Emeritus Professor Sue Fletcher AO won the Professions category for her scientific achievements which span decades.  

Dr Mara West, a respected Yamatji Elder who has spent more than 50 years improving outcomes for Indigenous communities, won the Aboriginal Award. 

Emeritus Professor Fletcher is a globally recognised biomedical researcher who has changed the lives of young men living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. 

For the families she supports and for the countless researchers she mentors and inspires, Emeritus Professor Fletcher’s legacy is one of compassion, courage and life-changing impact.  

In 2021, she was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia for ‘distinguished service to medical research, to neurological science, and to the treatment and support of those with muscular dystrophy’. 

The next year, Emeritus Professor Fletcher was also awarded Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.  

Dr Mara West is the Chair of Murdoch University’s Homelands Water and Energy Group, and throughout her career she has championed the social, political and economic position of Aboriginal peoples in Australia.  

She is an integral member of the Kulungu Aboriginal Research Development Unit at Telethon Kids Institute, providing culturally safe practices that respect the Knowledge of community Elders in research.  

In addition to her work to improve Aboriginal healthcare, Dr West has worked closely with Communities across WA to set up training centres to ensure Aboriginal peoples have access to education and training opportunities.   

In 2023, Dr West was awarded an honorary doctorate from Murdoch University in recognition of her changemaking and lasting impact. 

Both Emeritus Professor Fletcher AO and Dr West have been integral to the Murdoch University community, and their work has made impacts that will improve the lives of generations to come.