Two early career researchers have been awarded prestigious Forrest PhD Scholarships to continue their studies into black holes in the universe and food insecurity.
Liyuwork Mitiku Dana from Ethiopia will join Curtin’s School of Public Health to study household food insecurity and food stress, and Tyrone O’Doherty from Donnybrook in Western Australia will join the Curtin University node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) to learn more about black holes in our galaxy and the origins of X-ray binary systems.
Curtin University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research Professor Chris Moran congratulated Mrs Dana and Mr O’Doherty for being recognised by the Forrest Foundation.
“The Forrest PhD scholarships attract the brightest academic minds from around the world who are committed to conducting research which has the potential to change the world we live in,” Professor Moran said.
“Mrs Dana will work closely with Professor Christina Pollard to address household food insecurity across the nation, an issue that has sharply risen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr O’Doherty will work with Professor James Miller-Jones and Dr Arash Bahramian to study black holes in Galactic X-ray binary systems to investigate how many black holes there are in our galaxy and how they are formed.
“Mrs Dana and Mr O’Doherty, both of whom are Curtin alumni, are two of six students selected for the prestigious program and we are delighted they have chosen to continue their PhD studies at the University.”
Mrs Dana, who is currently based in Curtin’s School of Psychology, said she was honoured to be selected for such a prestigious scholarship and looked forward to commencing her PhD at Curtin in 2021.
“Household food insecurity is a growing problem around the world. My research will develop tools to map food insecurity severity and its links to vulnerabilities related to housing, economic and social hardship. This will provide a roadmap to improve the effectiveness of the response to food insecurity in WA,” Mrs Dana said.
Mr O’Doherty said he was thrilled to be named a Forrest PhD Scholar by the Forrest Foundation.
“I am looking forward to continuing my studies at Curtin in 2021 and working alongside distinguished researchers for my PhD project. This opportunity will help me to make a real-world impact with my research,” Mr O’Doherty said.
Further information on the Forrest PhD Scholarships can be found online here.
