Al & Val Rosenstrauss Fellowship to Dr Rhiannon Werder

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute’s (MCRI) Dr Rhiannon Werder has received the Al & Val Rosenstrauss Fellowship in recognition of her contributions to children's lung health.

The accolade, supported by the Rebecca L Cooper Foundation, provides $1 million over five years to early-career researchers who show outstanding leadership potential through new discoveries or the translation of research into real-world treatments.

The fellowship allows Dr Werder to better understand how viral respiratory infections function, using lung tissue grown from human stem cells.

Image: Dr Rhiannon Werder

Dr Werder said her team would investigate how different cell types interact during infection and examine how chronic lung diseases may alter these immune responses.

“This funding will help us discover whether our own cells can be harnessed to fight infection, particularly in people with chronic respiratory conditions,” she said.

“We hope this advanced stem cell research will pave the way for new, more durable treatments for severe respiratory illnesses and save lives.”

Dr Werder said the need for innovation was high as current medications for lung conditions or infections often provided limited or diminishing benefits.

“This project will help address current treatment gaps and identify new ways to combat a range of respiratory viruses, benefiting infants with underlying conditions the most,” she said.

Read more about MCRI’s Lung Disease research.