Hobbit and dementia reseachers win top science gong at The Young Tall Poppy Science Awards. Undravelling the mystery of Indonesia's hobbit-sized humans and discovering ways to prevent dementia have helped two Sydney researchers win one of Australia's top science gongs.
Dr Michael Valenzuela and Dr Kira Westaway were jointly named most outstanding scientist for NSW/ACT at The Young Tall Poppy Science Awards.
The pair received a medal and $1500 at a gala event in Sydney last night, while 16 others were also awarded for their research in areas covering climate change, skin cancer, obesity and body tissue engineering.
The awards, now in their 10th year, recognise high achievers in the early stage of their careers making major breakthroughs across all scientific fields.
Dr Westaway, an archaeologist at Macquarie university who uses bone evidence to unravel the lives of early humans, was awarded for her research into the "hobbit" Homo floresiensis beings.
For the past five years she has pieced together evidence suggesting the small skeleton, found on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2004, belonged to a new species of human.
"There was a lot of controversy when we first came out and said that," she said.
"A lot of people couldn't accept it because it challenged everything we knew to be human.
The homo floresiensis bones have been dismissed as the remains of a sick human or near-human impacted by environmental factors.
But Dr Westaway concluded the 18,000-year-old bones did not share an immediate ancestor with modern humans.
"We have evidence they were living in the cave site for about 80,000 years, so it can't be a human with a disease that made it small," she said.
"We have slowly tried to build our case and I think people are finally coming over to our side, and it's very rewarding."
Dr Valenzuela's work at the University of NSW centres on the human brain and discovering ways of preventing dementia.
"We found more mental activity leads to a protective affect on a specific part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is the memory centre," he said.
"So if you can cultivate a cognitive lifestyle - or keep mentally active - you will reduce the risk of dementia."
There are no hard and fast rules, but anything from learning to dance, to practising Tai Chi
"Or any hobbies that have a mental, physical and a social component will do it", he said.
As part of their awards, the 18 scientists will spend the next year sharing their knowledge with school students, teachers and the broader community to help promote science. or travelling to a foreign country will pass the test. / news.com.au
Dr Michael Valenzuela and Dr Kira Westaway were jointly named most outstanding scientist for NSW/ACT at The Young Tall Poppy Science Awards.
The pair received a medal and $1500 at a gala event in Sydney last night, while 16 others were also awarded for their research in areas covering climate change, skin cancer, obesity and body tissue engineering.
The awards, now in their 10th year, recognise high achievers in the early stage of their careers making major breakthroughs across all scientific fields.
Dr Westaway, an archaeologist at Macquarie university who uses bone evidence to unravel the lives of early humans, was awarded for her research into the "hobbit" Homo floresiensis beings.
For the past five years she has pieced together evidence suggesting the small skeleton, found on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2004, belonged to a new species of human.
"There was a lot of controversy when we first came out and said that," she said.
"A lot of people couldn't accept it because it challenged everything we knew to be human.
The homo floresiensis bones have been dismissed as the remains of a sick human or near-human impacted by environmental factors.
But Dr Westaway concluded the 18,000-year-old bones did not share an immediate ancestor with modern humans.
"We have evidence they were living in the cave site for about 80,000 years, so it can't be a human with a disease that made it small," she said.
"We have slowly tried to build our case and I think people are finally coming over to our side, and it's very rewarding."
Dr Valenzuela's work at the University of NSW centres on the human brain and discovering ways of preventing dementia.
"We found more mental activity leads to a protective affect on a specific part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is the memory centre," he said.
"So if you can cultivate a cognitive lifestyle - or keep mentally active - you will reduce the risk of dementia."
There are no hard and fast rules, but anything from learning to dance, to practising Tai Chi
"Or any hobbies that have a mental, physical and a social component will do it", he said.
As part of their awards, the 18 scientists will spend the next year sharing their knowledge with school students, teachers and the broader community to help promote science. or travelling to a foreign country will pass the test. / news.com.au
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