Leading photonics expert named Innovator of the Year

Professor Andre Luiten (pictured) claimed the honour of the 2022 South Australian Innovator of the Year at the SA Science Excellence and Innovation Awards, which were announced at a gala dinner at the SA Film Corporation’s Glenside studios on Friday night. 

As the Director of the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, Professor Luiten is a leader in precision measurement and is helping to position South Australia as a hub for photonics and quantum innovation.

Dr Richard Lilly from the University’s National Exploration Undercover School (NExUS) was also named the STEMM Educator of the Year – University or Registered Training Organisation. NExUS aims to provide advanced training for the most promising young geoscientists in Australia. Dr Lilly also assists in the engagement between the university sector and the minerals industry, and the discussion about the future of geoscience education in Australia.

Professor Anton Middelberg, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Adelaide, congratulated both winners for their success.

"Andre and Richard are leaders in their respective fields and are making important discoveries that will have real-world applications. It is vital that we continue to encourage and support quality research. The University of Adelaide is extremely proud of the high level of ground-breaking research that our researchers produce." Professor Middelberg said.

Professor Maria Makrides, Theme Leader for South Australian Health Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) Women and Deputy Director of SAHMRI, was named Scientist of the Year. She leads a team working to improve the lives of pregnant women and young children through nutrition. She is National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Principal Research Fellow and a Professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Adelaide.

Read the full story on the Newsroom site. For information about all the winners, visit https://www.scienceawards.sa.gov.au