Image: Burnet Principal Research Fellow, Associate Professor Joshua Vogel
Burnet Institute Principal Research Fellow, Associate Professor Joshua Vogel has been awarded the 2020 Nature Research Award for Driving Global Impact (DGI) for his outstanding body of work in maternal and child health, including research focused on the prevention of newborn deaths due to premature births in low- and middle-income countries.
DGI Panel Chair Nicola Jones said the judges were particularly impressed by Associate Professor Vogel’s development of sophisticated treatment protocols using antenatal corticosteroids as an effective and affordable intervention for preterm birth.
“The winner stood out as having established relationships with partners to successfully deliver evidence-based interventions that have already saved lives and which have the potential to save more, and improve the quality of life for many women and children in the years to come,” Ms Jones, Head of Publishing for the Springer Nature Sustainable Development Goals Program, said.
One of eight worldwide finalists assessed for their scientific achievements and the potential of their research programs for scientific impact and impact on global challenges, Associate Professor Vogel said he was delighted and humbled to win the award.
“Research is a product of teamwork, and these projects and research studies have succeeded because of the strength of the international collaborations that we work in,” Associate Professor Vogel said.
“And the support provided by awards such as this, especially for researchers early in their careers, is incredibly important to this work, and thoroughly appreciated.”
Associate Professor Vogel’s prize includes a grant of USD$30,000, while two runners up, whose research focuses on chemical processes to control air pollution and climate change, and a treatment program to tackle chronic lower back pain in rural Nigeria, receive grants of USD$10,000.
Associate Professor Vogel’s nomination focused on his work to help low- and middle-income countries in the Asia Pacific region to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which includes:
- addressing the causes of maternal morbidity and mortality: postpartum haemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, peripartum infections; abortion, indirect causes and nutrition,
- the prevention and management of stillbirth,
- addressing the major causes of perinatal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, particularly preterm birth, low birthweight and neonatal sepsis,
- improving the coverage and quality of antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care, and
- capacity building, development and strengthening of the relevant health workforces and health systems.
The Nature Research Award for Driving Global Impact is open to early career researchers who work in food security, healthcare interventions, environmental protection, climate change and sustainable cities to encourage them to think critically about the potential impacts of their work, and to maximise these impacts in the real world.
