Our Previous award winners

ATA Scientific would like to thank all those that participated in the July/Aug issue of our Travel Award promotion.

Congratulations to our first prize winner Mr Joshua Smith, currently studying postgraduate Medicine at the University of Otago.

Joshua plans to complete an Honours year in Biomathematics at the University of Canterbury next year in order to investigate neural connectivity in the brain, and the autocatalytic networks of chemicals that lead to the first self-replicating cell (i.e. the origin of life). His research interests lie with the big questions in science – where do we come from, and what is it about a huge network of interconnected neurons that makes us capable of conscious experience?

“Mathematics is the language with which we study and model the world around us (and worlds distant from us in space or time). So it’s essential to learn to speak that language, in order to get your head around these big problems and make real progress”

Joshua plans to use his award to assist him to attend the New Zealand Phylogenetics Meeting (Doom13) that will be held in the central North Island (Mount Ruapehu) NZ, Feb 3-7, 2013. This will be an excellent opportunity for Joshua to meet some of the leading experts in this field. Phylogenetics is an important area of research, using mathematics to measure the similarities between genetic data from different species in order to generate evolutionary trees.

His supervisor Prof. Mike Steel (Director Biomathematics Research Centre, University of Canterbury) was pleased to hear of the award and expressed much praise for his talented and bright student.

“The conference fee plus accommodation and travel will equate approximately to the value of the award. I think this meeting would be an excellent opportunity for Josh, as many of our other graduate students have started their research careers at this meeting. Josh’s Honours project next year, under my supervision, will likely involve ideas that are related to the main theme of this conference” said Prof Mike Steel.

“Modern science is such a collaborative process: conferences like this are a really exciting opportunity to meet influential researchers in the field and learn about cutting-edge research. So, thanks ATA Scientific!” said Joshua.

Congratulations to our second prize winner Dr Thomas Klaric, based at the University of Adelaide, School of Medicine under his supervisor A/Prof. Simon Koblar, Stroke Research Programme, University of Adelaide.

After recently being awarded his PhD, Thomas is currently working on a number of different projects including a study into the effectiveness of dental pulp stem cell treatment in a mouse model of stroke. He is also continuing work from his PhD which focuses on the activity-dependent transcription factor Npas4 and its role in development and neuroprotection.

“I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go to a few really good conferences… They are also a good place to exchange ideas and network with researchers in your field. But of course they can be very expensive which is why I’m always on the lookout for different travel grants and awards that I can apply for – every little bit helps!” said Thomas.

Thomas plans to use his prize money to attend the Combio2012 conference (23-27 Sept) in Adelaide and also to attend the Australian Health and Medical Research Congress (25-28 Nov) held in Adelaide, and the Australian Neuroscience Society meeting (3-6 Feb 2013) held in Melbourne.

We would like to thank all those that participated. The next Travel Award for Sept/Oct 2012 is now available on our website.

For more information or to stay informed of other upcoming promotions please ‘Like us” on Facebook or contact us.

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ATA Scientific would like to thank all those that participated in the Sept/Oct issue of our Travel Award promotion.

Congratulations to our first prize winner, Miss Nikola Van de Wetering, a budding organic petrologist currently in her 3rd year of undergraduate studies, from the University of Queensland, School of Earth Sciences.

Nikola is currently undertaking a research project relating to the coal deposits within the Bowen Basin. Her research is aimed at identifying and understanding vegetation successions in the late Permian, and how they may relate to local changes in environment and regional changes in climate interpreted from stable carbon isotopes

“I’m passionate about field work and understanding ancient environments which lead me to work with my supervisor Prof. Joan Esterle who has been expert in the field for some time” said Nikola.

“Thank you very much for this opportunity! It is perfect timing and will help me substantially with my research”

Nikola plans to use her award to assist her to purchase a new laptop with the appropriate software needed for her research in Brazil. At the end of November, Nikola will be travelling to the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro to learn the procedures involved in palynological facies identification, and how to use pollen to further understand the palaeobotany of coals. Nikola will be working at the Laboratory for Palylnofacies and Organic Facies (LAFO).

Congratulations to our second prize winner Rupert Shuttleworth, based at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Epigenetics laboratory under his supervisor Dr Catherine Suter.

Dr Suter’s laboratory focuses on epigenetics, the study of heritable changes in gene expression that do not involve changes in the DNA sequence itself. Dr Suter’s group is dedicated to the investigation of the role that epigenetics plays in phenotypic variation and human disease.

Rupert has a background in Computer Science and Mathematics. His current research interests are in applying computing technology to help solve biological problems. Earlier this year Rupert focused on differential expression analysis in brain tumour cells and more recently has been working on high performance sequence annotation and ways of using neural networks to help find patterns in large amounts of biological data.

Rupert plans to use his prize money to attend the the BioInfo Summer 2012 meeting (AMSI Summer Symposium in Bioinformatics, 3-7 December 2012) being held at the University of Adelaide, SA. The award will cover his travel expenses and registration.

We would like to thank all those that participated. If you would like to learn more about the image used in our competition, please click here.

