As of 2016, Bellberry began working in collaboration with the Viertel Foundation to offer prestigious, high-value 5 year mid-career fellowships to the brightest research talent which increased the number of available Research Fellowships from two to three. Charles Viertel established the Sylvia and Charles Viertel Charitable Foundation in his will. The Foundation was established to benefit organisations or institutions involved in the medical research into diseases, and the alleviation of hardship of the aged and infirm.
The Senior Medical Research Fellowship and the Bellberry-Viertel Fellowship are intended to be amongst the most prestigious awards available to those who wish to continue a career in medical research in Australia. The Fellowship is an integral part of a scheme that is intended to provide both salary and project grant support for outstanding Australian medical researchers.
Outstanding researchers who are medically qualified, or graduates of another scientific discipline with recognised post-doctoral achievements (less than 10 years post-doctorate), seeking to establish a research career in Australia and undertake research in an Australia academic institution are eligible to apply whether or not they are currently working in Australia. Application will be judged on the basis of merit and excellence in competition with other applications.
Further information about the Viertel scheme can be found at http://viertel.org.au/
The Bellberry-Viertel Research Fellowship for 2025/26 is Associate Professor ZongYuan Ge of Monash University. Zongyuan Ge is a medical AI specialist looking to develop Australia’s first AI Unified Phenotype Foundation model for diagnosis, prognosis and discovery in healthcare.
The following researchers have previously been awarded the Bellberry Viertel Research Fellowship:
2024/25: Dr Marcel Doerflinger, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Revolutionising treatment for lung disease, in particular Tuberculosis (TB)
2023/24: Dr Simon Foster, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. Developing therapies targeting cardiac fibrosis and heart failure.
2020/21: A/Professor James ‘Mac’ Shine, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney. Unleashing the power of brain imaging to understand and treat dementia.
2018/19: Professor Kim Good-Jacobson, Monash University, Biochemistry and Molecular. Epigenetic regulation of humoral immunity in health and disease.
2017/18: Professor Di Yu, Australian National University, Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease. Differentiation and function of a novel cytotoxic T-cell subset: follicular cytotoxic T cells.
2016/17: Professor Marnie Blewitt, Walter & Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. Screening and characterization of mammalian epigenetic modifiers.