4 December 2006
Two researchers from Monash University have won 2006 Young Tall Poppy Science Awards in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the understanding and promotion of science.
Dr.Stuart Batten, a senior lecturer for the School of Chemistry and Associate Professor in Neuroscience Pradeep Nathan, are to receive their awards in a ceremony this evening at the Bio 21 Institute, Parkville, Melbourne.
The prestigious Young Tall Poppy Science Awards aim to recognise the achievements of Australia's outstanding young science researchers working in universities, research institutes and laboratories in private industry, private practice and government organisations. The sciences include physical, biomedical and applied sciences, engineering and biotechnology.
To win the award, Dr.Batten and Associate Professor Nathan had to demonstrate excellence in academic achievement but also their strength in community engagement, such as working with local students and communicating their research activity to a range of audiences.
"The Young Tall Poppy Awards do so much to promote Australian science and help increase government and industry investment and I'm very proud to have won an award this year," said Dr.Batten
"I am honoured to receive this award knowing that there so many excellent young scientists in Victoria. An important part of scientific research is communicating the science to the community and I look forward to my role as a scientific ambassador," said Dr. Nathan.
Coming from diverse specialist fields ranging from public mental health, genetic research, organ transplants and reproductive health to nanotechnology, environmental engineering and telecommunications research, the Young Tall Poppy Science Award winners are generally aged between 25 and 35 -- the emerging stars of the future.
The Awards, run by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science, not only acknowledge the recipients' achievements but also provide them with an opportunity to demonstrate their value as role models by promoting and encouraging an interest in science within the education sector.
Award winners to date have encompassed fields as diverse as cancer research, mental health, environmental engineering, water quality, gene therapy, immunology, fuel technology, climate change, chronobiology, physiotherapy, inorganic chemistry and information technology.
Associate Professor Pradeep Nathan's research is in the area of Neuropharmacology and Cognitive Neuroscience. Using Brain Imaging methodology, his work examines the brain circuits associated with cognitive and emotional processes and how drugs targeting various neurochemical systems modulate these circuits.
Dr.Stuart Batten is a leading researcher in the area of inorganic crystal engineering. This involves the design and analysis of crystal structures, with the aim of understanding and controlling the way molecules assemble in the solid state. This in turn leads to the synthesis of new materials with important applications such as gas adsorption and storage, molecular exchange, magnetism, optical materials, and molecular sensors and switches.
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