University of Western Australia
Ten researchers from The University of Western Australia have been named as being at the top of their field in The Australian newspaper's 2021 Research magazine.
The annual magazine looks at the best researchers and the best research institutions in Australia in 250 fields of research.
The awards are based on the number of citations for papers published in the top 20 journals in each field over the past five years.
Professor Dirk Baur, from UWA’s Business School, was named top Finance researcher in the Business, Economics and Management category.
Professor Daniel Murphy, from UWA’s School of Agriculture and Environment, was awarded top Biochemistry researcher in the category of Chemical and Material Sciences.
Dr Zohaib Akram was recognised in two fields in the category of Health and Medical Sciences for his research in Dentistry and Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.
"This is the result of dedicated and constant hard work that I put in the last 7 to 8 years in the field of research," Dr Akram said.
"For me, research is an exciting and dynamic world and I feel great that I’m contributing to the field of dental science.
"It is my belief that one should have perseverance and determination for achieving targets in life - and keep on going in the face of setbacks and challenges - and research is the drive that keeps me in the game."
Professor Graeme Hankey, from UWA’s Medical School, was also named top researcher in two fields. He was recognised for his research in Neurology in the category of Health and Medical Sciences and Cognitive Science in the Social Sciences category.
“My research endeavours to reduce the impact of stroke and its sequelae on individuals and the community, and to improve the health of older men,” Professor Hankey said.
“Most of my research involves teamwork with the helpful and generous collaboration and contributions of others.”
Professor Loretta Baldassar, from UWA’s School of Social Sciences, was recognised for her work in the field of Ethnic & Cultural Studies in the Humanities, Arts and Literature category as well as Human Migration in the Social Sciences category.
Professor Baldassar said she was delighted to be named again in The Australian Research Magazine, this year in two fields.
“I am the first woman to be promoted to Professor in the Discipline Group of Anthropology and Sociology in its 60-year history – of course, there should have been more,” she said.
“However, this achievement is arguably even more noteworthy because I did my undergraduate and postgraduate studies here, and have been a staff member for almost 30 years.”
Professor Leigh Simmons, from UWA’s School of Biological Sciences, was awarded the title of top researcher in the field of Animal Behaviour & Ethology in the Life Sciences category.
Hackett Professor Kadambot Siddique, Director of UWA’s Institute of Agriculture, was named the top researcher of Botany in the Life Sciences category.
Professor Dirk Zeller, from UWA’s School of Biological Sciences, was top Marine Sciences & Fisheries in the Life Sciences category.
Associate Professor Vincent Wallace, from UWA’s School of Physics, Mathematics and Computing, was recognised in the field of Physics & Mathematics (general) in the category Physics and Mathematics.
Dr Ram Pandit, from UWA’s School of Agriculture and Environment, was named top researcher in the field of Environmental Law & Policy in the Social Sciences category.
UWA was also named the top research institution for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Botany, Pest Control & Pesticides.