Supporting students and advancing research.
In a year like no other, the generosity of a compassionate family is supporting students and advancing research at Flinders University.
With her expert updates and advice on COVID-19, Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier is recognised in households across South Australia. Less well known is her background at Flinders University, where she worked in paediatrics and child health from 1998 to 2010.
In 2011, Flinders University awarded Professor Spurrier status as Associate Professor within its College of Medicine and Public Health, and this year elevated her standing to Professor. The accomplished clinician and public health authority recently delivered Flinders University’s annual Chalmers Oration - an inspiring presentation on leadership in times of crisis.
Professor Spurrier’s sister, mother and brother-in-law have also made important research contributions to our society, and proudly support the Flinders community.
Dr Binoy Appukuttan, Professor Justine Smith, Professor Nicola Spurrier and Dr Lesley Smith
Like her sibling, Professor Justine Smith (PhD(Med) ’99) is a leader in her field. The Flinders University graduate and staff member is an internationally recognised expert in the causes, effects and treatment of uveitis - inflammation inside the eye. At Flinders, Professor Smith is a Research Strategic Professor in Eye and Vision Health and a Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor. She is also the Executive Vice-President of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, the world’s largest eye and vision research organisation.
After studying her PhD at Flinders, Professor Smith met her husband Dr Binoy Appukuttan when they were both postdoctoral researchers at Oregon Health & Science University in the US. In response to the struggles and job losses students experienced due to COVID-19 restrictions, Professor Smith and Dr Appukuttan both generously donated to the Matthew Flinders Scholarship, which provides funding to students facing hardship during this difficult time.
‘While doing our postdoctoral studies overseas, Binoy and I relied on scholarships to support ourselves. When we heard about the students who had no funds to fall back on during the restrictions, we understood what it would be like to have nothing - we really felt for them,’ says Professor Smith.
Dr Appukuttan also works at Flinders University, as a researcher and lecturer in Molecular Medical Science. His research has helped develop gene therapy products that are being trialled to treat blindness for some eye conditions. He hopes the support will help students focus on their studies and worry less about where their next meal is coming from.
‘We want the students to become critical thinkers and independent people but in this current environment they are struggling to work and to study,’ says Dr Appukuttan. ‘It’s crucial to support our students during this time so they can complete their degree.’
For over 20 years, Professors Spurrier and Smith’s mother, Dr Lesley Smith has generously donated to a range of programs at the University, including the Matthew Flinders Scholarship to support our students experiencing hardship due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Dr Smith trained as a pathologist and contributed substantially to the development of a national screening program for cervical cancer. She is a past president of the Australian Society of Cytology. Now retired, Dr Smith is often seen at the Flinders University Museum of Art where she has volunteered for more than 12 years.
‘Each week I enjoy spending time in the museum, researching artists and adding information to the online database,’ says Dr Smith, who also shared her expertise on the University’s medical student intake panel this year.
Flinders are grateful for the significant contribution this family is making to advance medical research, and their important philanthropic support for students and the FUMA collection. The impacts of their generosity will be felt throughout the community for years to come.
As the country grapples with the economic fallout of COVID-19, our students continue to face a difficult employment landscape and rising under-employment.
You can support them through this difficult time by donating to the Matthew Flinders Scholarship Fund to help them get the emergency relief they need.
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