The University of Queensland has reaffirmed its position as a leading research institution for science and social sciences, with 28 UQ researchers identified as among the world’s most influential scientific minds.

They have been named in the prestigious Highly Cited Researchers 2019 list from the Web of Science Group, which recognises scientists who have published a high number of papers that rank in the top 1% most-cited in their respective fields.

UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj AC said the result reflected the calibre and impact of the University’s research talent.

“This list is peer-rated, so our UQ scientists have been identified within their own global research community as influential knowledge leaders,” Professor Høj said.

“This list positions UQ as a prominent research facility in the world – placing well inside the top 50 ahead of many world famous institutions.

“I want to congratulate all our highly cited researchers, including 12 new UQ entrants, who are making their mark among the world’s best.”

Of the 28 UQ researchers listed, Professor Philip Hugenholtz achieved highly-cited status in two separate subject areas, increasing UQ’s overall number of highly-cited researchers in the 2019 list to 29.

Those making the list cover fields as diverse as agricultural, plant and animal sciences, medicine, chemistry, environment and ecology, social sciences, biology, and psychology.

Web of Science Group, a Clarivate Analytics company, organises the world’s research information to enable academia, corporations, publishers and governments to accelerate the pace of research.

The full Highly Cited Researchers 2019 list can be found online here.

MEDIA: UQ Communications, communications@uq.edu.au, 07 3365 1120.

University of Queensland PhD candidate Rhys Pirie is the first Australian to win Young Innovator of the Year at the world’s premier conference for research and innovation, Falling Walls Berlin.

The chemical engineering researcher won the international competition with his presentation about a process that could turn waste glass into every day products ranging from fertilisers to toothpaste.

Mr Pirie’s winning pitch explained how his work used broken glass destined for landfill to create sodium silicate.

“We estimate the process is more than 50 per cent cheaper than conventional ways of producing silicate,” Mr Pirie said.

“It requires less energy, raw materials and capital, and that’s before you consider the reduced social and economic costs compared to landfilling material.”

The process, developed with Professor Damien Batstone from UQ’s Advanced Water Management Centre, can be used to make thousands of products, from concrete sealers to detergents.

“The transition towards circular economies is a movement which is gaining momentum and something I’ve always been interested in,” Mr Pirie said.

“My PhD has highlighted how we need to make use of both the raw materials in ‘waste’ streams and the energy embodied in them during manufacture.”

UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj attended the event in Berlin, which also featured Microba, a UQ startup selling the most advanced DNA sequencing of the micro-organisms in a person’s intestinal tract available in Australian.

“It was a privilege to see a UQ PhD scholar succeed in a field of 100 top young researchers from more than 60 countries,” Professor Høj said.

“As one of Australia’s leading research and teaching institutions, and a university ranked among the world’s top 50, UQ recognises that knowledge itself won’t suffice in an increasingly interconnected world.

“Instead it will be the application of knowledge – and the skills that support it – that equip graduates and researchers to chart their own path, and to drive innovation across diverse industries and sectors.”

The Falling Walls Conference is a global gathering of innovators and scientists, brought together to share their breakthroughs and plans to impact science and society.

The conference is held annually on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, with 2019 marking 30 years since the wall fell.

Mr Pirie was selected to present in Berlin by the Australian Academy of Science after impressing judges at the Falling Walls Lab Australia event in Canberra in September.

He received support from Trade and Investment Queensland and UQ Global Engagement and Entrepreneurship to attend.

Media: Genevieve Worrell, g.worrell@uq.edu.au, 0408 432 213.

The University of Queensland was awarded three Australian Research Council (ARC) Centres of Excellence and three ARC Australian Laureate Fellowships in this round – with UQ securing the largest share of funding in the competitive grants.

This represents $310 million in competitive funding across the life of both schemes — recognising and reflecting the outstanding quality of our 2000-strong interdisciplinary research community.

UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj AC said he was thrilled the University had secured three Centres of Excellence in this round, enabling UQ academics to undertake research in areas of national significance.

“This is a tremendous outcome for the University which will see in excess of $300 million of funding into UQ-led research,” Professor Peter Høj said.

“With three of the nine highly sought-after ARC Centres of Excellence awarded to UQ, we have now secured more centres than any other university – not only in this round but since the scheme’s inception in 2003 – which exemplifies UQ’s leadership in innovation and transformational research over the past 15 years.”

Three University of Queensland researchers have also been awarded Australian Research Council (ARC) Australian Laureate Fellowships – with UQ securing the largest share of funding in the competitive grants.

Professor Debra Bernhardt, Professor Sara Dolnicar and Professor Lianzhou Wang have attracted more than $9.8 million in funding over the next five years for their research.

Australian Research Council Australian Laureate Fellows (from left) Professor Debra Bernhardt, Professor Sara Dolnicar and Professor Lianzhou Wang.

Professor Peter Høj congratulated each new fellow on their achievement.

“The ARC Australian Laureate Fellowships are fiercely competitive and awarded to Australia’s best and brightest researchers,” Professor Peter Høj said.

“Each of our Laureate Fellows are highly regarded academics in their respective fields, and securing five years of funding means they can continue their innovative research that could have not only national but also global impact.”

Read more.

As UQ’s premier event of the year in New York, the dinner features a panel of renowned Australian and international rugby legends, the awarding of the esteemed Dr Mark Loane AM Medal and raises funds for The University of Queensland in America, Inc. (TUQIA) priorities, the UQ Rugby Club and Play Rugby USA.

