ASPIRING to greatness

Ms Erin Crellin, who recently completed her Masters of Biomedical Science with MCRI's Genomics in Society group, has been awarded the Individual Best Achievement in Medical Research at the Aspire Awards. 

Erin plans to commence her PhD research in the same group under the supervision of Belinda McMcClaren and Professor Clara Gaff, Executive Director of Melbourne Genomics. 

Paediatricians can now order Medicare-funded genome tests to help precisely diagnose childhood syndromes and intellectual disability. As further Medicare funding becomes available in coming years, Erin's PhD project will investigate how paediatric stakeholder experiences can help improve future implementations of genomic testing in other settings.   

The Aspire Awards, supported by Funds in Court and the Supreme Courts of Victoria, celebrate leadership, achievement, contributions and abilities of people with a disability across a wide range of sectors.  

During her during her MCRI acceptance speech, Erin said, "I'm very proud of the inclusive and welcoming nature of our research group here at MCRI, and it's a real testament to the hard work of our group's leadership. This year I joined MCRI's Accessibility Working Group and I'm really looking forward to helping improve accessibility not only for researchers, but for our research participants as well, particularly for our rare disease patients." 

Erin was nominated for her excellence and advocacy as a trailblazer in medical research. Her nomination stated: "Erin's leadership, excellence and passion will serve as an inspiration for other young people with disabilities who hope to have careers in medical research". 

We congratulate Erin on her award and look forward to welcoming her back to MCRI as a PhD student in 2021.