Tall Poppy award reaches new heights

Friday 28 August 2020

Associate Professor Sumaira Hasnain has been recognised for her achievements in the science world.

The Australian Institute of Policy & Science (AIPS) yesterday announced this year’s Tall Poppy Science Award winners in an intimate celebration, recognising the achievements of researchers’ commitment and capacity to communicate science and its significance to the broader community.

Mater Research, The University of Queensland and Translational Research Institute trifecta researcher Associate Professor Hasnain works in chronic inflammatory diseases in areas such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), diabetes and viral infections. It is her hope receiving this award will allow her to expand her work to the wider public to help those who live with these debilitating diseases.

“I feel very honoured to be the recipient of The Queensland Young Tall Poppy Scientist of the Year Award this year. My goal is to produce a treatment that can generate appropriate immune responses, and stop inflammation becoming chronic in the first place. So many people are living their everyday lives with these diseases. It would be nice to help them to live it better,” Associate Professor Sumaira Hasnain said.

Her work, Sparking the immune system in children to put the brakes on viral infection, was delivered in a compressed one minute pitch, with no aids, to the team at the Office of the Queensland Chief Scientist and Australian Institute of Policy and Science (AIPS).

The Tall Poppy Campaign was established in 1998 by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science (AIPS) to promote public awareness of Australia’s intellectual achievements. An important component of the campaign is the Tall Poppy Science Awards, which recognise the achievements of outstanding researchers in the sciences including technology, engineering, mathematics and medical research.

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