2015 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes announced

The winners of the 2015 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes were announced last night at a Sydney Town Hall. A total of 16 prizes were presented for outstanding contributions to Australian science, including new prizes for international scientific collaboration and rural innovation.

The national science awards each year honour excellence in research and innovation, leadership, science communication and journalism, and school science. This year’s winners are listed below.

Research & Innovation

2015 NSW Office of Environment and Heritage Eureka Prize for Environmental Research — The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems Team, UNSW

Professor David Keith and his team have developed the first global standard for assessing risks to ecosystems. Their method is laying the foundations for better strategies for averting the collapse of threatened ecosystems worldwide.

University of New South Wales Eureka Prize for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Scientific Research — Professor Dayong Jin, University of Technology Sydney, Macquarie University and ARC Centre for Nanoscale Biophotonics; Professor Tanya Monro, University of South Australia, University of Adelaide and ARC Centre for Nanoscale Biophotonics; and Professor Bradley Walsh, Minomic International and Macquarie University

The diverse impact of Super Dots technologies — from non-invasive cancer diagnosis and rapid pathogen detection to invisible coding — is based on advances in diverse fields: material chemistry, optical physics, nanotechnology, biotechnology, computational modelling and instrumentation engineering.

Scopus Eureka Prize for Excellence in International Scientific Collaboration — Professor Dacheng Tao, University of Technology Sydney

Professor Dacheng Tao collaborated with an international network of peers to invent subspace learning models that reduce the complexity of data captured from the real world. Their findings have diverse applications, from video surveillance to consumer electronics.

Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre Eureka Prize for Infectious Diseases Research — Pellegrini and Ebert Team, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

The Pellegrini and Ebert Team has developed the first therapy to eliminate HBV-infected cells, resulting in clearance of the hepatitis B virus in preclinical models. The therapy has now entered clinical trials in Australia.

ANSTO Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology — Associate Professor Frank Bruno, Dr Martin Belusko and Dr Steven Tay, University of South Australia

Associate Professor Frank Bruno and his team have combined a number of innovations to provide an inexpensive alternative for storing electricity to be used for cooling. These innovations include concepts such as dynamic melting, ‘coil-in-tank’ and a low-cost storage medium.

Macquarie University Eureka Prize for Outstanding Early Career Researcher — Associate Professor Michael Biercuk, University of Sydney

Associate Professor Michael Biercuk has built a record of transformative discoveries driving the development of a new generation of advanced technologies based on quantum physics, with important practical outcomes.

Defence Science and Technology Group Eureka Prize for Outstanding Science for Safeguarding Australia — Northrop Grumman M5 Network Security

The Secure Communications System, developed by Northrop Grumman M5 Network Security in conjunction with the Australian Government, remediates ageing secure communications capabilities. The system aims to overcome the challenge of extending classified networks into the mobile arena.

Rural Research and Development Corporations Eureka Prize for Rural Innovation — Professor David Raftos, Macquarie University

Professor Raftos’ research has led to the most comprehensive understanding of disease resistance in oysters worldwide, with his team now implementing that knowledge in an innovative breeding program to produce disease-resistant, environmentally tolerant oysters.

University of New South Wales Eureka Prize for Scientific Research — Professor Peter Currie, Phong Nguyen, Monash University; and Dr Georgina Hollway, Garvan Institute of Medical Research

Professor Peter Currie and his team have identified, for the first time, a mechanism in the body that triggers hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) production. Unravelling the mystery of HSC generation could see it used to cure a range of blood disorders and immune diseases.

Leadership

3M Eureka Prize for Emerging Leader in Science — Dr Phillip Urquijo, University of Melbourne

Dr Phillip Urquijo leads the international Belle II experiment’s physics program and Australian teams to discover new physics phenomena. His work galvanises over 500 physicists and shapes one of the world’s most important collider experiments.

CSIRO Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science — Professor Michelle Simmons, UNSW

Professor Michelle Simmons’ work in the development of atomic-scale electronics has positioned Australian researchers as world leaders in classical and quantum computing technologies in silicon. Her track record is the product of leading considerable multidisciplinary teams in Australia and internationally.

University of Technology Sydney Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Young Researchers — Professor Marilyn Renfree AO, University of Melbourne

Over three decades, Professor Marilyn Renfree has provided inspirational supervision and long-term career mentoring for young researchers, particularly for women working in the field of life sciences. Many of her protégés are now making significant contributions to the science community both in Australia and overseas.

Science Communication & Journalism

Department of Industry and Science Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Australian Science Research — Professor Emma Johnston, UNSW

Professor Emma Johnston is a leading authority in the field of coastal ecology. Through a broad range of influential leadership, outreach and advocacy initiatives, she has been instrumental in promoting research and greater understanding of Australia’s fragile coastline.

Department of Industry and Science Eureka Prize for Science Journalism — Dr Elizabeth Finkel, Cosmos Magazine

Dr Elizabeth Finkel’s article ‘A Statin a Day’ adjudicated between two opposing camps: the health authorities who encouraged males over 50 to take statins to stave off heart attacks and strokes, and those who challenged this advice.

New Scientist Eureka Prize for Science Photography — Soft Coral, Gary Cranitch, Queensland Museum

Soft corals are more diverse and widespread than hard corals, but much less is known about their overall contribution to coral reef biodiversity. Through his beautiful image ‘Soft Coral’, Gary Cranitch highlights this true ‘indicator’ species.

School Science

University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize Primary School Category — Cry Stoppers, Georgia (Gigi) Souyave-Murphy and Ella Woods, St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School

Gigi and Ella believe that science is about understanding our world, answering questions and having fun. Their film ‘Cry Stoppers’ investigates why onions make us cry and gives us some practical tips to stop the tears.

Secondary School Category — The Secret of the Appendix, Paige Bebee, Ivanhoe Girls Grammar School

Throughout history, human understanding of the appendix has been limited to the knowledge of painful inflammation that requires urgent surgery. In ‘The Secret of the Appendix’, Paige explains that the appendix does much more than we give it credit for and is a vital component of a healthy gut.

The awards ceremony also saw the presentation of the 2015 Australian Museum Research Institute Medal to Dr Mark Eldridge, Principal Research Scientist, Terrestrial Vertebrates, Australian Museum Research Institute. The medal, which is presented to an individual staff member, senior fellow or team from the Australian Museum, recognised Dr Eldridge’s work informing conservation and biodiversity management, as well as his outstanding mentorship.

Next year’s Australian Museum Eureka Prizes will open for nominations on 5 February. They will include the brand new Johnson and Johnson Eureka Prize for Innovation in Medical Research.