Dr Cheng was one of five finalists from La Trobe, winning the Innovator/Entrepreneur Award, which recognises a woman of colour who has developed a novel product, idea, or technology within STEM fields.
Presented by STEM Sisters at a ceremony on Monday night, the awards honour the remarkable achievements of women of colour who are pioneering change and driving innovation in STEM fields.
Dr Cheng said she felt honoured to be nominated by colleagues who recognised her journey.
“It has become clear to me that my story is inspiring to women of colour - from high school students to early career researchers - to see science as within their reach, despite our cultural perceptions that sometimes suggest otherwise. I'm proud to help shift that perspective.”
Dr Cheng is the Head of the Neurodegeneration Extracellular Vesicle Biology and Biomarker Research Laboratory at the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science (LIMS). She is also a co-founder and CEO of Excelligent P/L, a start-up company from La Trobe University, pre-seeded by the La Trobe University Eagle Fund.
Associate Professor Melanie Bish, La Trobe’s Pro Vice-Chancellor (Regional) and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Chair, congratulated Dr Cheng and other award winners, and said La Trobe University was honoured to sponsor the awards.
“Recognising the remarkable achievements of women of colour is important – not only to celebrate their contributions, but also inspire others to pursue STEM education and careers, helping to build a more inclusive and diverse talent pipeline,” Associate Professor Bish said.
The Women of Colour in STEM Awards celebrate the achievements and contributions of women of colour across 15 distinct categories. These span a wide range of STEM fields, including leadership and emerging leadership, scientific research, teaching, healthcare, engineering excellence, PhD scholars and academic rising stars.
Dr Cheng was one of five finalists from La Trobe University. Other finalists were Associate Professor Erinna Lee, Dr Vivian Tran, Dr Urooj Raza Khan and Dr Alysha De Livera.
La Trobe was the sponsor of this year’s Data Science/AI Pioneer Award, which celebrates women of colour who are driving innovation and shaping the future through data science and artificial intelligence.
Media enquiries
Robyn Grace – r.grace@latrobe.edu.au, 0420 826 595
