Faculty members nominated for Eureka Prizes

8 August 2007
Two members of the Faculty of Medicine have been named as finalists in the prestigious 2007 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes awarded to Australia's top science researchers and communicators.

Professor Roland Stocker, Head of the Centre for Vascular Research, as been nominated for the NSW Office of Science and Medical Research Jamie Callachor Eureka Prize for Medical Research.

Professor Stocker's research focuses on antioxidants, particularly vitamin E, and how it affects the harmful oxidation processes in blood vessels. He has identified a novel drug target and class of compounds that block atherosclerotic diseases - a hardening or furring of the arteries caused by the formation of multiple plaques within the arteries. These compounds could also be used to combat restenosis and diabetes.

Associate Professor Alex Barratt, from the School of Public Health, has been exploring how research evidence can be used to make better clinical decisions in a two part series on ABC National's Health Report. Facing the Evidence investigates the ways that patients can suffer if the available evidence isn't used by doctors and what consumers can do about it. Alex has been nominated for the Pfizer Australia Eureka Prize for Health and Medical Research Journalism.

The winners will be announced at an award dinner on 21 August.