Charles Perkins Centre Professional Staff Prize

Established in 2024, the Charles Perkins Centre Professional Staff Prize honours the exceptional contributions of our hard-working and integral professional staff across our strategic program including research, education, clinical, technical and administrative domains.

Each year, we award five University of Sydney professional staff members who have supported a research group or initiative at the Charles Perkins Centre for the last 12 months. We encourage Charles Perkins Centre managers and colleagues of professional staff to submit their nominations recognising outstanding contributions to our shared mission. Nominations are now open for the Charles Perkins Centre Professional Staff Prize 2025.

The Prize is valued at $250 to be awarded to up to five nominees

Professional Staff Prize 2024

In its inaugural year, 31 nominations for 15 professional staff were received. All the nominees were of a very high standard, recognising exceptional commitment to collaboration and supporting the Centre’s research program. After careful review by the selection panel, five recipients were chosen based on the number and quality of their nominations.

We congratulate our 2024 recipients, listed alphabetically along with one quote from one of their nominees.

Ms Lisa Avery

Office Manager | Prevention Research Collaboration

“Lisa consistently displays the Charles Perkins Centre values of collaboration, problem-solving, innovation, professionalism and excellence. Lisa is also a prime candidate because of her sustained and impactful contributions to making our research environment a vibrant culture of collaborations and collegiality.”

Ms Nazia Islam

Project Officer and Executive Assistant | Parker Hughes Chair of Radiology, Imaging and Phenotyping Laboratory

“Through their dedication to process optimisation, operational excellence, and leadership, Nazia has fostered a high-performing, collaborative environment that consistently meets the highest standards. Their ability to streamline operations while maintaining strong team cohesion has directly contributed to the success of our research and the broader impact of our work within the university and beyond.”

Ms Cathie Kiernan

Administrative Officer | Prevention Research Collaboration | EPOCH

“Cathie is the lead finance person directly responsible for managing multiple research budgets of varying sizes requiring razor-sharp quantitative and qualitative skills based on a deep understanding of our research priorities and the varied commitments to funding agencies. Cathie is a walking encyclopedia of the University’s often complex and dynamic financial reporting systems and procedures. Her uncanny talent to know exactly where to find answers helps us efficiently navigate university processes and expedite decision making.”

Ms Kekini Vahini Kuppan

Research Officer | Weiss Lab

“Kekini has demonstrated an unwavering commitment and continuous excellence over the past decade. She understands and consistently implements the CPC’s core values of sharing, teaching, and professionalism. She is highly self-motivated to successfully devise a novel fermentation protocol to express endotoxin-free recombinant protein, using an unfermented bacterial strain, which is truly impressive and showcases innovative strides in microbial biotechnology by the best international standards.”

Tamara Pulpitel

Research Assistant | Simpson Lab

“Tamara has exceptional interpersonal and communication skills which she utilises at all times. Whether the problem is big or small, the question is valid or silly, the issue is lab related or personal in nature, Tamara can always be relied upon to provide help, support and solutions that is compassionate, tactful and wise.”