2009 Queensland Young Tall Poppy Science Awards Announced

 

The prestigious 2009 Queensland Young Tall Poppy Science Awards and the Queensland Young Tall Poppy Scientist of the Year $10,000 prize were announced in Brisbane on 16 November at Customs House in the company of research, government, industry, education and community representatives in a celebration of the achievements and leadership of young Queensland scientists in both research excellence and communication to engage the community. 

 

Queensland Young Tall Poppy Scientist of the Year 2009:

 

Dr David Copland, The University of Queensland

Speech Pathology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Neurolinguistics

David's research is seeking to discover how the brain recovers the ability to communicate after serious injury

 

Queensland Young Tall Poppy Scientists 2009:

Dr Brett Ferguson, The University of Queensland (Australian Reserach Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Legume Research)

Legume Nodulation and Nitrogen Fixation

Brett investigates the signaling interactions required for “legume nodulation” at the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Integrative Legume Research

 

Dr Clinton Fookes, Queensland University of Technology

Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition

Clinton is work to create machines that can gather information from visual sources, making them “see”

 

Dr Alberto Pinzon-Charry, Queensland Institute of Medical Research

Immunology of Malaria and Vaccine Development

Alberto’s work proposes that the use of whole parasites in vaccines will lead to the creation of a cheaper, more effective vaccine for Malaria

 

Dr Michael Piper, The University of Queensland

Neural Stem Cell Differentiation

Michael’s research aims to identify how the brain develops from a simple sheet of stem cells within the embryo

 

Read more about the Queensland winners

Read the Media Release

See photos from the awards ceremony

 

Professor Peter Andrews AO, Queensland Chief Scientist, jointly presented the awards with Professor Max Lu, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) from The University of Queensland, and the chair of the QLD selection committee. MC for the evening was Professor Jennelle Kyd, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Scholarship and Industry) at Central Queensland University, and newly appointed Queensland Tall Poppy Campaign Ambassador.

 

The Australian Institute of Policy and Science acknowledges and is indebted to:

 

Queensland Tall Poppy Campaign major partners:

Griffith University, The University of Queensland

Supporters of the Queensland Young Tall Poppy of the Year Prize 2009:

Griffith University, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Queensland University of Technology, University of Queensland 

In-kind supporters of our 2009 awards evening in Brisbane:

Central Queensland University, Customs House