Women innovators helping to change the world

University of Adelaide women researchers have been recognised for their outstanding work at this year’s Women in Innovation Awards.

Women in Innovation (WINN) is a not-for-profit initiative that supports innovative women in South Australia. Their Awards program serves to highlight and honour some of South Australia’s most remarkable and innovative women.

The two University of Adelaide researchers named in the awards are as follows:

Dr Sarah Scholten is an experimental physicist at the University’s Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing. She’s on a mission to push the boundaries of precision measurement by harnessing the extraordinary properties of light.

Dr Scholten’s passion lies in translating experimental breakthroughs into tangible measurement devices that tackle complex real-world problems. One of these challenges involves mitigating the growing issue of interference with GPS timing and navigational signals. Through innovations in portable timing solutions, she’s making strides in reducing these disruptions.

A significant accomplishment in her career has been the development of a groundbreaking atomic clock. The clock, based on dual-colour laser interrogation of rubidium atoms, started as a lab-based concept and has evolved into a successful international field demonstration.

Dr Tiffany De Sousa Machado, from the Adelaide Business School, holds a PhD in Psychology and Business. Her extensive research background spans Sweden and Australia, and primarily focuses on postpartum health.

Dr De Sousa Machado corporate expertise encompasses a wide spectrum, from national operations management, program design, and team leadership to sales and marketing. In 2018, she founded Village, a transformative initiative aimed at supporting parents in both corporate and community settings. Her portfolio includes serving as the Standards and Certification Director for Family-Friendly Workplaces in partnership with UNICEF Australia. Additionally, she has facilitated well-being programs for prominent organisations such as Westpac, SA Rural Health, Gogo Foundation, SA Leaders, and ConNetica.

Dr De Sousa Machado aims to revolutionise perinatal care through innovation and a holistic approach to well-being. Grounded in multimodal design, her vision centres around enhancing the first 1000 days of a mother’s well-being and child development, alleviating postpartum distress by fostering connections, offering education, and providing mentorship.

Village collaborates with UniSA to design, lead, evaluate, and publish nationwide well-being programs, further cementing its role in reshaping the landscape of perinatal care.

To learn more about the Women in Innovation Awards visit: https://www.womenininnovation.com.au/