The Foundation’s Senior Medical Research Fellowship (SMRF’s) is intended to be amongst the most prestigious awards available to those who wish to continue a career in medical research in Australia. The fellowship is a 5 year initiative valued at $275,000 per annum. In any given year there can be up to three SMRF’s granted, with one of these jointly funded by the Viertel Foundation and Bellberry Limited.
The Fellowship is an integral part of a scheme that is intended to provide both salary and project grant support for outstanding Australian medical researchers. The total value of the award is $1,375,000.
Outstanding researchers who are medically qualified, or graduates of another scientific discipline with recognised post-doctoral achievements, seeking to establish a research career in Australia and undertake research in an Australia academic institution are eligible to apply whether or not they are currently working in Australia. Applications are judged on the basis of merit and excellence in competition with other applications.
Please click here for complete list of Viertel Fellowship Alumni details
Current recipients of the Senior Medical Research Fellowships
2025
Dr Joanna Achinger-Kawecka
SAiGENCI – University of Adelaide
Targetting regulatory elements for cancer therapy in the context of the 3D genome.
Dr Dustin Flanagan
Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute – Monash University
How damage directs cell fate in gastric cancer.
A/Prof. Zongyuan Ge
Monash AIM for Health Lab – Monash University
Personalising healthcare: A unified AI foundation model for diagnosis, prognosis and discovery (Bellberry-Viertel Fellow).
2024
Dr Rhea Longley
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
Developing effective surveillance of malaria.
Dr Luke Isbel
SAiGENCI – University of Adelaide
Addressing and unlocking new cancer treatments.
Dr Mark Doerflinger
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute
Revolutionising treatment for lung infections (Bellberry-Viertel Fellow)
2023
A/Prof Daniel Pellici
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
Harnessing the therapeutic potential of unconventional T cells to prevent infectious diseases.
Dr Jennifer Juno
University of Melbourne
Improving vaccine efficacy by maximising T cell help.
Dr Simon Foster
QIMR Berghofer
New cardiovascular therapeutics targeting fibrosis (Bellberry-Viertel Fellow).
2022
Dr Jaclyn Pearson
Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Monash University
Beating the Superbugs
A/Prof. Robert Weatheritt
Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Exploiting P-Bodies for cancer treatment
Dr Jennifer Zenker
Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute – Monash University
Harnessing the power of versatile cells
2021
A/Prof. Francine Marques
Monash University
Targeting the gut microbiota to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease
A/Prof. Mikaël Martino
Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute – Monash University
Harnessing the potential of immune cells to design the next generations of regenerative strategies
Dr James “Mac” Shine
The University of Sydney
Thinking Across Boundaries: Linking Scientific Disciplines to Transform Our Understanding of the Human Brain (Bellberry-Viertel Fellow)
2020
Dr Jana Vukovic
The University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences
and Queensland Brain Institute. Unravelling the molecular mechanisms that underpin the beneficial effects of repopulating microglia on neuronal survival and cognition following brain injury
A/Prof. Chen Davidovich
Monash University, Cancer Program. Context-specific regulation of the histone methyltransferase polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2)
Dr Michelle Halls
Monash University, Drug Discovery Biology Theme.
GPCR interaction-networks and signalling in health and disease.
2019
Professor Andrew Steer
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Infection and Immunity Theme.
Public health interventions for control of tropical infections
Dr Tracey Putoczki
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Untangling the role of cytokines in cancer progression
Dr Richard Berry
Monash University, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
How viruses and tumours escape cellular immunity
Past recipients of the Senior Medical Research Fellowship can be found in the Alumni section.