UQ student among 2014 Rolex Young Laureates

The 2014 Rolex Awards for Enterprise were announced this week at the Royal Society in London. Initiated in 1976, the awards program recognises enterprising men and women who are using their talents and initiative to change the world in five broad areas: science and health; applied technology; the environment; exploration and discovery; and cultural heritage.

Five Young Laureates - aged 30 and under - were this year recognised for both their leadership qualities and their ability to harness technology in an original way to improve the wellbeing of the community and the environment, as well as to advance scientific knowledge. Among them was Hosam Zowawi, a Saudi Arabian PhD student who is currently studying at the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research (UQCCR).

Zowawi was awarded for his innovative work to protect human health from the threat of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. He created a diagnostic tool that can rapidly identify superbugs, allowing more patients to be treated quickly with the right antibiotics and minimising opportunities for the deadly bugs to spread throughout the population. Zowawi has also helped raised awareness of antibiotic resistance in the Middle Eastern Gulf States through a creative educational campaign.

“My receipt of this award recognises the efforts of a team of outstanding men and women who have also been involved in my work relating to antibiotic-resistant superbugs, including mentors, collaborators and volunteers,” he said.

“It is important for people beyond the scientific community to know about our research and understand that the correct use of antibiotics will help to prevent the emergence of antibiotic-resistant superbugs.”

The Young Laureates were chosen by an international jury of eight eminent experts who reviewed a shortlist from among 1800 applicants. Zowawi’s fellow awardees are as follows:

• Neeti Kailas, from India, aims to increase screening of newborn babies for hearing loss, through an inexpensive, easy-to-use device; and to set up an associated network of healthcare professionals in India who can diagnose or treat deafness.
• Olivier Nsengimana, from Rwanda, is promoting breeding programs and the release of Rwanda’s captive, endangered grey-crowned cranes. The iconic bird, a symbol of wealth and longevity in Rwanda, is often kept as a pet.
• Francesco Sauro, from Italy, is exploring the vast quartzite caves of South America’s table-top mountains on the border of Venezuela and Brazil, making discoveries of worlds that have evolved in isolation over millennia.
• Arthur Zang, from Cameroon, has invented what is believed to be Africa’s first medical tablet, which will allow healthcare workers in rural areas to send the results of cardiac tests to heart specialists via a mobile-phone connection.

Rebecca Irvin, Head of Philanthropy at Rolex, said the winners were “chosen for their unrelenting determination and resourcefulness in solving some of the most pressing problems facing humanity today”.

“These young people, all serial entrepreneurs, are harnessing technology and using modern tools in an original way to advance scientific knowledge and improve life and the environment in their own communities and beyond,” she continued.

Each Young Laureate will receive 50,000 Swiss francs (AU$59,000) to further their work.