THE PRIME MINISTER'S PRIZES FOR SCIENCE
TOP GONG
Melbourne's Jenny Graves ($250,000 Prize for Science) has made several world-first discoveries about human and marsupial evolution, published 440 papers and been received multiple global awards for her work.
But the evolutionary geneticist is probably best known for discovering the origin and evolution of the Y chromosome, which led to suggestions it will one day die out.
She has also been a leading advocate for women in science across her 50-year career, especially during her time on the executive for the Australian Academy of Science.
"The chromosomes that determine sex change very fast and that means it's always exciting to figure out how they've changed, why they've changed and what they do now" - Professor Graves.
INNOVATE YOUR INCISORS
Eric Reynolds ($250,000 Prize for Innovation) was a young dental researcher when he found a protein in dairy milk that repairs and strengths teeth.
Thirty years on, products using the protein the Melbourne professor found have sold for $2 billion. Japan has gone wild for Recaldent sugar-free gum.
MAKING SCIENCE REAL
Both winners of the $50,000 prizes for school science place a heavy emphasis on showing students the real world applications of science.
When Wollongong's Mount Ousely Public School needed sand for its sandpit, Neil Bramsen (Excellence in Primary Teaching) told his students to work it out and place the order. His students have also discussed magnets with astronauts and Skyped about wildlife with Kenyan experts.
Sydney teacher Brett McKay (Excellence in Secondary Teaching) sends his Kirrawee High School students for work experience at the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor, holds forensic science incursions and intentionally confuses his class to encourage problem-solving.
NEW LOOK AT OLD PROBLEMS
Dayong Jin (Physical Scientist of the Year) and Jian Yang (Life Scientist of the Year) both won $50,000 prizes for pushing past what others considered roadblocks.
Jin, a distinguished professor at the University of Technology Sydney, has created new ways to see the processes of life, giving biologists the tools to discover more about cancer, bacteria and our immune system.
Yang, a University of Queensland professor, found new ways to analyse the human genome and uncover what dictates traits such as height and weight. He's also had nearly 100 peer-viewed papers published in his short career.
