25 September 2003

Seven University of Queensland researchers will be honoured with awards totalling almost $465,000 at a gala ceremony at the UQ Centre tonight (Thursday, September 25) as part of the 2003 UQ Foundation Research Excellence Awards for early-career researchers.

Now in their fifth year, the annual awards recognise outstanding performance and leadership potential, and form part of UQ Research Week (September 22–26).

UQ Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor David Siddle congratulated the winners and commended the diversity of their research. This year winning researchers studied fields including the impact of rumours; bioethics; broadband content; quantum computers; kidney research; biological database mining; and brain imaging.

Professor Siddle said the UQ Foundation Research Excellence Awards were among a range of initiatives created by the University to foster and nurture exciting research projects.

"Awards such as these are designed to foster the next generation of quality researchers, and to address the brain drain," he said.

"This year`s winners were part of a hotly contested field. The quality and diversity of their research augurs well for the University."

Professor Siddle said the University`s research and research-training performance consistently ranked in the top three among Australian universities on widely-accepted measures. UQ researchers competed favourably with the world`s best in many areas.

He said as part of its research strategy, the University had invested significant sums in key projects and had been able to attract matching financial support from government and external donors. This approach has been extremely fruitful, particularly in projects related to bioscience, nanotechnology and neuroscience.

"UQ Research Week has highlighted a selection of important projects and the UQ Foundation Research Excellence Awards have introduced the work of some of our brightest young researchers," Professor Siddle said.

Funding for the winning researchers was provided by the UQ Foundation and The University of Queensland. The winning researchers are:

Dr Prashant Bordia, a senior lecturer with UQ`s School of Psychology, received $55,000 for his research focusing on the harm that rumours can do to companies and organisations. While most rumours are harmless, many lead to negative consequences such as loss of reputation, reduced trust in other people or institutions, racial discord and even financial impacts such as running public relation campaigns, a fall in stock prices or possible law suits.

Historian Dr Sarah Ferber of UQ's School of History, Philosophy, Religion and Classics was awarded $65,000 for research which redefines contemporary bioethics to include an historical dimension. Dr Ferber is planning a series of articles and a book, covering topics such as medicine and social morality, human experimentation, women and reproductive medicine, genetic research and euthanasia. Her project, one of the first of its kind, aims to reshape scholarly enquiry, professional medical training and public debate on bioethics. It will also, she hopes, boost public debate by encouraging people to bring nuanced views to emotive issues.

Content for the next generation of broadband Internet technology is being developed by Dr Philip Graham from the UQ Business School, who received $70,000. Dr Graham is heading an international interdisciplinary group researching broadband content development. "Broadband is high-speed Internet access technology and is delivered via Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Lines (ADSL), optical fibre cables or microwave and satellite networks," Dr Graham said. "Because of broadband`s increasingly central role in economic development, cultural innovation and cultural preservation, broadband content development has become a key research priority worldwide with huge R&D potential.

UQ theoretician Dr Jon Links is developing rigorous mathematical techniques to underpin the next generation in computation–quantum computers. Dr Links, a research fellow with the School of Physical Sciences, received $70,000 and is undertaking a detailed study into theoretical models of Bose-Einstein condensates, the coldest form of matter known to scientists. Dr Links said understanding the manner in which Bose-Einstein condensates interact through a phenomenon known as quantum tunnelling would provide the insight needed to build a quantum computer.

Understanding how the mineral sulphate works in the body could hold the key to future cures for reduced fertility, according to School of Biomedical Sciences senior lecturer Dr Daniel Markovich, who was awarded $65,000. His research could also lead to treatments for other human disorders such as seizures, growth retardation and gastrointestinal disturbances. Dr Markovich is conducting world-first research into the importance of sulphate in the body and how its levels are controlled

Dr Rohan Teasdale of the Institute for Molecular Bioscience is using a technique known as database mining to open new avenues of scientific exploration using the incredible wealth of information contained in the genomes of mice and humans. Dr Teasdale, who received $75,000, said database mining combined with traditional cell biology allowed a more intuitive approach to identifying information to improve our understanding of the crucial role different cell membranes play in physiological processes. Dr Teasdale`s award recognises the growing influence of computational biology in bioscience research.

Dr Guy Wallis of UQ`s School of Human Movement Studies was awarded $65,000 and is using a range of brain imaging and advanced computer graphics techniques to study regions of the cortex in a project which promises unprecedented insight into the brain`s workings. The work has the potential to inspire the design of artificial vision systems as well as more effective means of providing visual information in dynamic environments, such as when driving. It will help researchers to understand essential linkages between perception, cognition and movement.

Media: A copy of guest speaker Dr Graham Mitchell's speech from the awards ceremony is available at www.uq.edu.au/news/index.phtml?article=4970 For further information, contact UQ's Office of Marketing and Communications (mobile 0405 186 732, telephone 07 3365 3367).