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ATA Scientific would like to thank all those that participated in entering our recent award that included the free use of a Kinexus Intelligent Rotational Rheometer PLUS $1,000 study award. The winner of the award will receive free use of a Kinexus rotational rheometer, training and a cheque for A$1,000.

We were pleased to have received so many quality entries with diverse applications from a range of Universities and Institutions around Australia and NZ . With so many entries we expected the selection process for the final winner would be long and difficult – and it was. Each proposal was carefully reviewed and judged on the degree of relevance, originality and the potential for publication.

Congratulations to Ms Xuefei (Sophie) Liu, from the University of New South Wales, School of Chemical Engineering, Membrane Center for her proposal on “Hydraulic study of activated sludge with coagulant addition in Membrane Bioreactors”. Xuefei works as part of the research team for the UNESCO Center for Membrane Science and Technology, under her supervisor Professor Greg Leslie. A copy of the winning proposal is available here.

If you are interested in using a Kinexus Rotational rheometer for your project, we are planning on having the Kinexus instrument available over the next few months at various locations following the completion of the winning proposal. Please contact us at your earliest convenience to set up an appointment to discuss how we can help with your required measurements.

We would like to thank all those that participated.

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Congratulations to our first prize winner, Mr Jeffrey Kelleway, PhD Candidate at University of Technology Sydney (UTS). His supervisor Prof. Peter Ralph (Plant Physiology and Climate Change Cluster C3, UTS) leads a multidisciplinary team dedicated to improving predictions about the impacts of climate change.

Jeffrey is currently undertaking postgraduate research at UTS, investigating carbon sequestration in coastal saltmarsh wetlands. Jeffrey hopes identify the processes which allow carbon to accumulate and be stored in wetland soils for thousands of years.

“I decided to enter the competition as I knew I had an entertaining story to tell about a serendipitous moment in science” said Jeffrey. Jeffrey’s winning entry was based on a field campaign along the drought-stricken floodplains of the Murrumbidgee River where his team discovered “Serendipity in Science is finding yourself standing in poo, just when you need it most!”

Jeffrey plans to use his award to assist him to travel and attend a wetland science conference in 2014 where he hopes to present results of his current PhD research.

Congratulations to our first runner up, Dr Shih-Ping Su (Jim) a young researcher in the Functional Genomics Laboratory, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney.

“I am delighted that ATA Scientific has decided to award Dr Shih-Ping Su with the second prize of the ATA Scientific Travel Award” said Jim’s supervisor, A/Prof Deborah J Marsh.

Jim’s research seeks to determine the mechanisms by which tumour suppressor protein, CDC73, regulates cell death and division and to establish whether this protein, can be used as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer.

“I believe the role that serendipity plays in scientific discoveries is very important and somewhat underestimated. Some of the major breakthroughs in science were surprise discoveries. I believe that we should all keep in mind that no matter how good we are as scientists, we are human and therefore should always keep an open mind when analysing unexpected results”.

Jim intends to use his award to attend the HUPO (Human Proteome Organization) 13th Annual World Conference in Spain next year (Oct 5-8, 2014).

Congratulations to our second runner up, Robin George Andrews, an enthusiastic Postgraduate Volcanologist currently undertaking a PhD in experimental volcanology under A/Prof James D.L. White, Geology Department, University of Otago. Robin is investigating cratering dynamics and the thermodynamic system behind the 1886 Rotomahana (New Zealand) eruption. His final thesis will combine experimental physics, numerical modelling and fieldwork to form a comprehensive framework for the physics behind volcanic eruptions.

Click here to view the winning articles

We would like to thank all those that participated. The next Travel Award for 2014 will be posted on our website soon.

For more information or to stay informed of other upcoming promotions please contact us or ‘Like us” on Facebook.

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ATA Scientific would like to thank all those that participated in our March 2014 Study Award promotion.

Congratulations to our first prize winner, Miss Marjorie Griffiths, PhD Candidate at Victoria University of Wellington. Marjorie is studying under the supervision of Prof. Kate McGrath and Assoc. Prof. Bill Williams at Massey University. The team is focused on the development of state-of-the art tools to study structure, dynamics and interactions of macromolecular assemblies.

“I have developed a novel method for measuring forces between oil droplets to understand how these forces define bulk sample properties”, described Marjorie.

Using holographic optical tweezers, a focused beam of laser light enables micrometer sized oil droplets to be immobilised and their position controlled in 3-dimensions. Interactions between droplets are visualised and measured as a function of droplet separation. This research aids in understanding how the ensemble of tiny forces defines the organoleptic properties of foods leading to smarter food design.

Marjorie is currently finishing her PhD and plans to use her award to assist with her remaining school fees.

Congratulations to our first runner up, Mr Omar Mendoza Porras, PhD student at the CSIRO and Flinders University. Omar works under the supervision of both Dr Michelle Colgrave and Dr James Harris and is based at the Queensland Bioscience Precinct in Brisbane, Australia.

