SCS student awarded MCRI Honours Scholarship

Joanna Huang

Congratulations Monash medical student Joanna Huang who has been awarded the prestigious Murdoch Children's Research Institute Honours Award Scholarship for her research into ventricular assist devices.

A BMedSc(Hons) student at the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health (SCS), Joanna is investigating the bleeding and clotting rates in children on ventricular assist devices—a form of mechanical circulatory support—for children with end-stage heart failure.

Joanna said these devices are used to help bridge children to heart transplantation, given the long waiting times and low rates of organ donation in Australia.

“Bleeding and clotting are common adverse events but have not been studied extensively in the paediatric population,” Joanna said.

“Hopefully this research will provide information to reduce the rates of bleeding and clotting and improve outcomes of the children on these devices.”

Joanna is based at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute for her project while being co-supervised by Head of Haematology at Monash Health and Monash University, Professor Stephen Opat.