Professor Matt Brown from UQ's Diamantina Institute has been awarded the prestigious 2010 Parr Prize.
The Australian Rheumatology Association awards the prize every three years acknowledging outstanding achievement in rheumatologic research.
This is the second award of its kind presented to a researcher at the Diamantina Institute. Prof Ranjeny Thomas also received the prize in 1998.
Professor Brown said the award was "a tremendous thrill and honour, for which I have to thank my research team whose achievements it recognises".
A lead researcher at the Diamantina Institute, Profesor Brown’s research concentrates on identifying the genes that cause common forms of arthritis (ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis), osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis and cervical cancer, as well as taking findings from genetic studies, and researching how the genes identified cause the various diseases.
"These are all common conditions affecting large numbers of Australians and for which better treatments are desperately needed’," he said.
Arthritis alone is the major cause of disability and chronic pain in Australia, with a staggering 3.85 million Australians affected at a cost to our economy of more than $23.9 billion each year.
Professor Brown’s research has the potential to greatly improve scientific knowledge about the genetic basis of rheumatologic diseases. This information will in turn help to open up new avenues for treatment for suffering patients.
Media: Doreen Awabdy, Marketing and Communications Manager, The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute +617 3176 6623
