MURDOCH molecular biologist Dr Una Morgan has won the Minister’s Prize for Achievement in Science for her nationally and internationally-recognised work on the opportunistic waterborne pathogen cryptosporidium.

Dr Morgan, a Research Fellow in the Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, received her award from the Prime Minister, the Hon John Howard, at a gala ceremony in Canberra recently.p> The newly-created $35,000 award is one of only two given nationally by the Office of the Minister for Industry, Science and Resources, Senator Nick Minchin. It is awarded to young scientists under 35 years of age in the physical and the life sciences.

The Minister’s Prize was set up by the Federal Government to recognise the hard work of our science community and the contribution scientists make to our nation.

Murdoch Executive Dean of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Professor John Yovich, warmly congratulated Dr Morgan on her success, saying that, in addition to her research on cryptosporidium, Dr Morgan was also involved in a number of other important projects involving parasitic diseases of importance to human and animal health.

“Dr Morgan has demonstrated the value of applying molecular tools to solving problems associated with parasite control - ranging from diarrhoea in piglets to tapeworm infections affecting Aboriginal children,” said Professor Yovich.

A key player in the Biomedical Division, Dr Morgan is a primary academic adviser to the Biomedical students and has published 36 research papers in international journals.

She has also co-authored five book chapters and three invited reviews, been an invited speaker at eight international conferences and developed collaborative links with Centres for Disease Control in Atlanta, USA, the US State Department of Agriculture and the Institute for Parasitology in Zurich, Switzerland.

Dr Morgan commences as a Lecturer in Biochemistry in the Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences in 2001.