Young Tall Poppy Science Award winners - South Australia 2009

 

TP 2009 SA Bonder [bonderc.jpg] 

 

Dr Claudine Bonder, Centre for Cancer Biology, SA Pathology 

Claudine studies the intricate network of blood vessels that carry cells throughout our body. Her laboratory works with endothelial cells, the cells that line the blood vessels, and uses leading technology to better understand their role in normal and disease states.

Claudine’s vision of identifying and then targeting what controls vascular development seeks to eliminate  the vasculogenesis associated  with the two major killers in the Western world, cancer and cardiovascular disease, coming closer to the availability of long lasting therapies and perhaps a cure.
 TP 2009 SA Bowen [bowen.jpg]

 

Dr Joanne Bowen, University of Adelaide

Joanne looks into the reasons why some people are more likely than others to have severe side effects during the course of their anti-cancer treatment. 

She is also interested in how the lining of the gut is affected by anti-cancer agents, and investigating new drugs that may be able to protect the gut from damage. Having a better understanding of the mechanisms that cause toxic effects of cancer treatment would mean an improved ability to develop agents that successfully prevent these nasty side effects.


  TP 2009 SA Burdon [burdon.jpg]

 

Dr Kathryn Burdon, Flinders University

Vision is a thing most people take for granted, but it is one of the most precious and most relied on attributes in daily life. The overall aim of Kathryn’s research is to find out which genes cause diseases that can lead to blindness.

 Working on common diseases including cataract, glaucoma, keratoconus and diabetic eye disease, Kathryn uses a variety of techniques to identify differences in the genes of people with these diseases compared to people without them to begin to understand the causes of each disease.


  TP 2009 SA Elsdon [elsdon.jpg]

 

Dr Travis Elsdon, University of Adelaide

Travis studies fish and estuaries, and his work focus on understanding water quality and fish movements. He uses chemicals within fish earbones to determine movements, migrations, and stock structure of fish, and also uses stable isotopes to determine fish diet.

As the world becomes more reliant on natural resources, such as fish, Travis has highlighted the importance of understanding fish biology in order to maintain fish stock through sustainable harvests.
  TP 2009 SA Haren [haren.jpg]

 

Dr Matthew Haren, University of South Australia

Matt’s research focuses on health and wellbeing issues that are considered important by regional communities. Working with communities to address these issues, Matt concentrates on aspects of health and wellbeing related to obesity and ageing.

Matt researches ways to address factors that impact on obesity and ageing, including social conditions, natural and built environments, employment, and personal behaviours. Developing strong partnerships with rural and regional communities is an integral part of Matt’s research.

 
 TP 2009 SA Harris [harris.jpg]

 

Dr Hugh Harris, University of Adelaide

Hugh looks at what happens when metals enter a living organism, and uses new technologies, often synchrotron-based, to identify the location of metals and their chemical form in cells and tissues. With this information he hopes to determine precisely what metals are doing in the body, good or bad, and their roles in diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

One of Hugh’s current goals is to understand, from a molecular perspective, the reduced incidence of cancers in people who have increased dietary intake of certain selenium compounds.

 
 TP 2009 SA Murphy [murphy.jpg]

 

Dr Karen Murphy, University of South Australia

Karen’s research aims to determine how diet can improve physical and mental health throughout the lifespan. More specifically, she studies how functional foods and nutrients can help people improve their cardiovascular health and psychological wellbeing, such as memory.

By working with volunteers from the public, Karen enjoys an ability to observe direct impacts of diet on people’s health and lifestyles, and is rewarded by the influence of her studies on government health policies.
  TP 2009 SA Nguyen [nguyen.jpg]

 

Dr Nam Nguyen, Royal Adelaide Hospital & The University of Adelaide

Nam is a practising medical doctor who specialises in the diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver. His clinical research focuses on the function of the gut in critically ill patients, strategies to achieve weight loss in the obese, and techniques to improve outcomes in people with pancreatic cancer.

Nam's current studies involve a novel, non-invasive anti-obesity device placed into the gut using endoscopy, and new techniques to screen high risk patients for pancreatic cancer.

 
 TP 2009 SA Rumbold [rumbold.jpg]

 

Dr Alice Rumbold, The University of Adelaide & Menzies School of Health Research

South Australian Young Tall Poppy of the Year 2009

Alice investigates the causes and consequences of women’s reproductive health problems. Recently her research has been directed to improving outcomes for Aboriginal women, by studying the occurrence and impact of common infections such as Human Papillomavirus (HPV) that can cause women’s reproductive cancers, and by looking at ways to provide the most appropriate care in pregnancy for Aboriginal women.

Her work is actively informing health programs to optimise the health of young Aboriginal women now and in the future.

 
 TP 2009 SA Sumby [sumby.jpg]

 

Dr Chris Sumby, The University of Adelaide

Christopher makes new chemical compounds, using weak links between components to form cage-like structures much larger than regular molecules. The synthesis of such cage-like structures, which can trap guest molecules within a central cavity, may feature in new modes of drug delivery, or could be used as nanoscale flasks in which to carry-out chemical reactions in isolation, one molecule at a time.

Another aspect of Christopher’s research is concerned with making chemical sensors, which can tell us about environments too small to measure with other techniques – simply by glowing.