Work by UNSW researchers on everything from the effects of estrogen on anxiety to the impact of development on marine life has been recognised in the prestigious Young Tall Poppy Science Awards.
Work by six UNSW researchers has been recognised in the 2016 Young Tall Poppy Science Awards.
The UNSW researchers are among 13 scientists from NSW who will be presented with the prestigious awards at a ceremony held at the Museum of Applied Arts and Science in Sydney, this evening.
The Tall Poppy awards are run by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science (AIPS) to honour up-and-coming scientists who combine world-class research with a passionate commitment to communicating science. The awards are held on a state-by-state basis to celebrate researchers across science, engineering and mathematics.
“These Tall Poppies are already showing great promise here in NSW,” said AIPS General Manager, Ms Camille Thomson.
“We are excited to see them become the guiding lights of science to future generations of enquiring minds,” she said.
The UNSW winners include Associate Professor in Epidemiology and Public Health at the Kirby Institute, Jason Grebely, for his work on finding new ways to enhance access to hepatitis C testing.
In the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Dr Danielle Moreau’s research on the unwanted noise created by things such as wind turbine blades, and Dr Robert Taylor’s work on solar energy technology both attracted the judges’ attention.
In the School of Psychology, Dr Bronwyn Graham’s research into how estrogen levels affect anxiety in women was rewarded also with a Young Tall Poppy.
Dr Katherine Dafforn, a senior Research Associate in Marine Ecology, was recognised for research on innovative strategies for reducing the impacts of coastal development on marine environments.
Conjoint senior lecturer at UNSW and head of the Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine Laboratory at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Dr Joshua Ho, was recognised for the use of DNA technology to sequence the entire genome of congenital heart disease patients and their families.
The NSW Young Tall Poppy Scientist of the year will be announced at the ceremony tonight.
Last year, physicist Dane McCamey was named NSW Young Tall Poppy of the year for his work on identifying and controlling the many ways electrons move and interact in electronic materials and devices.
Award winners will spend a year sharing their knowledge with school students, teachers and the broader community through workshops, seminars and public lectures.
Nominated by their peers, Young Tall Poppies are early career researchers who have under 10 year’s post-doctoral experience.