John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Bennelong is the innovation capital of Australia. It is home to some of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies, and tech giants like Microsoft, Optus and innovators like 3M—beat that. We are the home to Australia's first hydrogen fuelling station, at Hyundai's headquarters, and the world's leading gamma knife, which can cut out brain tumours without affecting the surrounding tissue. I am pleased to announce that we also now have two local winners of the Australian Museum Eureka Prize, which rewards excellence in the fields of research and innovation leadership, science communication and school science.

Professor Ewa Goldys from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the excellent Macquarie University is winner of the ANSTO Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology. Dr Lisa Harvey-Smith, a research astronomer with the CSIRO is the winner of the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Australian Science Research.

Professor Ewa Goldys has developed a new use for the common microscope by using hyperspectral imaging. This innovative method can analyse biological matter to pick up the individual fluorescent colours of cells. This allows scientists to identify specific qualities and characteristics of those cells. While this study holds interest from a purely scientific perspective in expanding our knowledge of the way the world works, it also yields significant real-world benefits. This breakthrough will allow a completely new, non-invasive and rapid screening for diseases and diagnosis of health conditions. Professor Goldys says that this procedure will, importantly, improve the effectiveness of therapy, enhance scientific and medical understanding of diseases, and help patients better manage their conditions.

Bennelong's second champion of science innovation recognised in the awards is Dr Lisa Harvey-Smith of CSIRO astronomy and space science, and she is the project scientist of the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder. The modern evolution of the Parkes telescope is an example of Australia's leadership in the field of astronomy. Built in one of the quietest places on earth, in remote Western Australia, the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder surveys the night sky looking for new galaxies, black holes and even astronomical phenomena that we do not yet know exist. For the past 50 years, Australia has been at the forefront of scientific discovery and innovation in astronomy and space science. Dr Harvey-Smith uses her scholarship, passion and enthusiasm to engage the science user community and the commissioning team by articulating clearly what is often complex science. Dr Harvey-Smith frequently promotes the work of the CSIRO. (Time expired)

See this speech in context