Inaugural Winner of the Deborah Lehmann Research Award

Congratulations goes to Celestine Aho, the inaugural winner of the $30,000 Deborah Lehmann Research Award.

Supported by the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, the Award is designed to provide training and development for early career researchers in the Western Pacific Region who are investigating infectious diseases in children.

Celestine's successful project is titled 'Prevalence and aetiology of otitis media in Papua New Guinean (PNG) children attending out-patient clinics in the Eastern Highlands', and aims to determine the true burden of ear infections amongst different age groups and the cause of these infections. 

Celestine Aho

Celestine is currently working at Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin, and her passion for research around otitis media stems from her own childhood growing up in PNG.

"My little brother had bilateral hearing loss as a consequence of recurring ear infections as a baby, and this caused him to struggle with learning - my parents would often ask to keep him seated at the front of the classroom so he could hear the teacher," said Celestine.

"My family knew little about the effects of otitis media on hearing as it was considered a normal part of growing up, and we didn't have education around ear health issues or awareness of audiology support services.

"As part of my research, I hope to bring emphasis on the awareness of otitis media in the community and in primary health care."     

Celestine will be formally annouced as the winner of the Deborah Lehmann Reseach Award winner at the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases sundowner event on 6 March, 2019.

Click here for more information about the Award, including Clinical Associate Professor Deborah Lehmann's long-spanning career and dedication to reducing the burden of infectious diseases in PNG.