scholarship recipients Dr Sumudhu Hewage, Dr Dalia Mizikovsky, and Dr Gabriele Fior
Dr Louise See Hoe presents on CCRG’s The Living Heart Project at the QCvRN Gala, July 2022.
CCRG’s Dr Louise See Hoe and Dr Gabriele Fior
Professor John Fraser (left) with National Heart Foundation CEO David Lloyd, and Dr Jacky Suen (right)
Gabriele was presented with his award at a QCvRN event showcasing the significant growth and impact of Queensland cardiovascular research being conducted across the network.
“The event was a wonderful opportunity to network with other EMCRs and senior representatives from UQ, QIMR Berghofer, CNU, QUT, The Prince Charles Hospital, The Common Good and the National Hearth Foundation. It was heart-warming to meet so many people dedicated to advancing CV research in Queensland, all genuinely supportive and approachable,” said Dr Fior.
Guests at the QCvRN Gala July 2022, including CCRG Director, Professor John Fraser (centre) and Scientific Director Dr Jacky Suen (far right)
(L-R) Michael Hornby OAM, CEO, The Common Good, Dr Nchafatso Obonyo, Dr Gabriele Fior, Dr Louise See Hoe, Dr Jacky Suen, and CCRG Founder and Director Professor John Fraser
Gabriele started collaborating with CCRG while still in hotel quarantine after relocating to Australia, invited by CCRG Founder and Director Professor John Fraser to draft a new chapter on Mechanical Ventilation during Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) for Seminars in Respiratory and Critical Care with Dr Zasha Vazquez-Colon and Professor Giles Peek from University of Florida’s Shands Children's Hospital.
“This was my first time working with both Dr Vazquez-Colon and Professor Peek, and my first opportunity to impress my new director at CCRG! I was eager to jump straight in to help pass some time in quarantine and am so grateful to my co-authors for being so accommodating and supportive,” said Dr Fior.
With the scholarship, Dr Fior will continue his PhD in investigating lung biofluids and the role they play in spreading the lung injury in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a life threatening condition that affects more than 7,500 Australians every year.
“Half a century of research and more than 40 trials have failed to yield any effective specific treatment for ARDS, and ARDS-related mortality remains one of the highest in the intensive care units. Improving our understanding of ARDS is key to finding new targets for treatment,” explains Dr Fior.
“My project aims to characterise novel mechanism of injury propagation in ARDS development, which we refer to biofluid-induced lung injury. In addition, we aim to correlate the lung damage caused by this new inflammatory pathway with the development of right ventricle dysfunction, a condition that often presents in patients with moderate-severe ARDS.”
The Queensland Cardiovascular Research Network was launched by the Governor of Queensland in 2015, to provide a framework that strengthens cardiovascular research across the state. QCvRN aims to connect cardiovascular researchers and develop broader awareness of research activities happening across Queensland.