Maribyrnong is set to benefit more than most from the work of the latest round of Churchill Fellowship recipients, with three coming from Footscray alone.
Each will have eight weeks to immerse themselves in their chosen fields and gain experience and knowledge to help their communities.
For Simone Cassidy that will involve exploring impactful and equitable processes to support the learning of refugee-background students.
Mairead Doyle will be investigating the impact of AI technology on the spread of misinformation and disinformation during elections.
And Brendan Quinn will learn about novel initiatives for effectively combating syphilis in other developed countries.
A sexually transmissible infection epidemiologist at the Burnet Institute, Mr Quinn said he couldn’t wait to get started.
“This is an amazing opportunity to try and address a significant and growing public health concern on a local level, but it will no doubt allow for considerable professional and personal growth while travelling the world,” he said.
“It’s rare that such opportunities come along!”
He said a rise in syphilis cases in Victoria since 2000 was his motivation for applying.
“I’m undertaking this project in an attempt to reduce the prevalence and incidence of syphilis across Australia, particularly among individuals and sub-populations who are often marginalised and underserved and who experience higher rates of syphilis, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse groups, gay and bisexual and other men who have sex with men, and unhoused individuals.”
Syphilis is preventable and easily treated, but can lead to neurosyphilis and congenital syphilis, which can cause stillbirth.
Cade Lucas
