Children’s Hospital Foundation is proud to announce the 2026 recipients of the Mary McConnel Career Boost Program for Women in Paediatric Research, proudly supported by DISSH.
Each year, the Mary McConnel Career Boost Program helps talented female researchers take the next step in their careers, accelerating innovations that improve the lives of children and families in Queensland and worldwide.
Female researchers from pre-PhD through to early and mid-career phases are given vital support and financial aid to help foster equal representation and transformational impact for children and young people in Queensland and beyond.
The program, supported by DISSH, honours the legacy of Mary McConnel – who led the installation of Queensland’s first children’ hospital in 1878 – by empowering women in paediatric research with the opportunities, support and recognition they need to grow their impact.
Meet the 2026 grant recipients
This year, the program will support three exceptional female researchers across Children’s Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service:
- Dr Kriti Joshi – An independent clinician-researcher identifying immune and metabolic biomarkers that can predict type 1 diabetes progression in children and inform future immunotherapy approaches
- Dr Miriam Cameron – An early-career researcher investigating a novel treatment to prevent aspiration lung disease in children by improving respiratory muscle strength
- Ms Claire Reilly – An emerging researcher working to bring together children, families and clinicians to identify the most important future research priorities for children requiring temporary feeding tubes.
Empowering the future of women in research
The Mary McConnel Career Boost Program was launched on International Women’s Day in 2018 to overcome career progression barriers female researchers are often faced with and increase competitiveness for further female funding.
Since its inception, the program has awarded over $1.7 million in grants to 35 outstanding female researchers – covering diverse areas such as paediatric vascular access, cerebral palsy, medulloblastoma, scar management, palliative care, and infectious disease.
By providing dedicated funding, mentorship and professional development opportunities, the program helps researchers build their leadership capability, strengthen their research impact and take important steps towards securing larger competitive grants and advancing their careers.
“An investment in one female researcher can accelerate a career, unlock new opportunities, attract further funding, generate new knowledge and ultimately improve outcomes for other women and girls,” states Ms Lyndsey Rice, Children’s Hospital Foundation CEO.
“Children’s Hospital Foundation is proud to support female researchers through the Mary McConnel program, giving women the agency to turn their decisions into impact.
“The program works on a trust-based fundraising model, giving recipients the flexibility to direct funds where they will have the greatest impact, rather than restricting it to what others believe may be most useful.”
Professor and Chair of Paediatric Nursing across Children’s Health Queensland and the University of Queensland, Amanda Ullman, received the inaugural grant in 2019, enabling her to further her career in both research and mentoring.
“The Mary McConnel Grant was much more than a research grant,” says Professor Ullman.
“It was an investment in my future as a research leader, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities it created.
“[The grant] has been one of the defining opportunities of my career, and I am excited to see the impact the next generation of Mary McConnel Fellows will make.”
Supporting Queensland kids
As we celebrate this year’s Mary McConnel Career Boost Program for Women in Paediatric Research recipients, we also recognise the vital role our supporters play in making programs like this possible.
Children’s Hospital Foundation help paediatric researchers raise the bar at a global level through funding breakthroughs and innovations that have the power to turn fear into hope and give back time spent with family and friends, at school, at home and out in the world.
With your support, we can continue making a difference in treatment and care for sick and injured kids across the state.
If you’d like to help power the next breakthrough, make a donation today.
The difference that shapes their world
Through supporting the Children’s Hospital Foundation, you can improve childhoods and ensure all children and young people have access to treatment - sooner.
