Dr Sonu Bhaskar Global Australian Awards winner

The Global Australian Awards presented by Advance.org recognise the soft power and significant influence of Australians and international alumni of Australian universities who are making progress overseas in industries critical to Australia.

For the first time a new Global Talent Award category will recognise and celebrate recent migrants to Australia making impact in our future-facing industries. 

Three outstanding finalists were selected from over 200 nominations, with the winner announced during a live broadcast on 7 September.

The winner, Dr Dr Sonu Bhaskar, was recognised for his contribution to the field of medicine. As a pre-eminent specialist in stroke and cerebrovascular disorders Dr Bhaskar is leading the effort to discover the unknown causes behind the disease that is now Australia’s third leading cause of death.

He is the Director and Chief Investigator of the NSW Brain Clot Bank - the first in the world - in Sydney. The biobank allows researchers to use cutting-edge robotics, advanced microscopy and pathology techniques to analyse brain clots from patients who have suffered ischemic stroke and investigate the causes at an individual level.

“For the first time we can identify the source of the clot blockage, advise stroke survivors of their ongoing risk factors and advise clinicians on targeted, individualised treatment to prevent another stroke,” Dr Bhaskar said.

Dr Bhaskar migrated to Australia to further his education and research - and ultimately to improve outcomes for patients with stroke. His research helps Australia stay at the forefront of medical advancements in neuroscience and cardiovascular research and intervention, connected to global efforts to shape and inform international healthcare policy and research.

Find out more about Australia’s health and life sciences ecosystem.