National awards for innovative research

Innovative bioscience and infrastructure research from two University of Queensland academics has been recognised with national awards.

Professor Zhiguo Yuan, from UQ’s Advanced Water Management Centre, and Dr Leigh Ward, from the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, received Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) Clunies Ross Awards at a ceremony on 28 May.

The Clunies Ross Awards recognise outstanding achievement in the application of science and technology for the benefit of the wider community.

Professor Yuan won the award for his work over the past decade with sewer systems.

His team has delivered fundamental solutions to corrosion and odour management in sewers, changing the water industry’s capability and practices in managing this global problem.

“One of the key research outcomes is the SeweX model, which provides powerful support to the water industry to proactively manage its sewer assets,” he said.

“The research has also delivered highly innovative technologies to enable more cost-effective control of sewer corrosion and odour.”

Dr Ward was recognised for his development of ImpediMed commercial technology for bioelectrical impedance analysis.

“The technology is used for estimating body composition and can be applied to nutritional support in HIV-AIDS, lymphoedema, perinatal medicine and animal production,” he said.

“It has a wide range of applications and can help researchers in a variety of fields.”

“It’s a great honour to have this work acknowledged by the ATSE.”

UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj, who gave the welcome address, said the Clunies Ross Awards acknowledged the outstanding research of UQ academics.

“These awards recognise that our researchers are pursuing important research that tackles global problems while working with partners in industry to commercialise that research for the economic, social or environmental benefit of Australia and beyond,” he said.

“The awards acknowledge the hard work, long-term commitment and calculated risk-taking that is needed to drive innovation and turn excellent research into excellence-plus.”

Media: Senior Communications Officer Katie Rowney, 3365 3439, Katie.Rowney@uq.edu.au