Laureate double for UQ researchers

A quantum physicist and a cellular biologist from The University of Queensland are among 10 Australian Research Council Australian Laureate Fellows announced today.

ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQUS) Director Professor Andrew White was awarded $3.2 million to develop artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, using quantum technologies to bypass traditional approaches to AI.

“The goal is to build energy efficient ‘neuromorphic’ computers to achieve speeds impossible with conventional approaches – to deliver transformative technologies for AI, new applications across society, and new tools for exploring brain function and cognition,” Professor White said.

“The Laureate is a fantastic opportunity to bring together things that don’t look related — biology, cognition, quantum technologies — and form a team of outstanding young scientists and engineers to think of new ways to apply these sciences to the wickedly hard problem of AI.

“The technology will be physically small but could contribute a large value-add to the economy, as the Australian government looks to diversify its export complexity.”

Professor Rob Parton was awarded $2.9 million and will use the Laureate to better understand how therapeutics can be delivered to target cells in the body, rather than broad-spectrum treatments such as chemotherapy that cause significant side effects.

His research at UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) involves understanding how medicines move from the bloodstream into tissue and then into specific parts of cells.

Professor Parton’s team will track nanoparticles that can precisely target diseased cells in people with cancer and muscular dystrophy, without delivering medicines to healthy cells – therefore avoiding side effects.

‘’The Laureate will enable us to uncover key mechanisms in different cell types that enable a nanoparticle to be tailored to pass into a specific diseased cell,’’ he said.

‘’If we understand how cells work – and what goes wrong in diseased cells – it will open doors for all diseases, both with potential treatments using targeted medicines and delivery of vaccines.’’

The ARC Australian Laureate Fellowships are highly coveted, providing support to allow leading scientists to focus on important areas of research.

Media: communications@uq.edu.au