Viv Marnane receives the 2021 NAL Research Excellence Award

The annual NAL Research Excellence Award recognises broad contributions of excellence throughout the research process—multidisciplinary teamwork, creative problem-solving, consistently exceeding expectations—to deliver high impact research outcomes. NAL is proud to announce that the recipient of the 2021 NAL Research Excellence Award is Viv Marnane.

Display image shows the 2020’s recipient, Dr Joaquin Valderrama-Valenzuela presenting the award to Viv Marnane, recognising Viv’s proven reputation for high achievement and consistency in the high quality of her work.

Viv’s contribution to NAL’s impact

Children with Mild Hearing Loss: Viv effectively collaborated with the Murdoch Institute on a project to investigate whether hearing aids can help babies and young children with bilateral mild hearing loss. The project addressed a long-standing need for evidence-based recommendations on the management of mild hearing loss in children. The collaboration led to a follow-up study looking at factors predicting the outcomes of children with mild hearing loss.

Newborn Hearing Screening: Viv actively took the lead on a systematic review exploring the evidence around population-based hearing screening programs post-newborn hearing screening, commissioned by the Australasian Hearing Screening Committee. The outcomes of the review will be used to form a national consensus statement and provide recommendations on the future of school-age hearing screening.

Hearing loss screening in First Nations children: Viv took on a lead role on the Ear Check component of PLUM and HATS Phase III, going above and beyond to lead the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation appraisal for the Rapid Evidence Review and Delphi consensus process. The evidence-based and agile approach led to draft clinical practice recommendations for standard ear checks for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Congratulations and well-deserved Viv!