Victoria Prize awarded to top dental scientist
Media Release, Thursday 11 August 2005
Prominent University of Melbourne dental scientist Professor Eric Reynolds was today awarded the Victoria Prize for his groundbreaking research into oral diseases and the prevention of tooth decay.
Governor of Victoria, John Landy, presented Professor Reynolds with the prestigious $50,000 award in recognition of his contributions to the field of dental research.
The University of Melbourne was also recognised for supporting Professor Reynolds’ work, receiving an award which complements the Victoria Prize – the $100,000 Anne & Eric Smorgon Memorial Award from the Jack and Robert Smorgon Families Foundation.
Professor Reynolds is one of the leading researchers in the University’s Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute. He heads the School of Dental Science and leads the CRC for Oral Health Science and the Victorian Centre for Oral Health Science.
In the quarter of a century Professor Reynolds has been involved in dental science he has made a number of discoveries.
His work firstly identified the molecular processes that enable the repair of early tooth decay without the need for invasive treatment. This was followed by the discovery of a milk compound that can repair the effect of acid on teeth and reduce the risk of disease.
“It was a fundamental but important breakthrough. Dental decay costs Australians around $2 billion a year,” Professor Reynolds said.
Gippsland farmers now provide the milk that is used to produce the protective compound, called RecaldentTM, which has been incorporated into chewing gums, gels, pastes and rinses used in dental practices around the world.
Among his other awards, Professor Reynolds has won the William J Gies Award (USA), Alan Docking Science Award (Australia and New Zealand), Loftus Hill Award (Australia) and the Clunies Ross National Science and Technology Award (Australia). He received the Officer of the Order of Australia for his contribution to dental science and dental education in the 2005 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
University of Melbourne postgraduate students Mr John Papandriopoulos (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) and Ms Thanh Tam Chau (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) were also recognised for their research achievements and were awarded Victoria Fellowships worth $18,000 each.
Mr Papandriopoulos’ research is in wireless sensor networks. He is investigating ways to make them more energy efficient while enhancing their performance.
"A new era of machines seamlessly talking with each other is coming. At the heart is a new kind of wireless internet for machines, which could potentially be one of the most important technologies of this century," said Mr Papandriopoulos.
"They promise to play a significant role in traffic control, industrial automation, security and environmental monitoring, and inventory management. The issue at the moment is that they are notorious for being power-hungry."
Ms Chau is investigating the nanoscale behaviour of emulsions in the hope she can find new ways of keeping them from breaking down and separating.
“Given that most emulsions are only stable with the addition of a stabiliser, it is crucial that we understand the fundamentals of how emulsions work so that we can master the mix,” she said.
Other Victoria Prize recipients linked to the University of Melbourne were Dr Erika Cretney, who is based at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and recent PhD graduate Dr Whitney Macdonald, who is now based at Monash University.
The Victoria Prize and Fellowships are awarded by the Victorian Government to reward excellence and recognise the contribution of scientists, engineers and innovators to Victoria’s future.
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