The Hon Mark Butler MP
Minister for Health and Aged Care
The 2022 Commonwealth Health Minister’s Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research has been awarded to a leading researcher tackling healthcare-associated infection, Professor Brett Mitchell from Avondale University.
One in 10 patients in an Australian hospital acquires an infection during their stay. This is a major cause of complications and a significant burden on the healthcare system.
The Health Minister’s Award recognises Professor Mitchell’s outstanding research in infection control, as well as his vision to generate evidence for practical approaches to prevent common healthcare-associated infections.
This Award is given annually to the top-ranked recipient of a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grant in the Emerging Leadership Level 2 category in the previous year’s round.
With his Investigator Grant, Professor Mitchell is working towards the prevention of infections that occur as a consequence of receiving healthcare – in both hospital and community settings – providing a strong foundation for transformation of clinical practice and policy, in Australia and internationally.
With this Award, Professor Mitchell will receive a further $50,000 to support his research in addition to his $1.5 million five-year Investigator Grant.
Professor Brett Mitchell completed his PhD at the Australian Catholic University in 2013. He was Professor in Nursing at The University of Newcastle School of Nursing and Midwifery and is now Professor of Health Services Research and Nursing at Avondale University.
The Investigator Grant scheme is one of NHMRC’s flagship funding schemes and provides five-year funding security for high-performing researchers by providing a salary and a research support package. It is extremely competitive with many high-quality applications from exceptional researchers received in each round.
QUOTES FOR ATTRIBUTION TO MINISTER BUTLER
“Infection control is a major health concern globally, particularly in the face of rising resistance to antimicrobial drugs. Professor Mitchell’s research is critical in finding ways to stop infection before it starts.
“My congratulations to Professor Mitchell. This award recognises the excellence of his research, drawing on his clinical nursing experience, and his role in finding evidence-based solutions to prevent infection in clinical settings.
“Professor Mitchell’s research demonstrates the value of working with local health networks, hospitals and industry partners to find practical solutions to a major and growing health problem.”
