Marles Medallists

The Marles Medal in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM) and the Marles Medal in Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) (collectively ‘The Marles Medals’) were established in 2020 to complement the Woodward Medal (est. 2001).

The Marles Medal was named in honour of Ms Fay Marles AM, an alumna and first female Chancellor of the University of Melbourne. Ms Marles was the first Victorian Commissioner for Equal Opportunity and a trailblazer in the areas of social welfare and public service.

Professor Felicity Baker

Professor Felicity Baker of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music was awarded the 2023 Marles Medal in HASS for her groundbreaking research, exemplified by her 2022 publication ‘Clinical effectiveness of music interventions for dementia and depression in elderly care’. This landmark study is the first to provide robust evidence of the effectiveness of music therapy in improving wellbeing outcomes for people living with dementia. Professor Baker’s interdisciplinary research has had a strong impact on national and international aged care policy and directly impacts some of society's most vulnerable members, significantly contributing to dementia care.

Associate Professor Brett Manley

Associate Professor Brett Manley of the Melbourne Medical School was awarded the 2023 Marles Medal in STEMM for his research in neonatology and infant health, focused on advancing respiratory support for preterm infants facing breathing challenges. Associate Professor Manley’s research findings have been integrated into clinical guidelines both domestically and internationally. His research has revolutionised treatment strategies for preterm infants, resulting in a notable fourfold increase in the adoption of nasal high-flow (nHF) therapy, cost savings, and the enhancement of established guidelines.

Shared jointly

Professor Kim Bennell and Professor Rana Hinman (team award)

and

Professor Jane Hocking

Professors Kim Bennell and Rana Hinman of the Melbourne School of Health Sciences were awarded the 2022 Marles Medal in Science and Technology for their suite of published studies related to treatments and the use of technology to remotely deliver evidence-based care for knee osteoarthritis. This research addresses the problem that a lack of access prevents many people with osteoarthritis from receiving core treatments such as education, exercise, and weight loss. The “painTRAINER” program, developed by this team, has been accessed by 3,910 users from 77 countries and is changing practice world-wide. Their ‘PEAK program’ was released for free and accessed by over 10,500 users from 138 countries.

Professor Jane Hocking, from the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, was awarded the 2022 Marles Medal in Science and Technology for a series of articles that highlight her contribution to advancing chlamydia treatment and screening policy. Professor Hocking’s nominated works represent landmark trials and a commissioned review that addressed key chlamydia control concerns, represent research of the highest quality, and will improve population health and wellbeing.

Professor Robyn Sloggett

Professor Robyn Sloggett of the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies in the Faculty of Arts was awarded the 2021 Marles Medal in Humanities and Social Sciences for her interdisciplinary and cross-cultural research in arts conservation which has had a significant impact on the communities with which she has collaborated. Her work led to the establishment of the internationally renowned attribution facility at the Grimwade Centre and attracted a generation of researchers in cultural materials conservation in Australia where few existed previously. Her work has enabled small, rural and remote communities to preserve significant cultural material that would otherwise have been lost through damage and deterioration and extended research capability in the discipline and profession in Southeast Asia and remote Aboriginal communities.

Professor Jane Pirkis

Professor Jane Pirkis of the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences was awarded the 2021 Marles Medal in Science and Technology for her suite of articles related to the creation and evaluation of her widely impactful “Man Up” project which targets male mental health and suicide prevention. The three selected articles were chosen as they best accompany and explain the rationale and impact of the “Man Up” documentary project. The “Man Up” documentary had extraordinarily wide reach and increased men’s likelihood of seeking help in tough times and encouraging their friends to do the same, and shifted their views of masculinity.

Professor John Hattie

Professor Hattie of the Melbourne Graduate School of Education was awarded the 2020 Marles Medal in Humanities and Social Sciences for his highly influential publications on Visible Learning, which have had a significant impact on teacher effectiveness in school education. Professor Hattie’s work statistically synthesises the results of 160 meta-analyses involving more than 300 million students to build high-level understandings of what works best in schools. Developed from this research, the Visible Learning Model has been implemented in 10,000+ schools internationally since 2009, stimulating productive and sustainable changes in educational practices across the globe.

Professor Sharon Goldfeld

Professor Goldfeld, from the Melbourne Medical School in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences was awarded the 2020 Marles Medal in Science and Technology in recognition of her suite of breakthrough publications around the ‘right@home’ nurse home visitation project. The right@home project is a randomised controlled trial following 722 disadvantaged women and their families through two years of home visits by specially trained maternal and child health (MCH) nurses. The trial is the most robust of its kind in Australia with significant benefits to social, health and services for families.