Recipients awarded 2025 Early-and Mid-Career Researcher Mobility Grants for outstanding research

The Australian Academy of Science is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Early- and Mid-Career Researcher (EMCR) Mobility Grants.

Just over $110,000 has been awarded to 16 Australian EMCRs to collaborate with leading researchers at major science and technology organisations across Europe.

The grants, valued at up to $7,500 each, are made possible by the generous support of the Rod Rickards Fellowships and the Bede Morris Memorial Fund, and by a generous donation from the French Embassy in Australia.

Of the 16 EMCR recipients, ten have been funded by the Rod Rickards Fellowships.

The recipients’ research covers a diverse range of topics, from discovering new fungicides to the creation of nanoparticles loaded with mRNA to target and reduce inflammation.

Among the recipients is Dr Hana Starobova from the University of Queensland.

Dr Starobova’s research focuses on understanding how motor disabilities develop in some people following lifesaving cancer therapy – and how these changes to motor function could be treated.  

“The award of the mobility grant will allow me to visit one of the best research groups studying motor neuropathies in cancer patients, the Experimental Neurology Unit at the School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza [in Italy],” Dr Starobova said.

“Here, I will learn new methodologies to assess neuronal damage from field-leading experts. This will increase my capacity to study this problem and help me to develop future collaborations.”

The EMCRs who have received grants funded by the Rod Rickards Fellowships are:

• Dr Chaohao Chen, Australian National University – Electrically pumped on-chip super-resolution imaging
• Dr Jue Hou, RMIT University – Metal-organic framework/polyamide hybrid membranes for lithium-ion extraction
• Associate Professor Arnold Ju, University of Sydney – Textile-based bioelectronic sensors for rapid coagulation assessment
• Dr Sally Lau, James Cook University – Decoding the genomic basis underpinning Southern Ocean ecosystem resilience to change
• Dr Weilun Li, Monash University – Revealing defects and their critical roles in the performance of halide perovskites by low dose transmission electron microscopy
• Dr Hana Starobova, University of Queensland – Chemotherapy-induced motor neuropathy: towards improved understanding of motor neuron dysfunction during chemotherapy
• Associate Professor Xiaowei Wang, University of Melbourne – Advanced 19F MRI techniques: imaging mRNA-loaded nanoparticles for inflammation therapy  
• Dr James Watson, UNSW University – Rethinking hydrocarbons in a low carbon future: exploring the role of highly charged metal-alkane complexes in the conversion of fossil fuels to high value and more sustainable products  
• Dr Ping Yun, University of Western Australia – Thinking ahead, explore the tolerant mechanism for the combination of flooding and salt stresses
• Dr Jinxin Zhao, Monash University – Advancing antimicrobial strategies against life-threatening ‘superbug’ Pseudomonas aeruginosa: an integrated systems pharmacology and evolutionary biology approach.

The following researchers have been awarded a 2025 EMCR Mobility Grant supported by the Bede Morris Memorial Fund and a generous donation by the French Embassy in Australia:

• Dr Lucy Gloag, Australian National University – Nanoparticle supported single-atom catalysts for magnetically induced CO2 conversion
• Dr David Leaver, Charles Sturt University – Unlocking mechanisms of sterol diversity to identify critical target sites for discovery of high-value antifungals
• Dr Thibault Renoir, University of Melbourne – Stimulate discussion and collaborations about preclinical models of neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders and learn new techniques to study the mechanisms mediating the effects of exercise and treatment with psychedelics
• Dr Chutian Shu, Curtin University - Carbon solubility in the mantle mineral majorite: implications for deep Earth carbon cycling
• Dr Dinesh Subedi, Monash University – Bacteriophages as a solution to bacterial antibiotic resistance
• Dr Jiali Zhai, RMIT University – Inverse mesophase structure insights of ionisable lipid nanoparticles as mRNA delivery platforms.

Dr Jinxin Zhao’s research tackles the urgent global health threat of antimicrobial resistance, focusing on the multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This dangerous pathogen, identified as a high-priority superbug by the World Health Organization, causes severe and hard-to-treat lung infections.

“Being awarded this grant is an incredible honour and a pivotal milestone in my career. It empowers me to pursue groundbreaking research that addresses an urgent global medical need while contributing to the fight against antimicrobial resistance,” Dr Jinxin Zhao said.

“This funding not only provides the resources necessary to carry out innovative and impactful work but also positions me as an emerging independent researcher. Ultimately, this grant represents an opportunity to make a meaningful impact in science and public health, fulfilling my commitment to addressing one of the most critical challenges of our time.”

About the Rod Rickards Fellowships

The Rod Rickards Fellowships were created in 2009 by the family of Professor Rod Rickards FAA to commemorate his significant contributions to Australian science through exceptional achievements in chemistry and biology. Since their inception in 2010, these Fellowships have been awarded to 40 distinguished Australian EMCRs. This prestigious program enables these researchers to travel to Europe and engage in collaborative research projects within the fields of chemistry or biology at leading-edge institutions.

About the Bede Morris Memorial Fund

The Bede Morris Memorial Fund was established to honour the legacy of Professor Bede Morris FAA, one of Australia’s most eminent medical scientists. Since the early 1990s, this fund has supported Australian researchers by facilitating travel and collaboration with researchers in France. In recent years, the focus of the fund has shifted towards supporting Australian EMCRs, specifically contributing to their travel expenses to France for research endeavours in any field of the natural sciences.

The Academy extends special thanks to the French Embassy in Australia for their generous donation that supported two additional grants under the Bede Morris Memorial Fund.

More information on the EMCR Mobility Grants

EMCRs are also encouraged to apply for the Australia-Scotland Fund (open for applications until 19 March 2025)

More information on awards and opportunities at the Academy