Women’s world class achievements

Dr Jenny Martin's work on the HIV protease enzyme led to new compounds for combating AIDS.

UQ women have again dominated Queensland's Smart Women — Smart State Awards.

Queensland Minister for Women Desley Boyle presented winners with $2500 and trophies at Parliament House on Monday night, with UQ women winning five out of nine categories.

The awards were introduced in 2003 to encourage women to pursue non-traditional career paths in science, engineering and information and communication technology.

UQ winners included a biochemist, science student, electrical engineer, physics student and physiotherapist.

They were:

Wai Yie Leong (Postgraduate student): Wai Yie is an electrical engineer who has developed the Better Hearing Aid technology.

Associate Professor Jenny Martin (Research scientist): Jenny Martin, is a leading UQ biochemist in drug design and protein structure and her work on the HIV protease enzyme led to new compounds for combating AIDS.

Helen Posselt (Women in the community): Helen Posselt is a physiotherapist and casual UQ lecturer in inherited neuromuscular disorders, who specialises in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Bodil Cass (Undergraduate student): Bodil Cass is a third year UQ Bachelor of Science student whose research with the New York Health Department led to ways to differentiate mosquito populations responsible for West
Nile Virus.

Jennifer Riesz (student encouragement-$1500): Jennifer Riesz is a physics student completing her PhD to uncover the structure of melanin, so that its role in melanoma and other related melanin diseases can be understood.

Media: Miguel Holland at UQ Communications (3365 2619)