Resonance Health is delighted to announce that Chief Scientific Officer Professor Tim St Pierre has received the Panos Englezos Award from the Thalassaemia International Federation (TIF). This award is in recognition of the contribution made by FerriScan®, the MRI-based measurement of liver iron concentration (LIC), to the lives of patients worldwide.
TIF is dedicated to improving access to high quality medical care for sufferers of thalassaemia and other haemoglobin disorders, and to working towards their eventual eradication. The Panos Englezos Prize, named in honour of the long-serving President of TIF, is awarded jointly by The University of Nicosia Medical School and TIF on a biannual basis and was presented at a ceremony at the University today.
In awarding Professor St Pierre with the prize, TIF has acknowledged the impact of FerriScan in improving the lives and clinical outcomes of patients worldwide since its introduction in 2005.
FerriScan was developed at The University of Western Australia by Professor St Pierre and his team. The MRI-based image analysis service is provided by Resonance Health, based in Claremont, Western Australia. Today, more than 30,000 FerriScans have been delivered to patients in over 30 countries worldwide.
This achievement was noted by Dr Englezos in an earlier statement “We are indeed very proud to acknowledge the tremendous contribution that the 30.000 FerriScans have had to the global patients’ community. There is no doubt that the contribution of the FerriScan programme has great value and identifies the many needs of patients across the globe.”
Thalassaemia is a haemoglobinopathy, a group of genetic diseases that impact the production and functionality of a patient’s haemoglobin. Treatment often involves regular blood transfusions, resulting in an excess of iron, which may accumulate in the liver, causing liver fibrosis, cancer and death. In some cases excessive iron absorption occurs even in the absence of blood transfusions.
The ability to accurately measure the amount of iron in the liver enables doctors to better determine a patient’s treatment regime, significantly improving health outcomes.
Professor St Pierre said “I am thrilled to have been honoured with the Panos Englezos Award from TIF and the University of Nicosia Medical School. A major part of my working life has been aimed at improving monitoring techniques for thalassaemia patients with a view both to furthering knowledge about this condition and advancing its management. TIF is a highly recognised body that has supported patients and families and thalassaemia research around the world. As such, I consider this award a very great honour and a huge incentive to keep pushing ahead to make further progress.”
Professor St Pierre visited TIF Headquarters in Cyprus for the award ceremony at the conclusion of a very successful series of conference presentations and meetings with key clinicians across Europe. The prize consists of a silver drop of blood (TIF’s logo) and a monetary award of USD $10,000. Professor St Pierre has generously donated his prize money to provide further access to FerriScan in economically disadvantaged regions.
For further information please email Resonance Health's General Manager – sanderb@resonancehealth.com