Top Five science scholars for 2019 awarded

By Sanskriti Shukla on 29 May, 2019

UNSW Sydney and the ABC have unveiled the receivers of the 2019 Top Five media residencies for emerging science scholars.

The opportunity will enable some of Australia’s inventive minds to impart their insights and knowledge to a wider audience, raising the profile of scientific disciplines to the broader community.

The top five researchers were picked out of a group of 150 candidates who work in fields ranging from psychology to geology in Australian universities and research institutes. Dr. Dominique Tanner, a geologist at the University of Wollongong studying how precious metals are created in undersea volcanoes, is one of the five recipients.

Other recipients include:

Alex Russell: psychologist at Central Queensland University researching gambling behavior including the role of advertising and sports “micro betting”.
Chameen Samarawickrama: eye surgeon and vision researcher at the University of Sydney who is developing a glue to fix damaged corneas.
Hannah Kirk: a cognitive scientist at Monash University developing digital technology to detect and treat children’s attention difficulties.
Lila Landowski: neuroscientist at The University of Tasmania working on new ways to study stroke and investigating the brain processes behind fatigue.

The chosen scholars will undertake a fourteen-day residency at ABC RN, where they will work with columnists and broadcasters to gain knowledge about communicating and developing content for radio, TV, and web.

“It has never been more important to raise awareness of science, to engage the public with some of the most critical global issues we have ever faced and to help inspire the next generation of scientists. This year’s exceptionally talented winners are enthusiastic about science communication and ensuring complex research discoveries reach a wide audience,” said Professor Emma Johnston, UNSW Dean of Science and Top Five ambassador.