UQ wins research commercialisation award at the AFR Higher Education Awards

The University of Queensland has 1 winner and 2 finalists in the Australian Financial Review's Higher Education Awards 2026, claiming the top spot for research commercialisation. 

These awards recognise individuals and projects from the university sector who are at the forefront of creating impactful change for Australians by driving innovative research, economic growth and positive community outcomes. 

UQ winner and finalists: 

• Winner, Research commercialisation – Under UniQuest, startup Vicebio commercialised molecular clamp technology – developed by Professor Keith Chappell, Emeritus Professor Paul Young and Professor Daniel Watterson – to create vaccines against life-threatening respiratory viral infections, which was acquired by Sanofi in 2025 in the largest deal involving a company that is commercialising intellectual property (IP) from an Australian university. 

• Finalist, Teaching and learning excellence – Associate Professor Joy Wolfram and Associate Professor Gilda Carvalho redesigned a first-year course, BIOE1001, by teaching biology through hands-on beer brewing and engineering applications. This increased student performance by 32% and career interest by 70%, with the approach recognised in global publications.  

• Finalist, Emerging leader – Professor Nathan Palpant’s research has uncovered a spider venom-derived compound that could help protect the heart during heart attacks. In less than a decade, he has built a research program that translates discoveries into potential treatments, delivered new drug targets, licensed technologies, startup companies and clinical-stage therapies.