Eureka Prizes 2024: Sydney celebrates four wins at science awards
Dr Mengyu Li (Physics), Professor Pablo Fernandez Penas (Sydney Medical School), Professor Peter Banks (Life and Environmental Sciences), Professor Kate Jolliffe (Chemistry).
University of Sydney academics have picked up four prestigious Eureka Prizes for Science at the annual celebration of Australian research and innovation, leadership, science engagement and school science.
Horizon Fellow Dr Mengyu Li from the School of Physics received the Eureka Prize for Outstanding Early Career Researcher; Professor Kate Jolliffe from the School of Chemistry received the Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Researchers; and the Sensory Conservation Team led by Professor Peter Banks from the School of Life and Environmental Sciences received the Eureka Prize for Environmental Research.
Sydney researchers at the Australian Centre of Excellence in Melanoma Imaging and Diagnosis, also won a Eureka Prize in Interdisciplinary Scientific Research. The NSW Lead of the centre is Professor Pablo Fernandez Penas, Head of Dermatology in the Sydney Medical School.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Emma Johnston, said the Eureka Prize winners reflected the high standards of scientific research across the whole University.
“These are outstanding researchers and I’m thrilled they have been recognised by their peers. It’s particularly meaningful for me that the University has received awards for early career research, mentoring, environmental science and interdisciplinary cooperation across institutions. This shows that we have expertise and commitment across the whole bandwidth of scientific endeavour,” she said.
Professor Peter Banks and Sensory Conservation Team – Eureka Prize for Environmental Research
Sensory Conservation Team (from left): Dr Catherine Price, Dr Malcolm Possell, Professor Clare McArthur, Professor Peter Banks.
Pest animals cost Australia over $1 billion annually and threaten hundreds of native species. The Sensory Conservation Team of Professor Peter Banks, Professor Clare McArthur, Dr Catherine Price and Dr Malcolm Possell has developed 'olfactory misinformation' to reduce this damage. By synthesising and dispersing odours that pest animals use to find certain foods, the researchers are changing hunting behaviours. These odours are used as decoys or to effectively hide things at risk from the pests, like grain crops, seedlings and nesting birds. This reduces damage by more than 70 percent and avoids the need for toxic poisons.
Dr Mengyu Li – Eureka Prize for Outstanding Early Career Researcher
Horizon Fellow Dr Mengyu Li in the computer rooms at the School of Physics.
Motivated by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Horizon Fellow Dr Mengyu Li's research quantifies the true cost of global demand for services and consumer goods - for example, food and energy. Through advanced computer modeling, her work maps intricate international supply chains, revealing their toll on society and the environment, while suggesting sustainable pathways for the future.
Professor Kate Jolliffe – Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Researchers
Professor Kate Jolliffe.
Professor Kate Jolliffe’s research and leadership have enhanced Australia’s standing in the relatively young field of supramolecular chemistry. To help close the gender gap, she supported the foundation of the international ‘Women in Supramolecular Chemistry’ network. Her committed mentorship has contributed to more than 150 researchers being appointed to senior academic and industry roles.
Australian Centre of Excellence in Melanoma Imaging and Diagnosis – Eureka Prize for Excellence in Interdisciplinary Scientific Research
With more than 18,000 cases of melanoma diagnosed annually in Australia, the ACRF Australian Centre of Excellence in Melanoma Imaging and Diagnosis leads efforts to improve early detection and build a national targeted melanoma screening program. Drawing from a multidisciplinary team, they utilise AI-assisted 3D imaging technologies to conduct the world's largest preventive melanoma study. The centre is a multidisciplinary endeavour involving the University of Queensland, Monash University and the University of Sydney.
The Eureka Prizes for Science are hosted by the Australian Museum. They are presented annually in partnership with some of Australia’s leading scientific institutions.
The University of Sydney sponsors the Sleek Geeks prizes for school science and also sponsors the Eureka Prize for Sustainability Research.
