The Selby Research Awards are granted annually by both the The University of Melbourne and The University of Sydney. The award is to assist an outstanding academic establish his or her research career. The Foundation congratulates:

• Dr Ludovica Monti, Lecturer, School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne
• Dr Marcus Giansiracusa, Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne
• Dr Nikki Lee, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney
• Dr Cassandra Lee Fleming, School of Chemistry, University of Sydney

Dr Ludovica Monti

Lecturer, School of Chemistry
University of Melbourne
Awarded on 15/04/2025

Bio

Dr. Ludovica Monti earned her PhD from Sapienza University of Rome, with training in medicinal chemistry across Italy and the USA at the University of Pennsylvania and UC San Diego. Her work contributes to the discovery of new candidate drugs for neglected tropical diseases by applying cutting-edge chemical biology and genomic approaches in parasitology. She has been awarded prestigious individual fellowships, including the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship while at Imperial College London to lead an interdisciplinary research program. In 2024, she joined the School of Chemistry at the University of Melbourne as a lecturer, where she heads a research group at the Bio21 Institute. Her lab is interested in studying host–parasite interactions and developing innovative biotherapeutic strategies to treat parasitic infections.

Project title: Development of novel nucleic acid molecules for therapeutic advancement 

Project synopsis

Parasitic diseases affect millions worldwide, and the rise of drug resistance is an urgent global health challenge that requires immediate attention. This Selby Research Award will support interdisciplinary efforts to develop innovative treatments to tackle these diseases. Leveraging our team’s expertise in chemistry, genomics, and bioinformatics, we aim to design novel peptide-derived molecules that precisely targets the DNA of parasites, disrupting vital biological processes with high specificity. This research has the potential to transform antiparasitic drug development, opening new avenues to combat neglected tropical diseases and strengthen Australia’s biosecurity against emerging parasitic threats.

Message of thanks

I am deeply honoured to receive this award and sincerely thank the Selby Scientific Foundation for their generous support. This recognition comes at a pivotal moment in my research journey, empowering my team to explore transformative strategies to tackle parasitic diseases. I am especially grateful for the Foundation’s commitment to supporting early-career researchers and advancing science with real-world impact. This support will be instrumental in accelerating our efforts to develop safer and more effective treatments, addressing the growing challenges of antimicrobial resistance and the urgent need for improved therapies.

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Dr Marcus Giansiracusa

Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Chemistry
University of Melbourne
Awarded on 15/04/2025

Bio

Dr Marcus Giansiracusa completed his MSc (with distinction) at the University of Melbourne before completing a PhD at the University of Manchester utilising the UK National EPR Facility and ISIS Neutron and Muon Source. He received the Melbourne Postdoctoral Fellowship for Science 2023 where along with Prof Colette Boskovic, he helped to establish the Melbourne Magnetometry Laboratory for the study of magnetic materials. He manages the platform and liaises with local, national and international collaborators to design measurements for the characterisation of magnetic nanoparticles, molecular complexes, and geological/archaeological samples. The Giansiracusa research group focuses on the physical characterisation of novel magnetic materials utilising EPR, inelastic neutron spectroscopy and magnetometry techniques. They aim to study lanthanoid containing molecules for their electronic and magnetic properties, targeting single-molecule magnets, lanthanoid exchange coupling and solid-state phonon properties.

Project title: Optimised Computational Approach to Lanthanoid Electronic Structure Predictions 

Project Synopsis

My research looks at new materials based on molecular magnets that have potential applications in memory storage devices (hard drives), computers and quantum technologies. However, there are still obstacles to developing and applying these materials at industrial scale. My research examines a selection of rare earth elements, used in generating molecular magnets, to identify factors that are currently holding them back from real world applications.   

Message of thanks

I am honoured to receive the Selby Research Award and would like to thank the Selby Scientific Foundation for their consideration. This award will accelerate my research portfolio by expanding multiple research directions and providing important infrastructure to consolidate my research group in Australia. It will allow me to strengthen my overarching goal of advancing chemical understanding of these critical rare earth elements. As a result of this support, I will also build my collaborative network locally and international with luminescence groups at the University of Melbourne, the electron magnetic resonance team at the USA National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and quantum collaborators at Florida State University.

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Dr Nikki Lee

School of Life and Environmental Sciences
University of Sydney
Awarded on 17/04/2026

Project Synopsis

Dietinduced disruption of central appetite regulation plays a critical role in the development of metabolic and skeletal disease across generations, with emerging evidence for strong sexspecific effects. Building on a proven track record in hypothalamic neuropeptide research and robust preliminary data, this research addresses a major gap in understanding how poor maternal and offspring diet contribute to obesity and osteoporosis risk.

The work builds on compelling preliminary findings demonstrating that highfructose exposure during the maternal and/or postnatal period induces sexspecific metabolic and skeletal alterations in offspring. An integrated multiomics approach will be applied to hypothalamic tissue to define the molecular pathways through which fructose exposure disrupts neuropeptide signalling and drives longterm metabolic and skeletal outcomes.

By explicitly examining sexspecific and intergenerational mechanisms, an underrepresented but clinically significant area, the work is expected to deliver highimpact publications and provide a strong platform for future competitive funding. The award will further support research independence by enabling advanced methodologies and strengthening collaborative expertise.

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Dr Cassandra Lee Fleming

School of Chemistry
University of Sydney
Awarded on 17/04/2026

Project Synopsis 

The selective control and visualisation of intracellular events is a major challenge in modern chemical biology experiments. This Selby Research Award will support our endeavours in the development of unique light-responsive molecular technology that can be utilised to control the structure and function of bio-relevant molecules with high spatiotemporal control and, in turn, address diverse biological questions at cellular and sub-cellular levels. My team are pairing the principles of photo-responsive systems with fluorescence imaging to deliver new: (i) fluorescent probes to capture real-time cellular events and interrogate intracellular environments/structures; and (ii) light-responsive molecular tools to control/manipulate protein activity – adding a new layer of experimental opportunity to accelerate our understanding of underlying cellular process in health and disease.

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