Postdocs providing many happy returns

NINE of Deakin University’s increasingly celebrated Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Fellowship holders came together in August as part of the 153rd birthday celebrations for Australia’s second prime minister.

“We thought it was an excellent way to bring the postdocs together, given that many of them work in different parts of the University and on different campuses,” said Alison Hadfield, Director of Deakin’s Research Services Division.

“It was an opportunity for them to share the results of their work, and also to provide feedback on just what having the fellowship has meant for their research, and for them personally.”

Ms Hadfield also took the opportunity to confirm that a second round of Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Fellowships would be announced soon.

“The Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Fellowships were the brain child of our former DVC (Research), Professor David Stokes,” Ms Hadfield said.

“They have already been endorsed by our new DVC (Research), Professor Lee Astheimer as a brilliant way to increase the University’s research activities.

“Each of the researchers featured has made a real difference in the time they have been working within the Fellowship.

“One of the really good things about bringing nine of them together in one room was the way they were able to interact, even across such differing disciplines as the humanities and medical science.

“For instance, we had Dr Jonathan Ritchie, with his interest in Papua New Guinea, sharing ideas on how to work together in the future with Dr Tania Koning-Ward who has recently made a major breakthrough in the area of malaria prevention.

The nine Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Fellowship holders who made presentations at the seminar at the Management Centre on the Geelong Campus at Waurn Ponds were:

Dr Elizabeth Manickam – Diet and inflammation

Dr Yan Zhao – Reducing UV damage to polymer solar cells

Dr Clare Hume – Obesity resilience among the disadvantaged
(presentation made by Associate Professor Jo Salmon)

Dr Luke Henderson – Nature inspired antibiotics

Dr Nicole Oke – Migrant integration into Australia

Dr Sunil Ratnayake – Health and canola oil

Dr Jonathan Ritchie – Nation building in the South Pacific

Dr Lesley Hardcastle – Prisoner reintegration into the community

Dr Fredrick Ochanda - Mechanical behaviour of metal nano-particles

To read previous stories on the work of the University’s Alfred Deakin Fellows click below:
http://www.gsdm.com.au/newsletters/deakin/july09/  

> BACK