The Centre congratulates Dr Nicole McPherson of the Freemasons Centre for Male Health and Wellbeing and the Robinson Research Institute at the University of Adelaide on being awarded a highly competitive Discovery Early Career Researcher Award in the 2022 round 1 from the Commonwealth Givernment’s Australian Research Council. The title of her program is How mammalian males indirectly control transmission of paternal traits. The Award is for five years and the $463,399 funds her Fellowship salary.

The project will investigate how environmental and biological factors in males prior to conception are able to modify the health of subsequent offspring. Findings from this project will generate fundamental knowledge in a key biological pathway on how non-genetic factors delivered by sperm at conception are able to program the growth of the developing foetus.

The impact of Dr McPhersons research has recently been recognised by the University of Adelaide with her program showcased to the general community and industry groups at https://www.adelaide.edu.au/research/news/list/2021/08/30/gents-its-time-to-talk-about-making-babies-0