Immunology Research Wins CSL Young Florey Medal

The inaugural CSL Young Florey Medal has been awarded to Professor Carola Vinuesa from the Australian National University for her research into how the immune system produces antibodies to fight disease.
Professor Vinuesa’s work has led to the discovery of genes important for immune regulation and is paving the way for the development of new drugs to fight autoimmune diseases such as lupus, juvenile diabetes and certain cancers.
The national award is run by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science (AIPS) and carries a $25,000 cash prize sponsored by CSL. The 2014 medal is an expansion of the biennial CSL Florey Medal, which has honoured some of Australia’s top biomedical researchers since 1998.
AIPS General Manager Camille Thomson said the CSL Young Florey Medal aimed to shine the spotlight on early career scientists who have had made significant discoveries in human health advancement and that have shown a passion for communicating their research beyond the walls of “We have an incredibly talented pool of emerging scientists in Australia who are making ground breaking discoveries and becoming leaders in their fields,” Ms Thomson said.
“We are proud to present our inaugural award to Professor Vinuesa, whose work will have long-
standing impacts in many fields of medical immunology, spanning infectious diseases, vaccination and autoimmunity.”
Professor Carola Vinuesa  Biography
Professor Carola Vinuesa was born in Spain and obtained a medical degree at the University Autonoma of Madrid. She undertook specialist clinical training in the UK and, in 2000, was awarded a PhD by the University of Birmingham. A year later, she was the recipient of a Wellcome Trust International Travelling Prize Fellowship to do postdoctoral work at The John Curtin School for Medical Research (JCSMR) at the Australian National University. She is currently Professor of Immunology at the Australian National University and Head of the Pathogens and Immunity Department.
Professor Vinuesa’s work aims to unravel the complex interaction of cells and molecules that regulate the production of potent, long-lasting immunity, and to identify genetic abnormalities that interfere with this process and may contribute to the development of autoimmunity in humans.
Professor Vinuesa was awarded the Science Minister’s Prize for Life Scientist of the Year in 2008 and the Australian Academy of Science’s Gottschalk Medal in 2009. She has been a strong advocate for women in science as a member of the National Health and Medical Research Council’s Women in Health Science Working Committee. She also founded the Gender Equity Committee at JCSMR, which has created the first fully funded career re-entry fellowship for returning mothers in Australia.