This year’s stellar line-up includes ex-Wallaby Captain, Stephen Moore AM, former Wallaby and Fox Sports commentator, Drew Mitchell, former Springbok, Pedrie Wannenburg and former British and Irish Lions player, Tom Court.

Event details:

Date: Thursday 7 November

Time: 6:30pm – 10:00pm

Location: Manhattan Manor, 201 W 52^nd St, New York, NY

Cost: Individual ticket US$250; Tables from US$2,300

Details: Ticket includes a three-course dinner, beverages (including premium spirits) and the chance to win fantastic rugby paraphernalia and auction items.

RSVP: By Thursday 31 October 2019

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2019 Panellists

Drew Mitchell (70 Test Caps for the Wallabies)

Brisbane born and bred, Mitchell was educated at St Patrick’s College in Shorncliffe and played his junior rugby for the Pine Rivers Pumas Rugby Union club before going on to play for the University of Queensland Rugby Club.

Mitchell made his international debut for the Wallabies against South Africa in 2005, after being selected off the back of a season with the Queensland Reds in which he scored 11 tries and was named Australia’s rookie of the year.

Mitchell is Australia’s highest try scorer in World Cup history.

Today, Mitchell is a Rugby Commentator at Fox Sports and enjoys running marathons.

Tom Court (32 Caps for Ireland)

Court was born in Brisbane, Australia and began his sporting career as a shot-putter. He was the Australian University Champion for three years running and attended Olympic trials in 2002.

In 2004, Court started playing rugby at The University of Queensland at 24 years of age.

In his first season at UQ, Court went from playing 6^th grade to starting in the Premier Grade Grand Final. After a short stint in the New Zealand NPC for Manawatu, Tom returned to Australia and was selected to play for the Queensland Reds only 12 months after his first game.

Court went on to represent the Ireland A side at the 2006 Churchill Cup only 16 months after playing his first game of rugby union.

Court achieved his first international cap for Ireland against Italy in the 2009 Six Nations where Ireland went on to win the tournament and claim the Grand Slam for the first time in 61 years.

Court was named as part of Ireland’s Rugby World Cup Squad in 2011, and played in the Irish 15-6 victory over Australia on 17 September 2011.

In 2013, Court was named in the British and Irish Lions team for their tour of Australia.

Since retiring in 2017, Tom Court has since returned to Australia and is working at The University of Queensland at the Graduate School.

Stephen Moore AM

Moore began his rugby career in Queensland, playing schools rugby for the Rockhampton Pioneers and Brisbane Grammar school prior to joining the University of Queensland Rugby Club, where he went on to represent the Australian under 19s.

He made is Super Rugby debut in 2003 for the Queensland Reds against the Bulls.

Moore first made the Australian Wallabies squad in 2005 where he debuted against Samoa.

In early 2009, Moore moved from Brisbane to Canberra to represent the Brumbies where he played until 2016.

In 2014, Moore was first named captain for the Wallabies squad.

Moore is the only Australian hooker to have played 100 Tests and is Australia’s most capped Super Rugby player of all time.

Since his retirement from rugby, Moore has joined North Australian Pastoral Company as General Manager.

Earlier this year, Moore was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in recognition of his “significant service to rugby union, and to charitable organisations”.

More speakers to be announced…

On the night, we will be awarding one of the University’s most prestigious sports medals, the Dr Mark Loane AM Medal, to America’s most outstanding high school rugby player.

Research to unlock the potential of peptides and proteins found in Australian flora and fauna for applications such as the next generation medicines and bio-friendly pesticides will be the focus of a new research centre to be based at The University of Queensland.

The Federal Minister for Education Dan Tehan MP has announced $35 million in funding to establish the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science.

UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj AC said he was thrilled that UQ had successfully secured three Centres of Excellence in this round.

“This is a tremendous outcome for the University which will see a $102 million injection of funding into UQ-led research,” Professor Peter Høj said.

“With three of the nine highly sought-after ARC Centres of Excellence awarded to UQ, we have now secured more centres than any other university – not only in this round but since the scheme’s inception in 2003 – which exemplifies UQ’s leadership in innovation and transformational research over the past 15 years.

“Earlier this month the Federal Minister announced the ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture at UQ, as well as the ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course.

“This latest Centre will tackle biology’s next big challenge to uncover proteins and peptides that could lead to improvements in the food industry, pharmaceuticals and ecofriendly bio-pesticides.”

Director of the new Centre Professor David Craik, from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience, said the centre aimed to unleash the potential of peptides and proteins for the benefit of both the local and global communities.

“Peptides and proteins are the building blocks of life that carry out almost all biological functions, and contain huge amounts of complex information which is compressed into the cells of living organisms,” he said.

“Unpacking this information, understanding its meaning and harnessing it for human benefit is one of the grand challenges of the 21st century.”

Researchers aim to discover new proteins from natural sources and develop technologies to apply solutions to science, agriculture, engineering, animal health and medicine.

Peptides acting as ecofriendly bio-pesticides have already been discovered in the venom of the Australian funnel-web spider, and potential antibiotics isolated from koala and Tasmanian devil milk.

In the global research effort, UQ will collaborate with the Australian National University, Edith Cowan University, Monash University, Queensland University of Technology and the University of Sydney, and 20 academic and industry partner organisations from Australia, Europe, Asia and America.

More information about the ARC Centres of Excellence program is on the ARC website.

Image above: Professor David Craik (left)

Media contact: IMB Communications, communications@imb.uq.edu.au, +61 (0) 405 661 856