Our Young Achiever

Recognition

A young University of Adelaide researcher has taken out one of the major prizes at this year's Channel 9 Young Achiever Awards.

Cadence Minge, who studied the effect of obesity on female reproductive health for her PhD, has won the University of Adelaide Faculty of Sciences Science and Technology Award.

Ms Minge's research discovered a link between obesity and infertility, with the eggs suffering damage because of excessive bodyweight.

"At Adelaide's IVF clinics, a disproportionate percentage of women seeking assisted reproduction are overweight or obese. The research carried out by our group has dramatic implications for such overweight women of reproductive age, as it reveals that excessive body weight is responsible for the release of eggs of severely impaired quality, and indicates long-term adverse consequences for the offspring such eggs produce," Ms Minge said.

Using mice as a model for obese people, she carried out her research at the University's Research Centre for Reproductive Health.

"Winning the award was very humbling as I was nominated with many other impressive PhD candidates. I was just delighted to receive this significant recognition and I am appreciative of the opportunity to talk even more about the science I love," Ms Minge said.

Her PhD research also earned her the Young Investigator Award in 2007 and she was selected as a "Fresh Scientist" in a national competition which identifies new and exciting research.

Ms Minge's research was published in Biology of Reproduction, Endocrinology and PPAR Research.

She has also been involved in articulating the importance and direct benefit of medical research to the public as SA Chair of the Australian Society for Medical Research and was responsible for the coordination of the South Australian Medical Research Week events.

Ms Minge is currently working for the University of Adelaide's Faculty of Sciences Marketing and Outreach team, enjoying the experience of sharing new discoveries with the public.

Story by Sandhya Rughoo