Aspire Awards go to young neuroscientists
The effect of brain stimulation on neuroplasticity is a key area of interest for high achieving post-doctoral researcher and lecturer, Dr Alex Tang.
His impressive track record in this field, as well as his commitment and leadership in promoting neuroscience to the community, particularly to high school students, make him a very deserving winner of the 2020 Perron Institute Aspire Award.
The annual Business Events Perth Aspire Awards sponsor local academics, researchers and health professionals to attend a relevant international conference.
Dr Tang completed his PhD in 2017, supervised by Associate Professor Jenny Rodger (Perron Institute and UWA) in collaboration with the University of Tasmania and Harvard University. He was then recruited to the Neuronal Rhythms in Movement Lab at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology in Japan.
Since returning to Perth to take up a combined research and lecturing position at the Perron Institute and UWA, he has established new infrastructure that has greatly expanded the range of brain imaging studies that can be done in Western Australia.
While describing himself as an early-career researcher, Dr Tang’s achievements over the past seven years are many. He has contributed to over a dozen journal publications and has received numerous grants, prizes and awards.
He will use his Perron Institute Aspire Award to attend the International Conference on Brain Stimulation in Kyoto, Japan.
“With the Perron Institute Aspire Award, I’ll be able to further share the work we are doing to understand how brain stimulation can harness neuroplasticity, and bring the latest knowledge and techniques from around the world back to Western Australia,” said Dr Tang.
Two other impressive young researchers in the neuroscience field are among the 16 Aspire Awards recipients this year. They are Research Associate Craig McIntosh and Research Officer, Kristin Ham. Both are based at the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics (CMMIT), a joint research centre between Murdoch University and the Perron Institute.
Their early career achievements and potential were recognised with an Aspire Award sponsored by the City of Perth.
Congratulations, Alex, Craig and Kristin.
Dr Alex Tang. Photo credit: Business Events Perth.