Coughing up for research
Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, one of the first researchers in the world to link climate change with coral reef distress, has been named the 2008 Smart State Premier’s Fellow.
The State Government’s recognition of The University of Queensland professor has given a $2.5 million boost to Great Barrier Reef research.
Professor Hoegh-Guldberg said the aim of the five-year fellowship is to provide better Great Barrier Reef management, based on strategies emanating from the latest science.
“Over the past decade elevated sea temperatures have driven several mass coral bleaching events that affected more than 60 percent of the Great Barrier Reef each time,” he said.
“I hope to capitalise on the vast amount of available information, to take Australia to the next level of understanding climate change and how we can deal with it.”
Professor Hoegh-Guldberg founded The University of Queensland’s Centre for Marine Studies and is Deputy Director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. He will now lead one of the world’s largest networks of scientists, research organisations and government and industry representatives.
The Queensland Government’s $1.25 million contribution has been matched by The University of Queensland, and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority are supporting this important research.
Two other talented Smart State researchers have been honoured with Queensland Clinical Research Fellowships this year.
Professor Anne Chang, Paediatric Respiratory Physician at Royal Children’s Hospital, Head of Child Health at the Menzies Health School and Associate Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health at The University of Queensland, is undertaking research into the management of childhood cough. Professor Chang’s research in particular will lead to better diagnosis and management of childhood cough and avoid the situation where GPs are misdiagnosing chronic cough as asthma.
Associate Professor Maher Gandhi, Head of the Clinical Immunohaematology Lab at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research and Consultant Haematologist at the Department of Haematology at Princess Alexandra Hospital, is undertaking research to increase medical knowledge and management of Australia’s fifth most common cancer – non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Last reviewed 17 July 2008
