Fellowships awarded to outstanding early-career researchers
Ten exceptional early-career researchers have received University of Sydney Fellowships to work with our leading faculties, schools and centres, as well as our whole-of-university multidisciplinary initiatives, which are focused on tackling some of the greatest challenges of our time.
The 2019 recipients will be addressing issues including cost-effective and efficient materials for water treatment, more efficient and substantial energy storage, and the effectiveness of drug therapies for motor neurone disease.
The Fellows receive a generous salary and conditions, a $25,000 research grant and lifetime membership to the Sydney Society of Fellows. The society fosters inter-faculty collaboration, builds on a network of outstanding international alumni and provides further career development opportunities.
“We are increasing our investment in research and are focused on supporting researchers at all stages of their careers,” said Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Duncan Ivison.
“The University of Sydney Fellowship Scheme will enable these early-career researchers to undertake important projects that will allow them to progress their careers and also enhance the research strengths of the University.”
Dr Eason (Yi-Sheng) Chen with the Atom Probe Tomography, key equipment that will enable his research.
Supporting ambitious researchers from around the world
While some awardees are local, other recipients have flown in from across the globe to take up a position at the University of Sydney. Spanning a plethora of research fields, the fellowships are crucial to the success of the researchers' projects, as well as their professional growth and formation of key partnerships.
Dr Eason (Yi-Sheng) Chen described the difference the fellowship will make to his personal growth: "It provides a wonderful inter-disciplinary network that will facilitate more future team-ups with talent within the University. I am very grateful to become a part of this society."
This fellowship not only enables progress for the key knowledge in my field but also allows me to kick off a number of industrial collaborations that I have been establishing.
Fellowship recipient Dr Tess Reynolds
Recipient Dr Tess Reynolds is looking forward to the challenge of delivering world-first personalised medical imaging protocols that can be utilized globally for improved health care.
"The University of Sydney Fellowship lays the foundations for me to strive towards becoming a world leader in a new frontier of medical imaging."
"It also enables unprecedented access to the University’s unique and state-of-the-art facilities and expertise, notably including the Hybrid Theatre in the Charles Perkins Centre."
2019 University of Sydney Postdoctoral Fellows
Dr Campbell will work with the Conservatorium of Music and Sydney Environment Institute to explore the interconnection between Tiwi Island community song culture and death in the context of artistic creativity, cultural maintenance and community health.
Dr Chen will work the Faculty of Engineering and IT to improve the hydrogen embrittlement resistance of ultra-high strength steels, increasing reliability and their potential use in the automotive and aerospace industries.
Dr Flanagan’s work with the University of Sydney Business School and Sydney Policy Lab will explore the crucial and changing role that work, as a source of ‘social citizenship’, has played in rising levels of inequality, alienation and mistrust, and how it might be reconfigured to address these problems.
Dr Kaur will work with the Faculty of Medicine and Health, Charles Perkins Centre, Brain and Mind Centre and Sydney Nano on the development of fluorescent probes for super-resolution imaging of pathological protein aggregates in neurodegeneration.
Dr Lessio will work with the Faculty of Science and Sydney Nano to develop cost-effective and efficient materials for removing heavy metals, which can be hazardous contaminants and pose serious risks to human health, from water.
Dr Mahoney will work with the Faculty of Medicine and Health and the Brain and Mind Centre to investigate biomarkers of neurodegeneration which will be used to monitor the effectiveness of drug therapies for motor neurone disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration.
Dr Pei will work with the Faculty of Engineering and IT and Sydney Nano to develop high-performance electrically rechargeable zinc-air batteries to enable more efficient and substantial energy storage.
Dr Reynolds will work with the Faculty of Medicine and Health, Cancer Research Network and Charles Perkins Centre to develop a technique to deliver clearer, faster and safer imaging for high precision guidance during interventional cardiac procedures and cancer radiotherapy treatments.
Dr Roberts will work with the Faculty of Science and Sydney Nano on an approach for constructing logic-gated polymer nanoparticles to improve targeted delivery of chemotherapy drugs into cancer cells.
Dr White will work with the School of Physics within the Faculty of Science to further our understanding of the formation and evolution of our galaxy and its stars and planets.