Professor David Fairlie was last night named one of UQ's inaugural Top Five Inventors at an awards ceremony celebrating researchers who delivered significant outcomes for the global community.
Professor Fairlie was recognised for his work discovering new drugs and treatments for viral and parasitic infections, inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, metabolic dysfunction, including obesity and type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, cancers and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and stroke.
President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Høj said the awards, which also included UQ's Top Five Innovators, were presented to UQ researchers whose efforts optimised the benefits of high-calibre research.
“Top-tier innovators and inventors are not only excellent researchers; they are also highly successful at translating their research outcomes into benefits for society, ” Professor Høj said.
“They demonstrate the tremendous economic, social and sustainability potential that can be realised when outstanding researchers work with partners in private industry, government and communities.”
Translational research is defined as the process of making basic scientific discoveries useful and accessible for practical application.
“UQ's list of translated outcomes is impressive, and as an institution we are looking at what more we can do to foster invention and innovation,” Professor Høj said.
“We need avatars of innovation and invention that young and emerging researchers and students can emulate. These awards pay tribute to such role models.”
The awards were presented by Jeroen Prinsen, Thomson Reuters' senior Australasia Director for IP and Science, and Dr Dean Moss, chief executive officer of UQ's main research commercialisation company, UniQuest.
Contact: Bronwyn Adams, IMB Communications, 0418 575 247, 07 3346 2134 or b.adams@imb.uq.edu.au
Fiona Cameron, UQ Communications, 07 3346 7086 or f.cameron2@uq.edu.au
