Young Tall Poppy Science Award winners - South Australia 2004
 

Associate Professor Derek Abbott, University of Adelaide, is a leading researcher in the area of photonics and vision systems, with an application focus in the area of biomedical and biologically inspired engineering. One of his key projects focuses on the development of safe T-ray (TeraHertz) imaging for biomedical applications - this has the potential to replace X-ray technology for some applications and also provides more detailed diagnostic information. 

 
  Dr Toby Coates, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, whose research has focused on dendritic cells, which are crucial antigen presenting cells of the immune system. These cells start the rejection process of kidney transplants, but in certain situations they dampen immune responses and potentially induce tolerance. Toby's research in the laboratory has focused on how kidney transplant medications affect the function of dendritic cells in the blood after kidney transplant. Ultimately it is hoped that changes in blood dendritic cell numbers and function may allow him to predict those patients in whom transplant drugs can be safely reduced without increasing the risk of rejection. He have also investigated how kidney failure also contributes of defects in dendritic cell function and also the role that dendritic cells play in rejection of kidney transplants by studying the expression of dendritic cell markers in the urine of renal transplant recipients.
  Dr Adam Fletcher, University of South Australia, whose research interests include human sleep, shift work, jet lag and workplace fatigue. This research contributes to our general understanding of sleep and workplace safety and specifically assists organisations to understand the risks associated with shift work, jet lag and fatigue. Much of this work is applied to industry but also has impacts on worker's families, road users and the general community. Organisations that Adam has advised include: Qantas, Rio Tinto, Queensland Rail and Workcover.

 

Professor Alex Grant, University of South Australia, was appointed full Professor at 32, the youngest Professor at the UniSA. Alex's research interests focus on the fundamental limits of information transmission in telecommunications networks and the design of practical coding schemes that approach these limits. Applications of his research to mobile broadband data networks and satellite communications lead to faster, more robust, and lower cost, wireless access to the Internet and other data networks.
He six patents and is co-founder of Cohda Wireless, an Adelaide-based mobile broadband start-up company. In addition to pursuing personal research goals, Alex is an ardent promoter of Information Theory in Australia. By promoting fundamental research into telecommunications systems, Alex hopes to contribute to a growing Australian economic focus on Information Technology and Communications.
Professor Grant is the SA Tall Poppy Ambassador. 

 
  Dr Michelle Lane, University of Adelaide and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, is well known in the field of basic and applied embryo research. She reported that the conditions the preimplantation embryo is exposed in vitro can have profound effects on subsequent fetal development. A consequence of this research has been a change in the media formulations used in clinical IVF. In 1999 she identified a new way to freeze oocytes and embryos, via a new vitrification procedure, a technique has subsequently been used on several species such as rodents and horses. More recently Michelle's research has been focussed on establishing how the oocyte and early embryo maintain ionic and metabolic homeostasis and therefore subsequent development and ability to establish a pregnancy. By understanding how embryos maintain developmental competence we can begin to determine what long-term consequences may be programmed as a result from early exposure to stress.

  Dr Taher Omari, Women's & Children's Hospital, was inspired by watching Harry Butler, and decided he wanted to be a biologist. His pathway took a few unexpected turns along the way and instead of studying animals; he ended up studying human physiology. The focus of his research on relfux disease is not over-indulgent adults, but chronic reflux in babies and children. Studying reflux disease in tiny babies is no easy task and over the years He has invented new ways of measuring reflux by designing and building incredibly small devices that are suitable for babies.

  Dr Wayne Piekarski, University of South Australia, whose research work is focused in the areas of augmented reality, computer graphics, and wearable computers. Augmented reality is the process of adding computer generated graphics over a user's view of the physical world. These graphics appear to the user as being a part of the normal real world, and when using a mobile computer, can be experienced outdoors while the user moves around. The user can select and move 3D objects such as trees, tables, and people to allow editing of the virtual environment in real time.

  Dr Wendy Rogers, Flinders University, is a bioethicist who investigates the moral values that underpin health care and scientific research. Her work focuses on the relationships between moral theories and practical aspects of health care.
In her post-doctoral studies, she worked with an international team of researchers investigating ethical issues raised by the use of evidence-based medicine. Her work has led to a critique of the assumption that greater evidence will lead to greater information and decision-making power for patients, and a growing awareness of the way that vulnerable and disadvantaged groups can be disenfranchised from the benefits of evidence-based medicine.

  Dr Darryl Russell, University of Adelaide, whose research focuses on the genes and mechanisms through which cells communicate and physically interact as they organise into tissue and organ structures. The ovary uniquely undergoes processes of structural redevelopment with each monthly reproductive cycle which is essential to fertility success. Darryl has identified key genes and their roles during bi-directional communication between the mammalian egg (oocyte) and its surrounding cells that ensure timely release of appropriately matured oocytes. This research has important applications for understanding infertility as well as for improving the efficiency of fertility treatments. The research also yields new fundamental understanding of the structural development of tissues and organs.