The Aboriginal STEM Student of the Year category recognises Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander undergraduate or postgraduate students who demonstrate excellence in STEM studies.
Now in its 22nd year, the Premier's Science Awards recognises and celebrates the outstanding scientific research and engagement taking place in Western Australia.
This year, 3 finalists have been selected for the Aboriginal STEM Student Scientist of the Year category:
Rebecca Famlonga
Murdoch University and Telethon Kids Institute
Rebecca Famlonga is a proud Wadawurrung woman and Senior Research Officer with Telethon Kids Institute, who has lived in Western Australia most of her life. Rebecca commenced a Research Masters with Training at Murdoch University in 2022 after a teaching career of more than 20-years.
Passionate about empowering Aboriginal voices within research, Rebecca’s work aims to co-design community-led skin health interventions with a remote Kimberley community. The knowledge gained will inform public health campaigns to prevent and treat skin sores among children. Left untreated, these can lead to rheumatic heart disease – a lifelong health condition disproportionately affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Lianne Gilchrist
The University of Western Australia
Lianne Gilchrist is a Yamatji woman and Masters student at the Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health, UWA. Her research journey commenced in 2017, as the Research Officer for the co-development and validation of the first quality of life assessment for older First Nations peoples, adapted for national use in her Master’s research. This Good Spirit, Good Life assessment package comprises a framework, validated assessment and recommendations, filling a health and aged care gap. It is incorporated into policy and practice including National aged care assessment, and quality standards material on culturally safe care for older First Nations peoples.
Benjamin Ninyett
The University of Western Australia
Ben Ninyett is a Ballardong Noongar man in his final year of medicine at The University of Western Australia. For eight years, he has been dedicated to excelling in his studies while also making a positive impact beyond the confines of academia, particularly through his tuition of indigenous students. Ben is dedicated to working closely with these students, recognising their unique educational disadvantages, while assisting in their academic success through the first and most challenging year of medicine. He hopes that these efforts will contribute towards the broader goal of increasing indigenous representation within the field of health.
For the past two years, Ben has also worked on a research project looking into the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the population of pregnant women, and if there can be subsequent effects on the neonate.
