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.
For 25 years of research into vaccines for malaria and other diseases, Michael Goode of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, in Brisbane, took the Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science. One malaria vaccine his team have developed is at the final stages of preclinical trials.
There was even a look-in for COSMOS at the awards this year. Deputy editor and online editor, John Pickrell, was a finalist in the Environmental Journalism category for his feature, Oceans of acid, which looks at a frightening new threat to the Great Barrier Reef. The award was won by the ABC current affairs television program Four Corners.
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The full list of 2009 Eureka Prize winners:
Eureka Prize for Promoting and Understanding of Science
- Scitech Outreach Programs, Scitech, WA
Eureka Prize for Environmental Research
- The Marxan Development Team: Hugh Possingham and Matthew Watts of the Ecology Centre, University of Queensland; Ian Ball, of the Australian Antarctic Division
Eureka Schools Prize for Action Against Climate Change
- Charles Vaughan and Tom Rogerson of Melbourne Grammar School, Victoria
Eureka Prize for Science Teaching
- Lorraine Ellis of the Newton Moore Senior High School, WA
Eureka Prize for Outstanding Science in Support of Defence or National Security
- CSIRO Air Cargo Scanner Team, CSIRO Minerals, NSW
Eureka Prize for Excellence in Research by an Interdisciplinary Team
- David Pannell and Sally Marsh of the University of Western Australia; Anna Roberts and Jennifer Alexander, Department of Primary Industries; Victoria Park and Geoff Park, North Central Catchment Management Authority, Victoria
Eureka Prize for Innovative Solutions to Climate Change
- Sydney Climate Change Adaptation Initiative, NSW
Eureka Prize for Medical Research
- Paul Beggs, Macquarie University, NSW
Eureka Prize for Science Photography
Joint winners:
- Ron Oldfield, Senior Research Fellow, Macquarie University, NSW
- Philip Taylor, Bachelor of Science student, RMIT, Victoria
Eureka Prize for Scientific Research that Contributes to Animal Protection
- Kishore Prayaga, Max Mariasegaram and Stephanie Sinclair, CSIRO Livestock Industries; Carol Petherick, Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries
Eureka Prize for Water Research and Innovation
- Brett Neilan, University of New South Wales, Sydney
Eureka Prize for Early Career Species Discovery
- Conrad Hoskin, The Australian National University, ACT
Eureka Prize for Scientific Research
- Justin Gooding, University of New South Wales, Sydney
Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science
- Michael Good, The Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane
Eureka Prize for Research in Ethics
- Neil Levy, Melbourne University, Victoria
Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize
- Primary school winner: Years 1 to 6, St Therese Primary School, Mascot, NSW; Emma Gale, Michael Metters, Ava Atzemis, Dylan Lycari, Katherine Hakiim and Kiara Lloyd
- Secondary school winner: Jordan and Rowan Fleming, Central Coast Grammar School, NSW
- University winner: Thomas McKeith and William Howarth, University of Sydney, NSW
Eureka Prize for Science Journalism
- Aline Jacques, Simon Nasht, Annamaria Talas, ABC, NSW
Eureka Prize for Environmental Journalism
- Ruth Fogarty, Neale Maude and Kate Wild, ABC Four Corners, NSW; Marian Wilkinson ABC Four Corners and Sydney Morning Herald, NSW
Eureka Prize People's Choice Award
- Katherine Belov, University of Sydney, NSW
