Professor Raina MacIntyre has been named a 2022 finalist for the Department of Defence Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science and Innovation. It is one of 14 Eureka Prizes across four categories awarded annually by the Australian Museum.
The Department of Defence Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science and Innovation is awarded to an individual who has ‘successfully integrated their scientific expertise with the leadership skills necessary to nurture, inspire and mobilise their peers’.
Prof MacIntyre is a world-leading researcher on respiratory protective devices, pandemics, smallpox, and emerging infectious diseases. She leads a NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in airborne threats to health and an automated, artificial intelligence-powered open source rapid epidemic intelligence observatory (EPIWATCH), which detects early signals of serious epidemics globally.
Prof MacIntyre served as UNSW Head of the School of Public Health and Community Medicine from 2008-2018; expanding the School from 400 to over 1200 students and developing an international reputation for research and teaching excellence. Over the past two years, she has been one of the most sought-after pandemic expert commentators on COVID-19 in the media.
“Leadership in science is about being true to your original ideas and pursuing them in the face of obstacles and striving to be yourself rather than coveting what someone else is doing. It is also about mentoring and building the next generation of diverse researchers and providing them opportunities for growth,” Prof MacIntyre said.
Winners will be announced at an Award Ceremony on Wednesday 31 August 2022.