Young scientists walk tall
MEASURES to reduce obesity and maintain biodiversity are on the nation’s doorstep, thanks to two Deakin University researchers.
Dr Kathryn Backholer and Dr Tim Doherty are both recipients of 2018 Victorian Young Tall Poppy Science Awards, following their significant scientific discoveries and effective communication of their work.
Deakin’s Deputy ViceChancellor Research Professor Joe Graffam said that, with their passion for science, research expertise and ability to communicate across age groups and backgrounds, the two researchers were “making a big difference in our world”.
“They will now have opportunities to talk about their research with school students, teachers and communities across Australia — helping to inspire a passion for science in a new generation,” Prof Graffam said.
Dr Backholer, from Deakin’s Global Obesity Centre (GLOBE) and Dr Doherty, an ecologist based within the Centre for Integrative Ecology, received their awards last week.
Dr Backholer leads the “Equity in Food Policy” group within GLOBE, a World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention. Her research targets one of the nation’s most significant public health challenges — obesity. It focuses on the impact of population-level nutrition policies on health and health equity.
“My research seeks to improve population diets and build an understanding of socioeconomic inequalities in health,” Dr Backholer said.
“Health isn’t distributed equally through society, so it’s important we try to provide everyone with equitable opportunities to make healthy dietary choices, regardless of their socioeconomic position.
“As diet is the leading cause of disease burden nationally and globally, we can’t address the population burden of disease unless we address diets.”
Dr Backholer is using nutrition science to develop novel methods and tools that place equity at the heart of food policy decision making. Her research has been used in advocacy documents and led to changes in the monitoring of health programs in Victoria.
Dr Tim Doherty has also enjoyed early success in his work, with a particular focus on reducing the impacts of invasive predators on biodiversity.
“My research revealed that invasive predators, such as cats and rats, have contributed to more than 50 per cent of bird, mammal and reptile extinctions worldwide,” Dr Doherty said.
This research work was at the forefront of the recent push to target feral cats in Australia, providing solid evidence for investment in control measures.
“Understanding feral cat behaviour is important to prevent native fauna from becoming extinct and to protect our unique species,” he said. “My research has realworld outcomes that can be used to manage our ecosystems and, hopefully, stop threatened species from going extinct.”
The awards are an initiative of the Australian Institute of Policy and Science.