2025 UTS Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Research Excellence

These annual awards recognise the outstanding contribution UTS staff make towards helping shape the world we live in. Below are the winners for 2025.

Research medals

Chancellor’s Medal for Research Excellence

This award honours outstanding research at UTS that demonstrates sustained research excellence at the highest level over a period of several years.

Award winner

Distinguished Professor Brian Oliver, Faculty of Science

Finalists

Professor Talis Putnins, UTS Business School 

Distinguished Professor Buddhima Indraratna​, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology

Distinguished Professor Brian Oliver, winner of the Chancellor's Medal for Research Excellence

VC Research Awards 2025: Brian Oliver

VC Research Awards 2025: Brian Oliver transcript

We do fundamental research. So for example, our work on air pollution has been cited by both The W-H-O, by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and it's all about reframing what we think is dangerous and what isn't dangerous. So we've shown that low level air pollution is dangerous. We've shown unequivocal data that helps support the greater rhetoric that living in cities is not great. And that model now has been used by researchers everywhere.

UTS Medal for Research and Teaching Integration

This award recognises an academic or a team of academics for their outstanding research and teaching at UTS, especially those who demonstrate their ability to successfully integrate research, teaching and learning across a range of research and teaching activities.

Award winner

Dr Parvez Mahmud, Faculty of Science

Finalists

Associate Professor Natalie Cutler, Faculty of Health

Associate Professor Pernille Christensen​, Faculty of Design and Society

Professor Hui Chen, Faculty of Science

Doctor Parvez Mahmud, winner of the U-T-S Medal for Research and Teaching Integration

VC Research Awards 2025: Parvez Mahmud

VC Research Awards 2025: Parvez Mahmud transcript

My research focuses on decarbonisation. As the Programme Director of Master of Sustainable Energy, I embedded energy and sustainability research into the curriculum of core subjects like clean energy technology and innovations in energy. I teach my students real-world industry standard professional tools like HOMER Pro and Open LCA, which led to them making quality publications, winning best presenter awards and securing jobs at firms like KPMG.

UTS Medal for Research Impact

This medal is awarded for research that has achieved considerable impact outside the academic community, including within the creative and/or professional practice(s). It recognises the contribution that research makes to the economy, society, environment or culture beyond the contribution to academic research.

Award winner

Distinguished Professor Tuan Van Nguyen, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology

Finalists

Joshua Pate, Faculty of Health

Professor Mark Onslow, Professor Ross Menzies, Associate Professor Robyn Lowe, Associate Professor Susan O’Brian and Emeritus Professor Ann Packman, Faculty of Health

Distinguished Professor Tuan Van Nguyen, winner of the U-T-S Medal for Research Impact

VC Research Awards 2025: Tuan Van Nguyen

VC Research Awards 2025: Tuan Van Nguyen transcript

Ten years ago, we identified a critical impact in which many individuals at high risk for fracture, but was not identified early enough for prevention. So we used machine learning to create a simple and practical model for clinicians to use. And over 10 years of implementation, the model has contributed to about 50% reduction in hip fracture. It’s saved a lot of lives in the general population.

Research awards

Supervisor of the Year Award

Award winner

Professor Juliet Willetts, Institute for Sustainable Futures

Finalists

Professor Shankar Sankaran, Faculty of Design and Society

Professor Phillippa Carnemolla​, Faculty of Design and Society

Professor Long D Nghiem, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology

Research Leadership and Development Award

Award winner

Professor Alexander Solntsev, Faculty of Science

Finalists

Associate Professor Wei Deng​, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology

Professor Amir H Gandomi​, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology

Associate Professor Alen Faiz​, Faculty of Science

Research Excellence through Partnership Award

Award winners

Professor Michele Rumsey, Professor Di Brown, Professor Jacqui Webster, Professor James Buchan, ​Associate Professor Margaret Gatling, Dr Michael Larui, Amanda Neill, Tasmin Goldsmith, ​Kerri Gianesi, Chris Rossiter and Soudabeh Niroomand​, Faculty of Health

Finalists

Professor Simon Mitrovic​, Faculty of Science​
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Distinguished Professor Jay Guo, Professor Andrew Zhang, Dr Wenjing Jia, Dr Kai Wu, Dr Stanley Chen and Associate Professor Peiyuan Qin​, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology​

Research Excellence through Collaboration Award

Award winners

Associate Professor Maruf Hossan Chowdhury, UTS Business School; Associate Professor Timo Rissanen and Dr Lisa Lake, Faculty of Design and Society; Associate Professor Taylor Brydges, Institute for Sustainable Futures.

Finalists

Dr Peter Su, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology and Lining Arnold Ju, University of Sydney

Associate Professor Linda Matthews, Associate Professor Timo Rissanen and Dr Rafael Luna Zelaya, Faculty of Design and Society; Professor Stuart Perry, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology

Professor Martin Bryant, Professor Elizabeth Mossop, Dan Etheridge, Professor Kate Sweetapple, ​Associate Professor Berto Pandolfo, Professor James de Vries, Associate Professor Cherine Fahd, Professor Penny Allan, Dr Andrew Toland, Mackenzie Saddler, Associate Professor Alireza Fini, Professor Phillippa Carnemolla and Brooke Jackson, Faculty of Design and Society

Research Translation Award

Award winner

Professor Shanlin Fu and Dr Morgan Alonzo, Faculty of Science

Finalists

Professor Justin Lipman, Dr Farzad Tofigh, Dr Ian Zhou, Professor Massimo Piccardi, ​Professor Mehran Abolhasan, Imran Makhdoom, Associate Professor Daniel Franklin and Dr Da Xiao​, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology

Associate Professor Mojtaba Golzan, Associate Professor Morteza Saberi and Yenny Bae​, Faculty of Health

Early Career Research Excellence Award

Award winner

Dr Jen Matthews, Faculty of Science

Finalists

Dr Darren Haywood​, Faculty of Health​

Zhen Fang​, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology​

Dr Xuan Li​, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology

Research Management and Development Award (Professional Staff)

Award winner

Catherine McElhone, Research Office

Finalists

Sara Mesgari Hagh, Peter Zhao and Lakshmi Krishnan​, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology​

Dr Michael Murphy​, Faculty of Science 

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