Congratulations to University of Melbourne Eureka Prize Finalists 2026
Researchers and teams from the University of Melbourne have been recognised for their excellence in mentorship, infectious disease research, leadership and STEM inclusion, with seven finalists listed in the 2026 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes.
Professor Laura Downie and the FrontTear team were shortlisted for the Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology; Enterprise Professor Andrew Wilks was named a finalist for the Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science; Associate Professor Karen Lamb was named as a finalist for the University of Technology Sydney Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentor of Researchers; Professor Alan Cowman and Dr Justin Boddey from WEHI and Erica Plummer and Lenka Vodstrcil from the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre in the Women's Microbiome Innovation Group are named as finalists in the Eureka Prize for Infectious Diseases; Professor Sherene Loi at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre was named UNSW Eureka Prize for Scientific Research and the Science Gallery Melbourne was named Department of Industry, Science and Resources Eureka Prize for STEM inclusion.
Professor Laura Downie and her team developed the Functional In Vivo Confocal Microscopy (Fun-IVCM), a high-resolution videography device which enables researchers and clinicians to observe immune cells moving in real-time within the corneas of living humans. This technology has captured the first-ever live cell imaging of corneal T cells and provides better accuracy to monitor disease and evaluate treatments.
Professor Andrew Wilks discovered JAK kinases, proteins that help cells respond to signals which underpin targeted therapies including the drug momelotinib for myelofibrosis. He is the founder of Cytopia, one of Australia’s most successful drug development companies, has mentored numerous scientists, and facilitated the progress of life-saving research to deliver real results for patients.
Associate Professor Karen Lamb, also a finalist in the 2025 award season, was the sole creator of a national mentoring program for statisticians through the Statistical Society of Australia in 2020. "Since 2020, we've supported over 200 statisticians across the country through this program," she said.
Associate Professor Lamb has also advised local, national and international organisations on the development of mentoring programs, including the Royal Statistical Society, New Zealand Statistical Association, Statistical Society of Canada, Australian Health Economics Society, Doherty Institute and the Melbourne School of Population & Global Health.
The Antimalarial Drug Discovery Collaboration and the Women's MIcrobiome Innovation Group are finalists in the Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre Eureka Prize for Infectious Diseases Research category.
Professor Alan Cowman and Dr Justin Boddey in the Antimalarial Drug Discovery Collaboration developed a new class of antimalarial drugs that target two essential parasite proteins at once, making resistance harder to develop. Now progressing through clinical development, these compounds work across multiple parasite life stages and could help treat drug-resistant malaria while reducing transmission and saving lives worldwide.
Erica Plummer and Lenka Vodstrcil from the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre are part of the Women’s Microbiome Innovation Group. The team has challenged the prevailing dogma that bacterial vaginosis is a bacterial imbalance and proved it is sexually transmitted. The StepUp trial showed treating male partners improves bacterial vaginosis cure and is cost-effective. Partner treatment is transforming global clinical practice for an infection affecting one in four women.
Professor Sherene Loi, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre is a finalist in the UNSW Eureka Prize for Scientific Research. Professor Loi has shown how pregnancy and breastfeeding can reduce breast cancer risk. She identified the mechanism as long-lived immune memory in the breast, carried by protective T cells. The findings open new directions for prevention, risk prediction and future immune-based
strategies for women at risk of breast cancer.
The Science Gallery Melbourne is a finalist in the Department of Industry, Science and Resources Eureka Prize for STEM Inclusion category. Through co-design, free access and inclusive practices, the University of Melbourne’s Science Gallery empowers underrepresented communities in STEM. Blending science, creativity and culture, its
exhibitions and programs have attracted 350,000 people since 2021 and achieved inspiring levels of engagement with young women, diverse and disadvantaged audiences.
The 2026 Eureka Prize winners will be announced on Thursday, 3 September, at a ceremony in Sydney. An online livestream of the awards will also be available for the public to view. To register, visit the Australian Museum website.