Winners announced: 2022 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes

The Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, claimed to be Australia’s most comprehensive national science awards, have been awarded for 2022, honouring excellence across the areas of research and innovation, leadership, science engagement and school science.

Presented annually in partnership with some of the nation’s leading scientific institutions, government organisations, universities and corporations, the Eureka Prizes raise the profile of science and science engagement in the community by celebrating outstanding achievement.

Since the prizes were established in 1990, more than $4 million in prize money and 450 Eureka Prizes have been awarded. This year’s prize winners can be found below.

Research & Innovation

NSW Environment and Heritage Eureka Prize for Applied Environmental Research

Sustainable Farms, Australian National University

Large-scale studies conducted over two decades have enabled Sustainable Farms to identify how biodiversity responds to management changes on farms, and to share these insights with farmers. This research has also informed BirdCast, a digital tool that enables land managers to access the science and predict which birds may live in woodlands under different scenarios.

Eureka Prize for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Scientific Research

Professor Manfred Lenzen, Professor David Raubenheimer, Dr Arunima Malik, Dr Mengyu Li and Navoda Liyana Pathirana, University of Sydney

What we eat affects both individual and environmental health. Researchers from fields spanning economics, engineering and nutrition have developed advanced data modelling techniques to trace billions of supply chains, linking food producers and consumers. Their work highlights the drivers of dietary choice and is informing policy for the United Nations and other international bodies.

Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre Eureka Prize for Infectious Diseases Research

Associate Professor Eric Chow, Professor Christopher Fairley, Professor Catriona Bradshaw, Professor Jane Hocking, Professor Deborah Williamson and Professor Marcus Chen, Monash University and University of Melbourne

Rapid rises in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a growing concern internationally. Discoveries made by this team have informed new treatment guidelines and prevention strategies. Their research also established the role of saliva in transmission of STIs and pioneered resistance guided therapy — tailoring antibiotics to individuals to improve cure rates.

ANSTO Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology

NanoMslide, La Trobe University; University of Melbourne; Garvan Institute of Medical Research; and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

By applying a patented coating created with cutting-edge nanofabrication technology, the collaborators behind NanoMslide are turning the humble glass microscope slide into a diagnostic lab. Cancer cells interact with the coating and produce an instant colour variation, enabling fast, accurate, cost-effective diagnoses without the need for specialised equipment.

Macquarie University Eureka Prize for Outstanding Early Career Researcher

Dr Tess Reynolds, University of Sydney

By developing technology to better guide robotic imaging during surgery, Dr Tess Reynolds is improving the view for surgeons as well as outcomes for patients. Partnering with the world’s largest medical device company, her pioneering techniques offer clearer, more complete images for complex cardiac and spinal surgery.

UNSW Eureka Prize for Scientific Research

Professor Justin Yerbury AM, University of Wollongong

Professor Justin Yerbury leads a research program that has challenged prevailing thought about the pathology of motor neuron disease (MND), a degenerative disease with no known cure. His discoveries about its underlying molecular principles, made since he was diagnosed with MND in 2016, are driving new research into the causes of cell dysfunction.

Eureka Prize for Emerging Leader in Science

Professor Sumeet Walia, RMIT University

Professor Sumeet Walia is an entrepreneurial leader whose research is being translated into products that improve lives and promote equity. His projects include artificial vision technologies, smart window coatings, UV exposure skin sensors and infection prevention platforms. A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in STEM, he conducts public outreach in English and Hindi.

Department of Defence Eureka Prize for Leadership in Innovation and Science

Professor Raina MacIntyre, UNSW

A public health physician, epidemiologist and researcher, Professor Raina MacIntyre has taken a significant leadership role in the international response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her contributions to infection prevention, informed by extensive research into emerging diseases, vaccines and masks, has helped establish international public health policies and processes.

University of Technology Sydney Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Young Researchers

Professor Paul Wood AO, Monash University

Professor Paul Wood’s dedication to developing career opportunities for young researchers led to the establishment of the Industry Mentoring and Networking in STEM (IMNIS) program. With over 1700 alumni, IMNIS is the largest mentoring program for PhD students and early-career researchers in Australia. Professor Wood continues as an active mentor for postgraduate students.

Science Engagement

Department of Industry, Science and Resources Eureka Prize for Innovation in Citizen Science

The Environment Recovery Project, UNSW and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research

Studying the impact of the 2019–2020 bushfires that devastated seven million hectares of Australian bushland is beyond the scale of scientific teams alone. The Environment Recovery Project has mobilised 1600 volunteers who have made more than 24,000 observations that help track damage and biodiversity loss while also gathering vital recovery data.

Celestino Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science

Professor Veena Sahajwalla, UNSW

Materials scientist Professor Veena Sahajwalla is the pioneering inventor of a new generation of ‘green’ materials and sustainable products. Through her rigorous research and extensive community and industry engagement, she is shifting the mindset of the nation to see unwanted materials not as waste, but as a valuable resource.

Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Science Journalism

Dr Jackson Ryan, CNET

One of 66 people on the inaugural voyage of Australia’s icebreaker vessel RSV Nuyina, Dr Jackson Ryan explores Antarctica through the lens of the climate crisis. His series Journey to the Ice Kingdom offers a snapshot of life onboard a research vessel and explains how rising temperatures, tourism and loss of biodiversity threaten the southernmost continent.

Department of Industry, Science and Resources Eureka Prize for STEM Inclusion

Dr Kirsten Ellis, Monash University

Scientist Dr Kirsten Ellis invented TapeBlocks as a fun way for people with a range of disabilities to learn about and create their own electronics. The colourful, easy-to-connect blocks build circuits that run lights, fans and buzzers, allowing users to enjoy creative electronics activities and build confidence, while challenging misconceptions about who can participate in STEM.

School Science

University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize – Primary

Genevieve S., Bucasia State School, Qld

In Adaptation: Now That's Change!, Genevieve examines how animals fit into their environment and what they must do to survive if their habitat changes. Combining graphics and close encounters with cuddly — and not-so-cuddly — creatures, she shows how adaptations happen over time and the sort of features that develop to help animals thrive.

University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize – Secondary

Iestyn R., St John’s Anglican College, Forest Lake, Qld

Brain scanning technology shows that the human brain can adapt throughout our lives. In his film Neuroplasticity — You Can Change Your Brain, Iestyn uses colourful graphics to explain how neurons connect via synapses. Through everyday examples, he shows that when connections become crowded with data, learning prompts an editing process that makes space for new information.

Image caption: Winners of the 2022 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes included Professor Veena Sahajwalla (top left), Professor Raina MacIntyre (top right) and The Environment Recovery Project (bottom). Image credit: UNSW.

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