ANU Tall Poppies the pick of the bunch

Dr Liana Leach of the Centre for Mental Health Research at ANU.

Three ANU researchers have won 2011 ACT Young Tall Poppy Science Awards.

Cormac Corr, Gonzalo Estillo and Liana Leach were named at a ceremony held on 17 August.

Leach from of the Centre for Mental Health Research was recognised for her research into the widespread impacts of mental illness on individuals, families, workplaces and the economy.

‘My area of research is looking specifically at the risk factors for anxiety and depression in young people. Mental health is a prevalent problem in the community with one in five people developing an illness in any one given year,’ Leach said.

‘This award means greater exposure for this research area and it is also a great avenue for raising awareness of mental health in the community and among policy-makers.

‘Mental health is a broad problem that stretches across employment, health, education and many other areas, and this recognition for my research is really encouraging for me and for others trying to make a difference.’

Corr from the Research School of Physics and Engineering was rewarded for his work on plasma ‘ the fourth state of matter ’ to improve engineering, technology and clean energy applications. Plasma plays a critical role in advanced technologies such as TV-displays, mobile phones, solar-cells and biomedicine.

The Research School of Biology’s Gonzalo Estavillo received the accolade for his research into plant defence mechanisms and how they survive conditions such as very hot and dry seasons. His results are now being used by industry to develop crop plants to resist extreme conditions predicted to become more common in the future.

The Young Tall Poppy Science Awards recognise the achievements of outstanding young researchers in the sciences including technology, engineering, mathematics and medical research.