10 UQ researchers receive Tall Poppy Science Awards

Ten UQ researchers have been awarded Young Tall Poppy Science Awards, celebrating their research impact and passion for inspiring young people to pursue STEM careers. 

The awards recognise their contributions to scientific research to address societal challenges, as well as their ability to communicate the power of their research to the community.  

The UQ 2025 Tall Poppy Science Award recipients for Queensland are: 

• Associate Professor Jasneek Chawla – understanding the relationship between sleep and long-term cognitive and behavioural outcomes in children with a neurodisability, particularly Down Syndrome.  

• Dr Abbas Shafiee – improving knowledge of stem cells to treat human diseases, including the discovery of a new stem cell-based platform to model and treat skin disorders. 

• Dr Merja Joensuu – understanding how brain fats support cognition and how targeting these fats could treat inherited brain disorders, nerve paralysis, and viral infections. 

• Dr Siobhan Loughnan – developing ways to support parents after stillbirth and neonatal death.  

• Associate Professor Janni Leung – investigating the connections between mental health issues and addiction to understand their impacts on populations and reduce addiction-related harms.   

• Dr Karen Massel – enhancing crop quality through the application of genomic and cellular analysis tools.  

• Dr Ruirui Qiao – advancing disease research and therapeutic testing by developing microfluidic platforms that create more accurate, human-like tissue models. 

• Dr Tatiane Yanes – supporting families undergoing genetic testing and adapting to their diagnosis through clinically-informed research.  

• Dr Xin Yu – improving computer vision and machine learning processes in line with human behaviour, such as recognising actions in videos and understanding sign language. 

• Dr Yinghong Zhou – advancing biomedical engineering and understanding bone and tissue regeneration within dentistry.  

The winner of the esteemed Queensland Young Tall Poppy of the Year will be revealed at an award ceremony on 9 September at the Queensland Museum.  

Established in 2009, the annual Awards are hosted by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science (AIPS) in partnership with the Department of the Environment, Science, Tourism and Innovation.