2016 Queensland Award Winner

Associate Professor Raymond Chan

Cancer and Oncology Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital and Queensland University of Technology Associate Professor Chan is a cancer nurses researcher who uses medical, psychological, social science indicators to improve knowledge and create better outcomes for people affected by cancer, including families and caregivers. His work focuses on improving outcomes and quality of life for…

Read More »


Dr Ali Zaid

Viral Immunology, Intravital Microscopy, Innate Immunity Griffith University Several mosquito-borne viruses are now considered a global threat in light of recent outbreaks of viruses such as Zika. Much work has focused on refining diagnostic procedures and epidemiology, but little is known about what happens inside the body between a mosquito bite in the skin, to…

Read More »


Dr Anna Hatton

Ageing and Neurological Rehabilitation The University of Queensland Falling is a serious threat to the health and well-being of older adults and people with neurological conditions, such as Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Dr Hatton’s work focuses on discovering new footwear features, which have the capacity to alter the function of nerves and senses, to…

Read More »


Dr Barnaby Dixson

Human Behavioural Ecology The University of Queensland Dr Barnaby Dixson’s research is about the science of attractiveness by looking to our ancestral human origins, how we behave compared to other animals, and how our cultures and snap judgments influence what we think about physical appearance. His research has shown that we judge physical appearance within…

Read More »


Dr Jennifer Donelson

Marine Ecology ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University Currently, most research into the effects of climate change has involved testing an animal’s ability to cope when immediately placed in warmer conditions, but for most species this warming will occur over many years and several generations. Dr Donelson’s research focuses on…

Read More »


Dr John Bennett

Physicochemical soil science University of Southern Queensland Unlike money, food and clothing do grow on trees. With a growing global population, unless we protect our soils, by 2050 we could all be hungry and naked! Dr Bennett’s research seeks to ensure there’s still food to eat and clothes to wear by maintaining soil stability. He…

Read More »


Dr Luke Knibbs

Environmental Health The University of Queensland We all breathe about 10,000 litres of air each day, constantly being exposed to particles suspended in that air that could make us sick. Dr Knibbs’ research is about understanding the health effects of living and non-living particles in the air.  Bacteria and viruses in the air enter our…

Read More »


Dr Makrina Totsika

Medical Microbiology Queensland University of Technology In 2014, the World Health Organisation declared antimicrobial resistance a global health priority with more than 700,000 people dying each year. Health officials warn that by 2050 this could rise to 10 million people every year – more than cancer! We urgently need new and better drugs to combat…

Read More »


Dr Malcolm Gillies

Hydraulic Engineering and Irrigation University of Southern Queensland Agriculture is struggling to meet the demands of our current world population, this production is only possible through irrigation which consumes vast quantities of our precious water resources. Dr Gillies’ research is focussed mostly on the development of techniques to measure, and software to model, surface irrigation….

Read More »


Dr Paul Giacomin

Immunology James Cook University Every day our immune system faces the enormous task of protecting us from infections. However, in some diseases, our immune system loses its balance and can attack our own body (during autoimmune diseases). Unfortunately, there are very few treatments available for autoimmune and allergic diseases. Dr Giacomin’s research has potentially discovered…

Read More »