Science excellence recognised in Academy awards

The Australian Academy of Science today announced the winners of some of Australia’s most prestigious science awards.

These include three new awards celebrating the careers of eminent biologists Sir Gus Nossal and Professor Jacques Miller, and engineer Professor John Booker which recognise the achievements of early- and mid-career researchers.

The winners of these new awards have undertaken pioneering research developing treatments for malaria, devising new drugs to treat obesity and making cheaper and more efficient solar cells.

Each year the Academy presents awards to recognise scientific excellence, from researchers in the early stage of their careers to those who have made life long achievements.

The Academy is also announcing the 2016 Macfarlane Burnet Medal and Lecture which recognises outstanding research in the biological sciences and is only presented every two years.

The Academy also awards a number of grants and fellowships to help support scientists’ research, scientific conferences and international travel.

The Academy President, Professor Andrew Holmes congratulated all the award winners and grant recipients.

“This year’s award winners represent an incredible list of Australia’s scientific achievements, across a huge range of areas, from medicine to maths and engineering.” he said.

“It’s also fantastic to see three new awards being announced in honour of scientists who have made great contributions to our scientific knowledge.”

The honorific awards will be formally presented at the Academy’s annual three day celebration of Australian Science, Science at the Shine Dome.

The winners are listed below. Read more about the awardees and their research here.

Career Awards

• Professor Dennis James Evans FAA, Australian National University – 2015 David Craig Medal for research in chemistry.
• Professor Gustav I Lehrer FAA, University of Sydney and Professor Alan G R McIntosh FAA, Australian National University — 2015 Hannan Medal in the mathematical sciences.
• Professor Trevor John McDougall FAA FRS, University of New South Wales — 2015 Jaeger Medal for Australian Earth science.
• Professor Graham D Farquhar AO FAA FRS, Australian National University — 2016 Macfarlane Burnet Medal and Lecture for scientific research of the highest standing in the biological sciences.
• Professor Michelle Y Simmons FAA University of New South Wales — 2015 Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal for research in mathematics or physics.

Early- and mid-career awards

• Professor Michael Cowley FTSE, Monash University — 2015 Inaugural Jacques Miller Medal for Experimental Biomedicine.
• Professor Nicholas Anstey, Menzies School of Health Research — 2015 Inaugural Gustav Nossal Medal for Global Health Research.
• Professor Kylie Catchpole, Australian National University — 2015 Inaugural John Booker Medal in engineering science.
• Dr Yingjie Yang, ARC Centre of Excellence for Core Crust Fluid Systems, Macquarie University — 2015 Anton Hales Medal for research in earth sciences.
• Associate Professor Catherine Greenhill, University of New South Wales and Dr Scott Morrison, Australian National University -- 2015 Christopher Heyde Medal for mathematical sciences.
• Dr Nerilie Abram, The Australian National University — 2015 Dorothy Hill Award for female researchers in the earth sciences.
• Dr Peter E Czabotar, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research — 2015 Gottschalk Medal for research in the medical sciences.
• Professor Chengzhong Yu, University of Queensland — 2015 Le Fèvre Memorial Prize for research in basic chemistry.
• Associate Professor Yee Hwa Yang, University of Sydney — 2015 Moran Medal for research in statistics.
• Associate Professor Tamara Davis, University of Queensland — 2015 Nancy Millis Medal for Women in Science.
• Dr Ian Wright, Macquarie University — 2015 Fenner Medal for research in biology (excluding the biomedical sciences).
• Dr Jian Yang, Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland — 2015 Ruth Stephens Gani Medal for distinguished research in human genetics.
• Dr Naomi McClure-Griffiths, CSIRO — 2015 Pawsey Medal for research in physics.

Research awards

• Dr Renee Catullo CSIRO, Mr Michael Hitchcock, University of Melbourne, Ms Robyn Shaw, Australian National University and Ms Melissa Wynn, Australian National University — Margaret Middleton Fund for endangered Australian native vertebrate animals.
• Dr Andrea Candela, University of Insubria — Moran Award for the History of Science Research.
• Dr Melanie Bishop, Macquarie University, Dr Rebecca Lester, Deakin University, Dr Jonathan Plett, University of Western Sydney and Dr Shane Powell, University of Tasmania — Thomas Davies Research Fund for Marine, Soil and Plant Biology.
• Dr Michalis Hadjikakou, University of New South Wales — W H Gladstone Population and Environment Fund Grant.

Travelling Fellowships

• Mr Hien Duy Nguyen, University of Queensland, Mr Yi Huang, University of Melbourne — 2015 AK Head Travelling Scholarship for Mathematical Scientists.
• Professor Ursula Keller Institute of Quantum Electronics at ETH Zurich — 2015 Frew Fellowship for Physics.
• Professor Ray Jayawardhana, York University (Canada) — 2015 Selby Fellowship for excellence in science.

Support for Research Conferences

• The 2015/16 Boden research conference on comparative animal genomics.
• The 2015/16 Elizabeth and Frederick White research conference on geomaterials.
• The 2015/16 Fenner Conference on Australian Citizen Science.