Four superstars of STEM at Uni of Adelaide

Monday, 3 July 2017

Four University of Adelaide researchers are among the 30 Superstars of STEM announced today by Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Senator the Hon. Arthur Sinodinos. The University of Adelaide has the most Superstars of any university.

Dr Hannah Brown (Robinson Research Institute and Adelaide Medical School), Professor Rachel Burton (School of Agriculture, Food and Wine), Dr Sanam Mustafa (Centre of Nanoscale BioPhotonics) and Dr Pallave Dasari (Adelaide Medical School) have been chose to participate in the program which is aimed at providing leadership and inspiring more young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Science and Technology Australia will provide support and training in social media, TV, radio and public speaking to help forge a new generation of role models for young women and girls.

Senator Sinodinos says: “I commend the significant commitment of these outstanding women for playing this important leadership role.”

Dr Hannah Brown is a postdoctoral fellow with the Robinson Research Institute with research interests in women’s pregnancy health, particularly focussed on the first days and weeks of pregnancy.

Members of her team work on the basic biological processes of conception, novel technology development for IVF, through to behavioural and social research exploring how to communicate fertility messages to diverse audiences.

Professor Rachel Burton is a plant scientist and molecular biologist in the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, running a research group in the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Walls.

Her research interests lie in the ways parts of the plant cell wall are made and put together, and the crucial role they play in dietary fibre. She is also interested in renewable biofuels and the potential of different plant feedstocks in this industry.

Dr Sanam Mustafa is a Senior Research Associate with the ARC Centre for Nanoscale BioPhotonics at the University of Adelaide.

She is a trained molecular pharmacologist and works closely with physicists and chemists to develop novel tools for sensing and investigating intracellular signalling.

Dr Pallave Dasari is a breast cancer postdoctoral researcher in the Adelaide Medical School, based at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Her research investigates how the immune system in the breast switches off so it can’t destroy any lurking pre-cancerous cells.

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