The 2024 John and Anne Leece Family Prize winner announced

WIMR and The University of Sydney are pleased to announce that the winner of the 2024 John and Anne Leece Family Prize is Dr Thanh Huyen Phan.

The John and Anne Leece Family Prize has been made possible by generous philanthropists John Leece AM and Anne Leece and supports the advancement of high-achieving PhD candidates or early career researchers at WIMR.

Dr Thanh Huyen Phan is a postdoctoral research fellow in WIMR’s Centre for Immunology and Allergy Research. Her research project focuses on macrophages – a type of white blood cell that play a key role in immune function – and the role that macrophage dysfunction plays in amyloidosis.

Amyloidosis (AL) is characterised by a buildup of abnormal amyloid deposits (these are insoluble, fibrous deposits in tissue and organs).  In Australia, amyloidosis affects around 500 to 600 people each year, imposing a heavy burden with high treatment costs. It severely impacts patient lives and survival.

Dr Phan explains, “There are no disease-modifying therapies currently available, with existing treatments focusing exclusively on managing symptoms. Recent research shows that patients’ immune cells, particularly macrophages, play a crucial role in the disease’s progression.

“Macrophages typically engulf harmful materials; but in patients with AL, their macrophages fail, leading to the accumulation of these proteins in organs. Consistent with this, clinical observations indicate that increased amyloid burden is associated with poor organ function.

“We believe that by harnessing the power of a patient’s own macrophages to clear amyloid effectively, we can halt and prevent AL.”

Dr Phan’s study will use innovative approaches to better understand macrophage dysfunction in AL patients and identify ways to enhance macrophage function for precision medicine.

Professor Andrew Harman, Chair of the selection panel for the 2024 John and Anne Leece Family Prize said the panel was impressed by the high standard of submissions.

“All three members of the judging panel unanimously agreed that Dr Phan stood out as an exceptional candidate for the Leece Prize this year. Her outstanding track record for high quality publications, competitive funding, awards and scholarships demonstrate her proven calibre and credentials as a medical scientist.

“The project she outlines, to be advanced by the John and Anne Leece Family Prize, is strong, innovative, clearly articulated and will contribute significantly to progress towards more effective treatments for amyloidosis. Dr Phan is on track for an accomplished career as a medical researcher and the panel is delighted to add to the recognition, she deserves by awarding this prize. We look forward to watching her success continue for many years to come.

Dr Phan says, “I am very grateful to John and Anne Leece for their support of Australian research. This funding will have a real impact on my work, hopefully benefiting many people around the world with AL.”

Through this prize, John and Anne Leece’s inspiring and invaluable commitment to supporting early-career researchers and PhD students at WIMR is actively enabling the next generation of researchers to develop their expertise and contribute to life-changing medical discoveries that will save lives and provide hope for current and future generations.