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April 3, 2024
Twenty-two researchers from across Australia who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of science have now been recognized with honorary awards from the Australian Academy of Science.
The Academy’s prestigious annual awards recognize the achievements of some of the nation’s leading minds, from those early in their careers to those who have made lifelong contributions to science.
Academy President Professor Chennupati Jagadish said the award recognizes the diverse contributions of researchers across Australia and the strength of their long-term commitment to science.
“From climate change to public health, Australian researchers are tackling the challenges our communities face every day.
“Their dedication to the pursuit of knowledge enriches our understanding of the world around us and sets a great example for generations to come.
“We are honored to have the opportunity to honor their contributions to science.”
This year’s winners are:
Professor Kelly Mengersen, FAA, Queensland University of Technology
Ruby Payne Scott medals and lectures
Professor Kelly Mengersen is this year’s recipient of one of the Academy’s most prestigious awards, the Ruby Payne Scott Medal and Lecture.
Professor Mengersen’s research focuses on the development of new statistical methods. She has been driven by challenges in real-world applications throughout her 35-year career.
From working to save dwindling jaguar populations in the Amazon to creating Australia’s first interactive cancer atlas, Professor Mengersen’s statistical models have helped us better understand the world around us. .
Most recently, she led a citizen science project aimed at improving monitoring efforts on the Great Barrier Reef. The online tool Virtual Reef Diver allows divers to upload photos taken of coral reefs and anyone around the world can annotate them with features such as coral, algae, and sand. This project engages the public in protecting coral reefs.
Professor Mengersen said the opportunity to use her data analysis skills to tackle a variety of challenges maintains her daily passion.
“When I wake up in the morning, I think, ‘What will happen today?'”
Dr Adriana Dutkiewicz, University of Sydney
Mawson Medal and Lecture
This year’s Mawson Medal and Lecture recipient, Dr. Adriana Dutkiewicz, has spent the past decade researching the long-term carbon cycle, the movement of carbon between deep-sea sediments and the solid Earth, atmosphere, and oceans. We have advanced our understanding of Carbon is the basis of life, but environmental changes that release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere are causing global temperatures to rise.
Dr. Dutkiewicz used 50 years of data to create the first digital map of the world’s deep-sea sediments of its kind. She also led her research on the movement of sediment across the ocean floor.
Dr Dutkiewicz said her team had discovered a previously unknown huge pile of sediment along an 8,000 kilometer stretch of the South East India Ridge in the Southern Ocean.
“The region may contain a very high-resolution record of Earth’s past climate, but it still needs to be properly mapped using drilling and ships.”
Professor Andrew Steer, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI)
Gustav Nosal Medal
Professor Andrew Steer is a pediatric infectious disease physician and MCRI’s Infectious Diseases and Immunology Theme Director. He received the Gustav Nosal Prize this year, the highest recognition in the field of global health for his research.
As an international authority on tropical infectious diseases, Professor Steer has established global community-based treatment programs for tropical skin infections such as scabies, influenced the development of vaccines for streptococcal infections, and contributed to the development of vaccines for rheumatic heart disease. Diagnostic technology and control programs were introduced.
“In the Pacific region, up to one child in any classroom can have rheumatic heart disease. And typically up to one in two children will have scabies,” Professor Steer said. said.
His team has led efforts to curb the spread of scabies in the Pacific and supported local researchers and medical professionals to participate in disease control programs.
Professor Steer said Sir Gustav Nosal had been involved in some of his scabies research as a consultant.
“Being awarded the medal is special and meaningful to me because I feel a special personal connection.”
Professor Eric Chow, Monash University
gottschalk medal
Professor Eric Chou is one of two recipients of the Gottschalk Medal. For contributing to our understanding of how sexually transmitted infections (STIs) spread and how their transmission can be reduced.
Gonorrhea is a preventable and treatable sexually transmitted disease that affects more than 82 million people annually worldwide. Professor Chou’s research was the first in the world to identify kissing as the primary means of transmission of gonorrhea, rewriting his century-old paradigm of our understanding of the disease.
Originally from Hong Kong, Professor Chow experienced the 2003 SARS outbreak, which inspired him to pursue a career in public health research.
“I really love this field. It means that you can actually do research that helps people, helps communities, and protects communities,” Professor Chow said.
Professor Chow’s research aims to educate people about how best to prevent sexually transmitted infections and drive changes in future sexual health education programs.
All 2024 winners
Read more about all the award winners and their research. Follow the individual links below to access the videos and award certificates for each winner.
Premier Honor Award
Career Honor Award (for lifetime achievement)
Prestigious mid-career award (8-15 years after PhD)
Prestigious early career award (up to 10 years after Ph.D.)
- Anton Hales Medal – Dr Andrew King, University of Melbourne
- Christopher Heide Medal (2 winners)—Professor Serena DiPiero, University of Western Australia, Dr. Christopher Lustri, University of Sydney
- Dorothy Hill Medal – Associate Professor Airey Gallant, Monash University
- Fenner Medal — Associate Professor Ana Michaela Martins Sequeira, Australian National University
- Frederick White Medal — Dr Hamish Clarke, University of Melbourne
- Gottschalk Medal (2 winners)—Professor Eric Chow from Monash University and Associate Professor Kirsty Short from the University of Queensland.
- John Booker Medal – Associate Professor Lining Arnold Ju, University of Sydney
- Le Fevre Medal – Professor Yao Zhen, University of Adelaide
- Pawsey Medal — Associate Professor Jiajia Zhou, University of Technology Sydney
- Ruth Stevens Ghani Medal (two recipients)—Dr Sonia Shah of the University of Queensland and Dr Stephen Vervoort of the Walter and Eliza Hall Medical Research Institute
Nominate for an award in 2025
Nominations are now being accepted for the Academy’s 2025 Honorary Awards. Nominations close May 1, 2024.
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