August 22, 2006

2006 Australian Museum EUREKA PRIZE Winners

The Eureka Prizes Dinner

Australian Catholic University Eureka Prize for Research in Ethics

Deputy Director, ARC Special Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, Associate Professor Janna Thompson.

 

Are we responsible for the sins of our parents? Should we say “sorry” for past treatment of indigenous people? Janna Thompson’s research provides an ethical basis to discuss these controversial issues. Her book, “Taking responsibility for the past”, explains why members of society have a responsibility for the deeds of their predecessors and provides policy guidelines to address historical injustices.

Botanic Gardens Trust Eureka Prize for Biodiversity Research

Professor Rick Shine, Federation Fellow and Professor in Biology, Sydney University

 

Over a remarkable 30-year career, Rick Shine’s pioneering research has revealed the rich diversity of Australian reptiles. And he has shared his passion with the public through stories of cross-dressing garter snakes and nuclear families in lizard communities. Rick’s outstanding contribution to conservation gives us the knowledge we need to ensure the survival of our unique cold-blooded Australians.

Land and Water Australia Eureka Prize for Water Research

Dr Graeme Batley (Director), Dr Stuart Simpson and Dr Jenny Stauber, Centre for Environmental Contaminants Research, CSIRO Energy Technology.

 

Just how dirty is the bottom of the harbour? We know the condition of the water in Sydney Harbour. But what about the mud at the bottom? Research by a team from CSIRO’s Centre for Environmental Contaminants Research led by Dr Graeme Batley has given us the tools to provide the answer. The team has developed consistent and reliable standards for measuring and managing contaminated sediments at the bottom of our rivers, estuaries and bays. Their research provides a scientific framework that allows government and industry to work together to protect the environment.

University of New South Wales Eureka Prize for Scientific Research

Christian Weedbrook

PhD Student, Department of Physics

University of Queensland, QLD

Dr Thomas Symul

Postdoctoral Fellow, ARC Centre for Quantum-Atom Optics

Australian National University, ACT

Andrew Lance

PhD Student, Department of Physics

Australian National University, ACT

Dr Ping Koy Lam

Physics Reader, Department of Physics

Australian National University, ACT

The cryptography we rely on to protect our privacy online is at risk from quantum computers. But the world of quantum physics may also provide the solution to this threat, by giving us unbreakable secure communications. Researchers at the University of Queensland and ANU have created a faster method of quantum encryption and in the process have potentially shaped the future of global information security.

Holmes a Court Eureka Prize for Science Teaching

Andy Flouris, Science Teacher Niddrie Secondary College, Vic

 

In just three years of teaching, Andy Flouris has had an amazing impact. She encourages her students’ natural curiosity by listening to their questions and building the curriculum around their interests. Her creative approach to teaching has seen students debate designer babies with their parents, study the human body by comparing Commonwealth Games’ athletes and perform dances to explain cell divisions.

ATSE Clunies Ross Eureka Prize for Leadership in Business Innovation

Dr Graeme Blackman

Chairman and Managing Director

Institute of Drug Technology Australia Ltd (IDT)

Boronia, VIC

 

Graeme Blackman has been a trailblazer in the development, scale-up and production of active pharmaceutical ingredients to the Australian and global market. He has played a pivotal role in the successul emergence of the publicly-listed company, Institute of Drug Technology Australia, into a major player in the pharmaceuticalindustry and winning valuable export markets.

British Council Eureka Prize For Innovation and Leadership in Environmental Science

Dr Mike Manefield

Senior Research Associate

Centre for Marine Biofouling and BioInnovation

The University of New South Wales, NSW

 

Mike Manefield is intent upon cleaning up Australia–with the help of bugs. There are mountains of contaminated soil at industrial sites around Australia. Mike’s innovative research into bioremediation technologies is creating cultures of bacteria able to munch through this waste for breakfast. The bugs will start work at the Botany Industrial Park next year.

CSIRO Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science

Professor John Mattick

Director

Institute for Molecular Bioscience

The University of Queensland, QLD

Queensland - Australia’s Smart State! At the heart of this claim are key biological and biotechnology centres created by John Mattick, and the outstanding research being undertaken by them. John successfully caught the ear of the newly-elected Beattie government to highlight the enormous potential of biological and medical science and biotechnology, and has ensured that a commitment to biotechnology is at the centrepiece of the Smart State Strategy. Through energy, drive and intellect he has demonstrated an outstanding leadership in science.

NSW Department of Environment and Conservation Allen Strom Eureka Prize for Environmental Sustainability Education

The Home Energy Project

Origin Energy, Melbourne, VIC

 

Energy conservation can start at home! The Home Energy Project developed by Origin Energy is an exciting, comprehensive and innovative resource that provides students with the skills to make a real difference in the energy used in their homes. Through a program involving fun, relevant and hands-on activities, students learn to calculate home energy use and develop energy saving ideas that can be put into practice.

Sherman Eureka Prize for Environmental Research

Professor Matthew England

ARC Federation Fellow

Director

Climate and Environmental Dynamics Laboratory (CEDL)
 

Alex Sen Gupta

PhD Student

Climate and Environmental Dynamics Laboratory (CEDL)

 

Dr Michael Dawson

Research Fellow

Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies

University of New South Wales, NSW

Where did that jellyfish come from? What’s happening in our oceans? How do pollutants move through the oceans? And how do invading species spread? Matthew England and his colleagues have the answers. They have created a computer model that can reliably predict ocean circulation. It’s going to be a critical tool in understanding and predicting global climate change. It’s already highlighting the role of ships in spreading invasive ocean pests.

NSW Office for Science and Medical Research Eureka Prize for Bioinformatics Research

Dr Michael Valenzuela

Clinical Neuroscience Research Fellow

School of Psychiatry

The University of New South Wales, NSW

Could a crossword a day keep dementia at bay? Michael Valenzuela’s landmark research involving the study of 29,000 people has shown that a lifetime of complex mental activity is associated with an almost 50 per cent reduction in the risk of getting dementia. By combining these results with innovative neuroimaging research, Michael’s work is influencing proposed large-scale clinical trials to test whether structured mental exercises in the elderly can help prevent dementia.

Voiceless Eureka Prize for Research which Replaces the Use of Animals or Animal Products

Dr Amanda Hayes

 

Shahnaz Bakand

 

Associate Professor Chris Winder

 

Chemical Safety and Applied Toxicology (CSAT) Laboratories

School of Safety Science

University of New South Wales, NSW

How toxic is the air we breathe? Traditionally, this question is answered by having animals breathe contaminated air. Now, a team from the University of New South Wales has found a better, more humane and cheaper way to test for toxicity, by using human lung cells growing on a membrane.

 

---

Click here to access the Eureka Prize Website.