Actress and patron of the Australian Museum, Cate Blanchett, and People's Choice Award winner, Katherine Belov.
Credit: Australian Museum
SYDNEY: From drive-through blood tests and frogs back from the dead, to the ethics of happy pills and Tasmanian devils, last night's Eureka Prizes honoured Australia's leading scientific research.
The prestigious prizes, awarded by the Australian Museum, were handed out at a glitzy dinner and ceremony held at Sydney's Royal Hall of Industries. In attendance were celebrities and public figures including actress Cate Blanchett, governor general Quentin Bryce, premier of New South Wales, Nathan Rees MP, and newscaster Sandra Sully.
Much coveted
Much coveted by academics, the Eureka Prizes celebrate their 20th anniversary this year. Nineteen prizes, worth a total of $180,000 dollars, reward research across many disciplines of science, as well as science-related photography, journalism and teaching.
One of this year's top prizes went to Justin Gooding, a chemist at the University of New South Wales, in Sydney, who won the Eureka Prize for Scientific Research for his pioneering work on portable analytical devices, which will make blood tests speedier and more efficient.
"The benefits of Professor Gooding's sensors are not restricted to blood testing. They also include sensors that minimise side-effects from drugs and assist with pesticide detection in drinking water," said Frank Howarth, Director of the Australian Museum.
The frog guy
Another winner was Conrad Hoskin, of the Australian National University, in Canberra, who landed the Eureka Prize for Early Career Species Discovery, for his work on the biodiversity of frogs and reptiles.
Hoskin, affectionately known as the "frog guy" in northern Queensland, was acclaimed for the discovery of nine new rainforest species, including the Kuranda tree frog, and for the rediscovery of the armoured mist frog, previously thought extinct.
For his leading role in a new area of philosophy - neuroethics - Neil Levy, of the University of Melbourne, was awarded the Eureka Prize for Research in Ethics. His work ponders society's reaction to the increasing use of mind-enhancing drugs, such as Ritalin, which aids concentration, and antidepressants, which help overcome anxiety.
"Dr Levy is a pioneer of the newly established field of neuroethics," said Howarth. "He has fostered the field's development through active writing, teaching and speaking and has made enormous contributions with his research."
This year's People's Choice Award went to geneticist Katherine Belov, of the University of Sydney, for her pioneering work on the deadly facial tumour disease decimating the Tasmanian Devil. Unlike the other awards, which are decided by an expert panel of judges, this award is voted for by the public. Belov was handed the award by Cate Blanchett, who also gave a short speech.
I'm really happy about Neil
I'm really happy about Neil Levy's success, his work was really a breakthrough in the field of neuroethics and his views on the use of Ritalin and other antidepressants are unique.