Two researchers from The University of Western Australia are the inaugural recipients of two national awards created to recognise young scientists making extraordinary contributions in First Nations-led and industry-engaged research and science communication.
Kamilaroi woman and cancer research scientist Dr Jessica Buck won the inaugural Young Tall Poppy First Nations Award and biomedical engineer Dr Matt Oldakowski took out the new Young Tall Poppy Industry Award at the Young Tall Poppy Science Awards in Sydney on Friday night.
Established by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science (AIPS) in 1998, the Young Tall Poppy awards recognise exceptional early-career researchers who combine world-class scientific achievement with a commitment to communicating science and inspiring the next generation.
Winners are chosen every year from each state, with more than 1,000 early-career researchers recognised over the past 28 years.
This year in addition to the state awards the AIPS introduced two national awards to recognise excellence in industry and First Nations science leadership.
Dr Buck, from UWA and The Kids Research Institute Australia, was honoured for advancing knowledge around childhood cancer affecting First Nations children while embedding cultural strength, community partnership and Indigenous research principles.
Dr Buck runs a world-first research program at the WA Comprehensive Kids Cancer Centre – a partnership between Perth Children’s Hospital, The Kids and UWA – that aims to Close the Gap in outcomes for First Nations children with cancer.
By combining her knowledge of cancer biology with an understanding of health through a First Nations lens, her program sets the foundation for improved survival, quality of life and culturally safe care.
Dr Buck said First Nations children with cancer had poor survival rates but scientists still didn’t know why.
“Beyond the basic statistics of how many First Nations kids get cancer, and how many survive, we really don’t know much at all,” she said.
Dr Buck is developing a culturally safe, community-led program of research that will answer the questions kids and their families want answered, as well as guidelines for how samples from First Nations peoples can be used in medical research in a culturally safe way.
Dr Oldakowski, a biomedical engineer and senior lecturer from UWA’s from School of Engineering, Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering and founder of WA start-ups Earflo and REX Ortho, was recognised for his outstanding contributions to industry-engaged science and excellence in research translation, innovation, and real world impact.
Dr Oldakowski, who works with doctors to identify clinical problems where existing treatments are invasive, difficult to use or simply not good enough, has invented two medical technologies to address major health challenges – children with glue ear and older people with fragile bones.
In children with glue ear, fluid trapped behind the eardrum can cause hearing loss and require surgery, while older people with fragile bones can experience complications following surgery when the screws used to repair fractures can lose their grip in weak bone.
“Although these problems are very different my approach is the same – understand the problem from the perspective of patients and clinicians, then use engineering and science to develop a better solution,” Dr Oldakowski said.
One of his inventions, dubbed Earflo, uses a ‘sippy-cup’ style device to gently deliver air through the nose while a child swallows, helping the ears to clear naturally at home – with the aim of restoring hearing and avoiding surgery.
The other is a surgical screw which expands after insertion to create stronger fixation in the bone. The technology is now being developed for applications including hip fractures and spinal surgery.
Also on Friday night, Adjunct UWA researcher Dr Kit Prendergast, a native bee scientist, conservation ecologist and award-winning science communicator, was named WA’s overall Young Tall Poppy of the Year. Dr Prendergast, also known as The Bee Babette, was recognised for her work studying wild bees, including the biodiversity of native bees and pollination networks in urban areas, how to conserve them, and the impact of honeybees on native bees. Her research has included using bee hotels as a recovery tool for native bees after bushfires, and she is known for combining her skills as a circus performer with science engagement to help teach people about bees. Dr Prendergast is also affiliated with Curtin University and the University of Southern Queensland.
Five other UWA researchers – Dr Fiona Panther, Dr Marcus Korb, Dr Amelia Harray, Dr Kai Chen and Dr Mehwish Nasim – were announced last month as 2026 WA Tall Poppies, while another UWA researcher, PhD candidate and clinical embryologist Tammy Lee, was a national finalist for the Industry award.
AIPS General Manager Bree Williams said it was extraordinary to see one institution produce the inaugural winners of both new national categories.
“These awards celebrate researchers who not only excel in their fields but also share their science widely and meaningfully. UWA should be incredibly proud,” she said.
