2007 Young Tall Poppy Science Award Recipients

Thirteen bright young scientists were named Young Tall Poppies for 2007/2008 for their outstanding contributions to areas ranging from sophisticated computer modelling to nerve disease in children.

The 2007/2008 award winners were:

• Dr Joshua Burns, Children’s Hospital at Westmead, who is working on a worldfirst clinical trial to determine if vitamin C can help children with an inherited nerve disease that affects their feet and ankles.
• Dr Vanessa Hayes, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, whose research focuses on how genetic differences increase the risk of developing cancers.
• Dr Emma Johnston, University of New South Wales, who is investigating how contaminants and introduced marine species affect native marine life in locations including the Great Barrier Reef and Antartica.
• Dr Kate Jolliffe, University of Sydney, whose research work includes developing molecules to better help cancer drugs attack cancer cells.
• Dr Nadine Kasparian, University of New South Wales, who is studying how people with a strong family history of melanoma respond to genetic testing and is developing a web-based “Melanoma Risk Calculator”.
• Dr Brendan Kelaher, University of Technology, Sydney, who is researching the impact of over fishing, coastal development, pollution, desalination, invasive species and climate change on marine ecosystems.
• Dr Craig O’Neill, Macquarie University, who has pioneered sophisticated computer modelling to simulate planet formation and better understand the differences between earth and non-inhabitable planets.
• Dr Matt Taylor, University of New South Wales, who is researching fish stocking and release techniques to help develop better recreational and commercial fisheries.
• Dr James Tickner, CSIRO Minerals, whose scanning technology was used in a recently completed $8.4 million trial at Brisbane Airport.
• Dr Nicole Verrills, University of Newcastle, who is using state-of-the-art molecular biology techniques to identify genes and proteins that contribute to cancer.
• Dr Carola Vinuesa, Australian National University, who recently discovered a gene that appears to be a crucial link in the development of autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis.
• Dr Charles Warren, University of Sydney, who is studying factors that limit plant growth to help improve agriculture and environmental management.
• Dr Lisa Wood, University of Newcastle, who is investigating the role of diet in the management of asthma and examining the link between asthma and obesity.