Dr Ngaire Elwood was one of 23 outstanding women recognised for their significant and lasting contributions to the state when she was inducted into the 2022 Victorian Honour Roll of Women last month.
The Mt Macedon resident said the recognition was “quite humbling but also hugely satisfying”.
Dr Elwood is the director of the Bone Marrow Donor Institute Cord Blood Bank as well as head of the Cord Blood Stem Cell Research Laboratory at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute – she has dedicated her life to research.
“What [the induction] means personally is that it’s really helped to raise awareness of what we’re doing, [such as] the use of cord blood for cell therapies,” Dr Elwood said.
“Cord blood is the blood we can collect after the birth of the baby, from the placenta and the umbilical cord… we know that it’s a really rich source of blood stem cells and is a fantastic source of stem cells for bone marrow transplants.”
She said the Honour Roll highlighted the “amazing things” women are doing to make a difference.
“We need to be lifting up women more and promoting what other women are doing and being role models for the girls,” she said.
