Multiple scientists from UOW receive authoritative honors recognition in Australia

Known as the highest honor in the Australian scientific community, the Eureka Prize is highly influential in Australia, whether it's the final winners or the nominees. In this year's Eureka Prize nominations, Professor Martina Sanderson-Smith from the University of Wollongong (UOW) was nominated as part of a national team of scientists for their ongoing research into the clinical impact of StrepA infections in children. The interdisciplinary StrepA epidemic prevention team led by Professor Sanderson-Smith is one of only three projects nominated for the Eureka Prize in Infectious Diseases Research, with their project named 'Protecting Young Hearts'.

Research projects selected for the Eureka Prize

StrepA is the most common cause of bacterial sore throat and tonsillitis in children, but it can also cause serious infections such as scarlet fever, sepsis, necrotizing fasciitis, and streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome.Repeated StrepA infections can also trigger autoimmune diseases, including acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, the latter being a major cause of heart disease in children.The scientific team's research focuses on tracking the spread of Group A Streptococcus and developing a vaccine.

Professor Sanderson-Smith, director of the Molecular Horizons Institute at UOW, said the researchers are thrilled that their work has been nominated for the Eureka Prize, as it will help raise awareness of the threat of StrepA diseases.

Professor Sanderson-Smith

Professor Sanderson-Smith will attend the Eureka Prize awards ceremony in Sydney in September, where the final winners will be announced.

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Two UOW scientists honored by ARC

In addition toSanderson-Smithbeing nominated for Australia's highest scientific honor, two researchers fromUOWrecently received Future Fellowships from the Australian Research CouncilARC, potentially taking their research to new heights. Nationally, only 100 new Future Fellows are awarded ARC funding. The two UOW recipients areProfessor Lisa Kervin and Dr. Nana Wang, who willadvance Australia's research and innovation capabilities.

Professor Kervin's research achievements

As the director of the Early Start project at the University of WollongongEarly Start, ProfessorKervinhas been awarded nearly1.2 million AUDin funding over four years for her work on intergenerational play. This concept involves understanding how younger and older generations come together to play in different contexts, stimulating thinking and building positive relationships through fun, inclusive, and engaging activities.

KervinProfessor said that intergenerational play helps combat disconnection and social isolation, especially among the elderly.

Professor Lisa Kervin

Dr. Wang's research achievements

Dr. Wang, a researcher at the Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials at UOW, has been awarded over900,000 AUDin research funding for developing next-generation battery designs for use in mild and extreme environments.

Sodium-ion batteries are considered the most promising battery products for the next generation of large-scale energy systems, supporting the goal of achieving net-zero emissions. Dr. Wang's project will conduct cutting-edge research to realize the large-scale production of cost-effective and high-performance sodium-ion batteries that can operate even under extreme conditions.

Dr. Wang said her research will bring new knowledge to the field of batteries. She said: 'This research focuses on improving how batteries work, promoting innovation in electrolytes and electrodes, both of which are crucial for actual battery development. The goal is to help Australia incubate top companies in battery technology and renewable energy, making Australia and the planet more sustainable.'

The ARC Future Fellowships program plays a key role in promoting research excellence, supporting outstanding mid-career researchers in conducting high-quality, innovative research that has the potential to lead to significant discoveries and advancements.

UOW is committed to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which provide a shared blueprint for a better and more sustainable future for all. UOW is promoting breakthroughs in related disciplines by achieving these goals!