Discovery Circle
Transforming lives through the power of collective giving
Discovery Circle Alumni
What members have funded so far.
Every award is a long-term investment. Here are the researchers members have backed since 2024, and where their work is now.
2025
20 applicants · 3 finalists
2025 winner · $100,000
Dr Julian Carosi
Postdoctoral Researcher / THRF EMCR Fellow, Lysosomal Health in Ageing, Lifelong Health Theme
Destruction of toxic proteins that cause neurodegeneration
Julian is building cell models that reproduce, in the lab, the toxic Tau protein build-up that takes decades to form in the human brain. He'll use them to test ways to clear these proteins using the cell's own waste-disposal system, with the aim of new dementia treatments.
One year on: [Progress update, approx. 150 words, from the 2026 booklet.]
2025 Finalist · $20,000
Dr Georgina Irish
Senior Research Fellow, ANZDATA Registry
Matching Matters: Increasing donor utilisation and improving allocation for kidney transplant recipients
Building tools to use more donor kidneys safely and match them better to the people waiting.
2025 Finalist · $20,000
Dr Naranie Shanmuganathan
Clinical Research Fellow, Precision Cancer Medicine Theme
Unravelling the mechanisms involved in blast phase chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML)
Investigating a hidden genetic change that may warn doctors early when CML is about to progress.
2024
The inaugural award
2024 Winner · $100,000
Dr Elyse Page
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Predicting which children with leukaemia (ALL) are at risk of the disease spreading to the brain
What the award has made possible:
- Patient cohort grown to 50 children across 12 leukaemia subtypes.
- 8,000 proteins analysed to find those linked to the disease in the central nervous system.
- A new lab model of the brain environment showed leukaemia cells slow their growth there, a possible clue to chemotherapy resistance.
- Team member Luke Quinlan won best poster at the 2025 Florey Postgraduate Research Conference.
2024 Finalist · $5,000
Dr Rachel Elovaris
Since the vote, Rachel secured an MRFF Catalyst Grant through The Hospital Research Foundation. Her study tests whether glucose monitoring and healthy meals help Aboriginal women manage gestational diabetes.
2024 Finalist · $5,000
Dr Ryan O'Hare Doig
Ryan developed SAHMRI's first method to map biological markers in injured spinal cord tissue. It has since attracted $50,000 in donations and a $10,000 Tour De Cure PhD scholarship.
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SAHMRI is located on Kaurna Country. We pay respects to the Kaurna people of the Adelaide Plains and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We are committed to embracing knowledge and culture as we continue our working journey to incorporate Aboriginal health research across all of our themes and further reconciliation.
Read more"Tirki nguta tappa tangka marninithi"
(Learning and knowledge are the pathway to alter the mind)
- Uncle Lewis Yerloburka O’Brien, Kaurna Elder
