University of Sydney finalists announced in Eureka Prizes

Who are the outstanding researchers from University of Sydney who are shortlisted for the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes, and how is their work leading the advancement of Australian science and technology?

Award finalist: Johnson & Johnson Eureka Prize for Innovation in Medical Research

Professor Anthony Weiss AM, McCaughey Chair in Biochemistry, Faculty of Science and Charles Perkins Centre

Professor Tony Weiss has developed an adhesive surgical glue that quickly seals wounds without the need for common staples. The technology, made from natural elastic protein, has the potential to revolutionise wound repairs and was recently sold to an international pharmaceutical company.

Award finalist: CSIRO Eureka Prize for Leadership in Innovation and Science

Professor Thomas Maschmeyer, founding director of University of Sydney Nano Institute, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

Professor Thomas Maschmeyer is a world leader in the chemistry of catalysis. He aims to generate and translate new knowledge into commercial solutions as part of his vision for a more sustainable world. His discoveries allow widespread use of renewables and recyclables in the chemical, material and energy spaces. His discoveries have resulted in 23 patents and the foundation of four companies.

Award finalist: 3M Eureka Prize for Emerging Leader in Science

Associate Professor Elizabeth New, School of Chemistry, Faculty of Science

Regarded as one of Australia’s brightest young inorganic chemists, Dr Elizabeth New's leadership extends beyond her research to encompass teaching, outreach and mentoring. Committed to developing the next generation of scientists, she has built a strong network of collaborators and works tirelessly to improve research culture and environments.

Award finalist: UTS Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Young Researchers

Payne-Scott Professor Nalini Joshi AO, ARC Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellow, School of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science

Professor Nalini Joshi has been instrumental in training and mentoring dozens of individual researchers and countless others through the broader mechanisms that she has established. A strong advocate for gender equality, her influential actions have transformed the research landscape and supported young female scientists across Australia. Nalini was an initiator of Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) which is transforming the research landscape by increasing the encouragement, support and retention of female researchers in STEM.

Award finalist: Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre Eureka Prize for Innovation in Medical Research

ACT Now for Tuberculosis Control, University of Sydney, Woolcock Institute and UNSW - New strategies to enhance the detection of tuberculosis in endemic settings

Tuberculosis is the leading infectious disease killer in the world, yet one third of cases are not diagnosed. Using innovative screening techniques in robustly-designed clinical trials, the Act Now for Tuberculosis Control Team has made major breakthroughs that promise to transform global efforts to eliminate the disease. In their study, the team found pro-actively screening people who share households with other TB patients has more than doubled the detection rate of TB and reduced the mortality rate by 40 per cent.

The ACT now for Tuberculosis Control team:

• Associate Professor Gregory Fox – University of Sydney Central Clinical School, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research
• Professor Warwick Britton AO, Bosch Professor of Medicine and Professor of Immunology at the University of Sydney Central Clinical School, Head, Tuberculosis Research Program, Centenary Institute
• Professor Guy Marks, Honorary Professor, the University of Sydney, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research and Professor of Respiratory Medicine at University of New South Wales
• Dr Jennifer Ho, Infectious diseases physician, Cairns Hospital Queensland.

Presented annually by the Australian Museum, the Eureka Prizes reward excellence in the fields of scientific research and innovation, science leadership, school science and science journalism and communication. Known as 'the Oscars of Australian Science', the awards dinner is the largest national celebration of Australian science and will be held on Wednesday 29 August 2018.