Murdoch Children’s Research Institute’s (MCRI) Dr Rhiannon Werder has received an award to  better understand how lung cells work together to fight off infections and potentially discover new therapies for respiratory infections.

Dr Werder has been awarded one of two $60,000 Metcalf Prizes for Stem Cell Research from the National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia.

Respiratory infections, like the cold and the flu, are the most common cause of illness and in severe cases can lead to complications and sometimes death.

Despite this impact, there are still very few treatments or preventions available that offer protection.

To try improve health outcomes, Dr Werder has developed models of human lung tissue in the lab, grown from stem cells.

“Our models of human lung tissue are complex and can show us how the cells in our lungs communicate to identify and fight infections,” said Dr Werder.

“We will use a cutting edge analysis technique  to understand how this happens, opening doors to broader applications in studying infections and other lung diseases.”

The Metcalf Prize aims to recognise and reward scientists who are conducting excellent and sustained work focused on stem cell research.