Awarded to a world class scientist who, over the past 10 years, has demonstrated excellence in a field of science, scientific research or technological advancement
Now in its 23rd year, the Premier's Science Awards recognises and celebrates the outstanding scientific research and engagement taking place in Western Australia.
This year, 4 finalists have been chosen for the Scientist of the Year category:
Professor Jacqueline Batley
The University of Western Australia
Laureate Professor Jacqui Batley from The University of Western Australia School of Biological Sciences has made outstanding and sustained contributions to plant, insect and fungal biology through the development and application of genomic marker tools.
Throughout her career spanning appointments in academia, government and industry, she has established herself as an international leader in developing novel technologies and exploiting genomes of crops and crop pathogens. This information has been used to determine genetic variation within and between populations, to understand plant-pathogen co-evolution, to map key traits for plant and animal breeding and in the identification of underlying genes which have been used for crop improvement towards ensuring future food security.
Professor Aleksandra Filipovska
The University of Western Australia and Telethon Kids Institute
Professor Aleksandra Filipovska is the inaugural Louis Landau Chair in Child Health Research, an NHMRC Investigator, and Deputy Director of the ARC Centre for Synthetic Biology at Telethon Kids Institute and The University of Western Australia. Internationally renowned for her pioneering work in mitochondrial genomics and disease, she is an advocate for the mitochondrial disease community and has developed new technologies that have re-defined the mitochondrial transcriptome, its regulation, and diagnosis of patients with mitochondrial and metabolic diseases.
Professor Filipovska has licensed her genome-editing technology that is currently used for clinical trials of neurodegenerative diseases internationally.
John Curtin Distinguished Professor Sharon Parker
Curtin University
The average person spends 90,000 hours working in their life, and this is increasing as the population ages. Poor quality work causes burnout, injury, family breakdown, and even premature mortality for people, as well as reduced productivity. Good work design helps individuals, teams, and organisations to thrive.
John Curtin Distinguished Professor Sharon Parker is helping to improve work quality across the globe through world-leading research on work design, which she is then directly applying in Western Australia. Professor Parker led a landmark study into mental health and workplace culture in the Western Australian mining industry, and advises health, aged and disability care organisations, amongst others.
Professor Markus Schlaich
The University of Western Australia – Royal Perth Hospital and RPH Research Foundation
Professor Markus Schlaich is the inaugural Dobney Chair in Clinical Research at The University of Western Australia. As a clinician scientist specializing in high blood pressure (hypertension), he and his interdisciplinary team provide a comprehensive service at RPH.
As Chair of Hypertension Australia and Co-Chair of the recently established National Hypertension Taskforce Professor Schlaich leads the nation in controlling the leading global risk factor for death. With more than 500 publications and 20 national/international awards, his translational clinical research has resulted in recent regulatory approval of several novel blood pressure lowering therapies including a new drug class and a revolutionary interventional approach to treat hypertension.
