International Women’s Day 2025: Lea Medal recipients
3 min read 07 March 2025
From left; Dr Ftanou, Dr Devlin
For International Women’s Day 2025, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation recognises the importance of taking timely and meaningful action to achieve gender equality.
As part of our commitment to achieving gender equality, the Foundation has funded the Lea Medal over the past nine years to address gender imbalances in health and science, enabling more women to reach senior and leadership positions.
This year, the Lea Medal was awarded to Dr Jennifer Devlin and Dr Ftanou at Peter Mac’s Women in Science Symposium, held on February 28.
The Lea Medal grants $50,000 for career development to women who work as early to mid-career researchers at Peter Mac. The early to mid-stage is a critical moment in a research career, with many women often facing barriers and a lack of support during this time.
Dr Devlin’s research focuses on a process called transcription, which is how the genes in our cells are expressed. By better understanding how gene transcription is controlled, researchers can then work to develop new treatments to improve outcomes for people with cancer.
Dr Ftanou will use the award to develop evidence-based guidelines to support healthcare professionals working in oncology to detect, prevent and manage suicidal ideation in cancer patients, addressing a gap in the current mental health care of cancer patients.
“The award reflects the strong commitment the Research Executive and the entire Peter Mac community has towards supporting and championing women across all stages of their scientific careers,” said Dr Devlin.
“It also provides key opportunities and positive exposure for women researchers who want to pursue leadership positions.”
Dr Ftanou noted that “awards like this help create visibility for female clinical researchers.”
“On a professional level, this award is an incredible recognition for my research contributions and my potential in the field,” Dr Ftanou added.
Congratulations to Dr Devlin and Dr Ftanou, and thank you to all the Peter Mac Cancer Foundation’s generous donors for enabling women in science to lead innovative research that improves care and treatment for people with cancer.
