THE last few months have showcased the skills and talents of University of Western Australia researchers, with a number recently winning major awards for their contributions in their respective fields of research.

Professor Kanti Bhoola, an adjunct professor at the University of Western Australia, has been awarded the Art and Science of Medicine Gold Medal by the South African Medical Association for his contribution to research in respiratory diseases and his capacity for mentorship throughout his career. He is a senior research fellow in the Inflammation, Immunology and Cancer unit at the Lung Institute of Western Australia and an honorary professor at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

A PhD student, Ms. Parwinder Kaur, has been awarded the Mike Carroll Travelling Fellowship for 2009. The award is presented to recipients who are able to demonstrate that their research and the wider scientific community will benefit from the results of their travels. It is awarded in honour of the late Dr. Mike Carroll who was a former Director General of the WA Department of Agriculture. Ms. Kaur has been travelling in India as part of her research on how Albugo candida causes white rust disease in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) and whether white rust disease is a potential threat to the Australian agricultural industry.

Winthrop Professor Karambir Singh has been appointed by the University to head a joint program between UWA and CSIRO on plant biotic stress and crop genomics. Professor Singh’s main area of research is plant disease issues focusing on legume crops. He currently leads a plant biotechnology group of postgraduate researchers at CSIRO and is also a program officer with the Plant Industry group in Perth. The program has been initiated in order to combine both institutions’ strengths in crop genomics and plant pathology.

Gaye McMath, the University’s Executive Director for Finance and Resources was appointed to the Australian Government’s Solar Flagship Council earlier this month. The Council will assess proposals for the construction of large scale solar power stations in Australia and has been allocated $1.5 billion in funding to do so. The appointment was announced by the Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson.

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