2019 Australian Museum Eureka Prize winners

Blue Carbon Horizons Team, University of Wollongong; Macquarie University; and ANSTO

Coastal wetlands are efficient natural systems in the trapping of carbon dioxide. The Blue Carbon Horizons Team has shown that the capacity of coastal wetlands to store carbon will substantially increase with sea level rise, providing a counter to global warming. Working alongside government, the team’s research is being used to protect and restore coastal ecosystems.

Professor Longbing Cao, University of Technology Sydney

Professor Longbing Cao is a global leader in data science research, education and innovation. He has developed cutting-edge theories and systems to analyse real-life complex data for smarter business transformation. His work has enabled more efficient, active and tailored debt recovery and payment collection practices, producing significant socio-economic benefits to Australia.

Endovascular Bionics Laboratory, University of Melbourne and Synchron Inc.

Skilfully bringing together a wide variety of disciplines, Synchron and the Endovascular Bionics Laboratory have developed a technology with the potential to restore mobility to people with paralysis. The innovation enables control of external equipment via a Stentrode – a safe and efficacious way to access the brain via blood vessels.

Vivax Malaria Research Team, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

Infecting over 200 million people annually, malaria is a significant global health threat. The Vivax Malaria Research Team is focused on tackling the world’s most widespread malaria parasite, Plasmodium vivax. Through combined expertise in structural biology, immuno-epidemiology and mathematical modelling, they are working to develop new diagnostics and vaccine candidates to eliminate malaria.

Professor Hala Zreiqat, University of Sydney

Professor Hala Zreiqat and her team have developed the world’s first synthetic biomaterials capable of healing large bone defects, even in load-bearing positions like the spine or lower limbs. Using mathematical modelling techniques and customised 3D-printing technology, they have also developed the capabilities to print these strong, bioactive and bioresorbable biomaterials in any size or shape.

Associate Professor Laura Mackay, University of Melbourne

Widely regarded as a leader in the field of immunological memory, Associate Professor Laura Mackay has discovered that a novel population of immune cells, called tissue-resident T cells, are critical for immune protection against infection and cancer. Harnessing these cells will be key for the development of new immunotherapeutic strategies against disease.

Team GreyScan, University of Tasmania

Readily available inorganic compounds are increasingly being used in home-made explosive devices. GreyScan is the world’s first trace detection device that can identify inorganic explosives in under a minute. Their use in mass transit locations like airports and train stations could help make Australia and the world safer.

Professor Mariapia Degli-Esposti, Professor Geoff Hill, Dr Chris Andoniou, Peter Fleming and Dr Paulo Martins, Monash University; Lions Eye Institute; and QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute

Cytomegalovirus infection is a frequent and life-threatening complication that significantly limits positive outcomes for bone marrow transplant patients. Professor Mariapia Degli-Esposti and her team have developed a novel, non-toxic and highly effective strategy to reduce the impact of this infection by preventing viral reactivation, which could lead to improved outcomes for transplant patients.

Associate Professor Melody Ding, University of Sydney

Working at the intersection of physical activity, epidemiology and chronic disease prevention, Associate Professor Melody Ding has devoted her career to generating policy-relevant research outcomes. In addition to skilfully leading multidisciplinary projects and teams, she has mentored early career researchers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Professor Branka Vucetic, University of Sydney

Professor Branka Vucetic has made seminal contributions to the fields of coding and wireless communications with much of her work underpinning the wireless technologies we use today. Focused on solving real-world challenges that will assist industry and consumers alike, Professor Vucetic’s research outcomes include increased capacity, data rates and reliability in wireless communications networks.

Professor Barry Pogson, Australian National University

Professor Barry Pogson's vision is to create a nexus of researchers, industry leaders and policy makers that collectively shape agriculture for the benefit of global food security. Using a dynamic and sustainable multi-tiered mentoring approach, he has a profound impact on the personal development, career prospects and learning experiences of students at all tertiary levels.

FrogID Team, Australian Museum

FrogID is a national citizen science project aimed at understanding and conserving one of the most threatened groups of animals on the planet. Using a free smartphone app, participants record and submit information on calling frogs. In less than two years, FrogID has transformed the scientific community’s understanding of the distributions, breeding seasons and habitats of frogs.

Michael Lucy

Ending the Age of Plastic traces the origin of the world’s growing plastic pollution crisis. Through interviews with oceanographers, entrepreneurs, bioengineers, economists and citizens, Michael Lucy explores the potential scientific, technological and social solutions to stop the growing juggernaut of plastic pollution.

Associate Professor Darren Saunders, UNSW

A gifted and intuitive communicator, Associate Professor Darren Saunders gives medical research a clear, authoritative voice across a diverse range of media. He makes evidence-based science accessible to the general public, with particular emphasis on platforms through which vulnerable audiences are seeking cancer-related health advice.

Liam Mannix, The Age

Over the past year Liam Mannix has researched and written a series of hard-hitting articles challenging the science behind nerve-pain drugs, ergonomics and diet pills. His articles have delivered real-world results and demonstrated the important role journalists can play in holding the scientific community to account.

Published in The Age, 30 September 2018, 18 December 2018; 20 and 23 March 2019.

National Indigenous Science Education Program, Macquarie University; Charles Sturt University; and Yaegl Country Aboriginal Elders

Established by requests from Aboriginal Elders, the National Indigenous Science Education Program (NISEP) supports Indigenous secondary students from lower socio-economic schools to deliver STEM workshops and activities at school, university and community events. Participation in NISEP elevates students into leadership roles, and has resulted in increased academic achievements in STEM and beyond.

Finn Thomas, St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Concord, NSW

Inspired by the book Jurassic Park, Finn ponders what life would be like today if a dinosaur species were to be resurrected. In his film, Can We Bring Dinosaurs Back to Life?, Finn explores the science and biotechnology critical to this notion and explains the challenges scientists would face.

Ellie Cole and Tsambika Galanos, Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney, NSW

What do cosmetics, clothing and toothpaste have in common? They all contain microplastics. In Fish Fiasco, Ellie and Tsambika investigate how microplastics might end up in the ocean. They interview scientific experts, visit a wastewater treatment plant and even study fish stomach contents to uncover how society's use of plastic impacts the environment.