UTAS neuroscientist nominated for 2023 Eureka Prizes
A leading UTAS neuroscientist has been short-listed for a prestigious award deemed the Oscars of Australian science.
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One of Tasmania’s leading scientists has been announced as a finalist for the prestigious Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.
Considered the Oscars of science in Australia, University of Tasmania neuroscientist and science communicator Dr Lila Landowski was announced as a finalist for the Celestino Eureka Prize for promoting understanding of science.
“Communicating science is essential for allowing people to access knowledge that would otherwise get stuck in books and papers. We do it because we can see it’s important, it’s often not a paid thing so it’s really special to be acknowledged for that effort,” Dr Landowski said.
“A lot of the work that I do is about translating the complexity of neuroscience.
“One of the challenging things about research is that it’s so complicated, but there’s so much that we can all take from it, so I think one of the things that’s really important to me is taking that complexity and making it relatable and helping it make sense to all of us.”
Dr Landowski said it was important for science to be accessible for everyone, because it can help everyone be the best version of themselves.
“Your genes provide the base instructions for how your brain develops,” she said.
“But that’s just the beginning. Everything you do and see, your upbringing, every big stress, every heartbreak, it all helps shape your brain and behaviour.
“Being able to talk to people about that and help them make better decisions in their own life, based on that knowledge, is really cool.”
The Eureka Prizes is Australia’s leading science awards, and offers $180,000 in prize money for areas across research, environment, innovative technologies, citizen science, leadership and mentoring.
Volunteer run radio show and podcast, That’s What I Call Science has also been nominated as a finalist for STEM Inclusion.
Australian Museum director and chief executive Kim McKay AO said the prizes are a testament to the groundbreaking work and contributions from Australia’s leading scientific minds.
“As we navigate the era of artificial intelligence, the importance of trustworthy, evidence-based, and peer-reviewed information becomes paramount. Our laureates and finalists epitomise this ethos, supplying factual and fact-based insights that profoundly shape key policy decisions,” she said.
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Originally published as UTAS neuroscientist nominated for 2023 Eureka Prizes
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