reNEW CEO Professor Melissa Little has been awarded Research Australia’s Peter Wills Medal at Research Australia’s 2026 Health and Medical Research Awards in Sydney.
Audiences at Science Gallery Melbourne explored the future of stem cell medicine through an in-conversation between acclaimed Australian artist Patricia Piccinini and reNEW CEO Professor Melissa Little, an international pioneer in regenerative therapies for kidney disease, on Saturday 15 August.
Held during National Science Week and moderated by Atlanta Colley, the event invited audiences to consider the evolution of stem cell technologies and the hope they illicit for the future generation of medicine, as well as the intersection of art and science and its role in society.
The conversation formed part of reNEW Melbourne’s Hope Springs Eternal event, held during Science Gallery Melbourne’s EMERGENCE[Y] exhibition, which brings together artists, scientists and collaborators from around the globe to explore how we adapt to a world in flux and how advances in technology can inspire hope for future generations.
Exploring the human side of scientific discovery
The conversation was anchored to Piccinini’s newly commissioned artwork Células Madre, created as part of Hope Springs Eternal, a transnational art-science collaboration funded by reNEW, with parallel exhibitions and event programs developed alongside artists and partners at reNEW Leiden and reNEW Copenhagen
Developed through conversations with reNEW Melbourne stem cell researchers based at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), and visits to their laboratories, the work reflects how scientific discovery can inspire new ways of thinking about health, disease and the future of medicine.
“Hope Springs Eternal has created an opportunity for commissioned artists to spend significant amounts of time in the laboratory with researchers in conversation, reaching a position where they can create a work that [they believe] embodies the hope surrounding the stem cell research field,” said Professor Little during the conversation.
Células Madre revisits Piccinini’s earlier work, Still Life with Stem Cells (2002), reimagining the central figure as a young mother alongside an amorphous, life-supporting structure shaped by the realities of contemporary stem cell research.
“I wanted to create a new work that expressed the same curiosity but is more hopeful [than Still Life]. That’s a genuine response to time spent with the researchers,” said Piccinini.
Professor Megan Munsie, reNEW PREPARE Theme Leader and project co-lead of Hope Springs Eternal, said the project was built on a shared commitment to create innovative ways to engage people across different communities in conversations about science while it is still evolving.
“Hope Springs Eternal opens up a new platform to invite not only people curious about science, but also those intrigued by the interface of art and technology to reflect on our science,” Professor Munsie said.
Showcasing stem cell research
Alongside the conversation, audiences heard from reNEW Melbourne researchers, many of whom had participated in the year-long residency with Patricia. Through a series of lightning talks, they shared their current research, highlighting advances in stem cell medicine.
Researchers Drs Jessica Vanslambrouck, Kellie Veen, Callum Dark and Rhiannon Werder shared how stem cell technologies are being used to grow lung, muscle, brain and kidney tissue in the laboratory to better understand disease and develop future treatments. Dr Roslyn Le Gautier then highlighted the importance of involving patients and communities in shaping the future of stem cell research.
Visitors explored additional artworks featured in EMERGENCE[Y], including Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm’s An Internal Other (2026), which made its Melbourne debut following its presentation in reNEW Copenhagen’s Hope Springs Eternal program. Through a series of interactive speculative scenarios, the work invited audiences to consider the ethical and personal questions that could arise from future stem cell technologies.
Throughout the day, visitors also contributed to a collaborative drawing activity led by Brisbane artist Briony Barr, encouraging creative reflection on how our bodies form and the role of stem cells.
Together, the event demonstrated the power of collaboration across disciplines, with art providing a new lens through which audiences can engage with the promises, possibilities and challenges of emerging stem cell research.
A collaborative effort
The event showcased the contributions of researchers and artists who have helped bring Hope Springs Eternal to life over the past year.
Thank you to reNEW Principal Investigators and PREPARE researchers Associate Professor Louise Whiteley, Professor Ken Arnold and Professor Megan Munsie, and Hope Springs Eternal Project Manager Dr Pernille Lystlund Matzen for their leadership of this international project. Thank you also to Adam Piers, Kathleen Strumila, Anna Leichter, Ed Stanley, Sara Howden, Silvia Velasco and our lightning talk speakers, who generously shared their expertise with Patricia throughout the project, and huge thanks to our colleagues at the Science Gallery for bringing this vision to life
Most importantly, thank you to everyone who joined us for this inspiring National Science Week event and contributed to conversations about the future of stem cell medicine.
Hope Springs Eternal across the reNEW network
- reNEW Copenhagen’s exhibition Liquid Bodies: Stem cells and new biotechnologies takes place at the Medical Museion, Copenhagen, until 20 December 2026.
- reNEW Leiden’s Body Futures: The art and science of biotechnologies will be opening in September 2026 at Rijksmuseum Boerhaave.
