The four recipients “share a common bond – using their life experience as a power for good, helping others around them and making the world a better place
Hailed as an Australian hero, Rosemary Kariuki works to connect refugee and migrant women through their strengths and joys — rather than treating them like ‘problems’ to be fixed.
A retired vet and an anaesthetist from Western Australia share the honour for 2019 after they used their medical and cave-diving skills to rescue 12 boys and their coach from a Thai cave in 2018.
Physicist Michelle Simmons has won the 2018 Australian of the Year Award.
Australian of the Year Awards
Maths and science featured strongly in the 2018 Australian of the Year Awards. Along with physicist Michelle Simmons, maths teacher Eddie Woo and biologist Graham Farquhar were recognised.
Scientists hope that stem cells may be able to repair nerves and other cells that support transmission of electrical impulses in the spinal cord.
binomialphoto/flickr
Claims that stem cell treatments can repair spinal injuries right now are overblown. But it’s not for lack of trying, and the science is certainly progressing.
It’s hard for lay readers to ascertain the difference between incremental research and genuine breakthroughs that will change the practice of medicine.
The University of Melbourne/AAP
Now, more than ever, in a world filled with ‘fake news’, it’s up to researchers to work hard to have accurate messages publicised.
Controversy surrounds the link between Australian of the Year Alan Mackay Sim’s research and a Polish team who restored mobility for a paraplegic man.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
High-profile former Army chief David Morrison is Australian of the Year, with the award given for his commitment to “gender equality, diversity and inclusion”.
Professor - Emerging Technologies (Stem Cells) at The University of Melbourne and Group Leader - Stem Cell Ethics & Policy at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, The University of Melbourne