Omar’s research is focused on applying proteomics to the Australian abalone farming industry. He intends to use his award to attend the Bioinformatics workshop in Brisbane in early May and the Australia Abalone Growers Association (AAGA) meeting this year in Adelaide.Omar explained “As a graduate student money is always welcome for travelling and/or education, therefore seeking funds to cover these expenses is part of my development as a scientist”.

“I decided to enter the competition with a humoristic and fictional story because I believe that sense of humour is an important component of self- development. Moreover, being able to laugh at yourself allows you to find a positive side on life during difficult situations”, said Omar.

Congratulations to our second runner up, Miss Marie-Claire Demers, PhD candidate studying under the supervision of Prof. Andy Davis, School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong and Dr. Nathan Knott, Department of Primary Industries.

Marie-Claire’s PhD project examines the dynamics of marine invertebrates in a threatened seagrass community. Her aim is to uncover the spatial distribution of sponges and ascidians inhabiting Posidonia australis meadows and to determine the factors driving their distribution. This study is crucial to the conservation and management of threatened species since seagrass specific species might be at risk of extinction in accordance with their host habitat.

“Most people are not aware of the importance of seagrass meadows. Being the marine equivalent of a rainforest, they sustain many species by providing food and shelter while also providing us with clear water, fish stock and healthy coastlines. The ATA Scientific Study Award is an opportunity to communicate my research and to acquire additional data so as to conserve this incredible ecosystem” said Marie-Claire.

The funding provided by this award will contribute to acquiring additional data in Spain to study European Posidonia meadows and facilitate the management and conservation of both seagrass species.

Click here to view the winning articles

We would like to thank all those that participated. The next Travel Award for 2014 will be posted on our website soon.

For more information or to stay informed of other upcoming promotions please ‘Like us” on Facebook or contact us.

Contact us

ATA Scientific would like to thank all those that participated in our July 2014 Study Award promotion.

Congratulations to our first prize winner, Mr Nathanial Harris, PhD Candidate at the, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute (IHMRI), University of Wollongong. Nathanial is studying under the supervision of Associate Professor Marie Ranson. IHMRI is a community of academic researchers and other health professionals with a common interest in advancing health and medical research in the region. The team is focussed on investigating the causes of major diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Motor Neurone Disease and Cancer.

Nanthanial’s PhD research is involved with understanding cancer metastasis, the spread of cancer to other parts of the body. Specifically, N harris cheque 300×212 Winners of our Young Scientist Study Award Jul 2014his work focuses on the Plasminogen activation pathway, and the genes involved, which a tumorigenic system hijacks in order to invade and spread throughout the body.

“I am developing and testing novel, ligand-directed cytotoxins that simultaneously target and deliver a toxic drug dose to breast or pancreatic tumours expressing the biomarker, urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA). It is anticipated that this simultaneous targeting strategy may lead to a dramatic improvement in the treatment of uPA positive cancers with limited systemic toxicity” said Nathanial.

Nathanial recently wrote and performed a song to explain his cancer research. This clever three minute video was created at Nathanial’s laboratory in Wollongong. Stay tuned for Nathaniel’s next music video featuring his winning entry!
Nathanial plans to use his award to assist with his overseas travel expenses to attend the International Society for Fibrinolysis and Proteolysis conference in Rome.

Congratulations to our first runner up, Ms Sarah Laird, PhD Chemistry student at the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University. Sarah works under the supervision of Dr Conor Hogan senior lecturer at the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science. Sarah is currently finishing up her PhD on the synthesis, characterisation and sensing application of luminescent Iridium(III) complexes.

“I have synthesised a family of Iridium complexes which show fascinating luminescent and electrochemical properties. I’ve discovered that they have highly sensitive pH and oxygen sensing abilities and well as being very good emitters for electrochemiluminescence applications” said Sarah.

When asked why Sarah chose to enter the competition, Sarah replied ” The topic resonated with me, I normally stay away from politics but the continued lack of investment in education and research is a growing concern and I felt I should say something about it”.

Sarah plans to use her award to attend the RACI National Congress in Adelaide at the end of the year. “This award will help my research a lot. My scholarship has run out and I have to teach to support myself while I finish, this will help ease the burden”.

Congratulations to our second runner up, Ms Andrea Fullagar, Masters candidate studying under the supervision of Professor Richard Kingsford, Director of the Centre for Ecosystem Science, University of NSW. The team is focused on investigating the ecology of wetlands and rivers in particular by studying different animals, plants and ecosystem processes that depend on these flows. Andrea is investigating the way in which different waterbird species and communities use environmental flows that created different types of foods for their growth, survival and breeding. In particular, she will be investigating the use of different types of habitats by waterbirds in the Macquarie Marshes and how this varies over the period of a year.

Andrea plans to use her award on her research and will be presenting her work at an Ecological Society of Australian conference.

Click here to view the winning articles.

We would like to thank all those that participated. The next Study Award for 2014 will be posted on our website soon.

For more information or to stay informed of other upcoming promotions please contact us or ‘Like us” on Facebook.

Contact us