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Two scientists from The University of Western Australia are finalists in Early Career Scientist category of the 2011 WA Science Awards.

Associate Professor Meri Tulic is internationally renowned for her research in innate immune function and its regulation in health and disease. She has led numerous projects looking at ways to prevent the development of allergic diseases later in life.

She is Research Associate Professor in UWA's School of Paediatrics and Child Health.

Professor David White is a geotechnical engineer who is pioneering a new field of research into the behaviour of shallow seabed sediments. Results from his research are used to assess the stability of all major pipelines currently being designed to tap Australia's offshore gas resources.

He is Australian Research Council Future Fellow and Professor in UWA's Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems.

The University is also a finalist in the Science Communication Initiative of the Year. Earth Science WA is a joint program involving UWA, Curtin University, CSIRO and the WA Museum.

The program seeks to raise community awareness of issues such as resource sustainability, groundwater and climate change. Its work in raising the profile of geoscience in the State's education systems has resulted in a 17-fold increase in the number of upper school students studying earth science.

The winners of the Early Career Scientist and Science Communication Initiative categories will each receive $10,000.

The Western Australian Science Awards were established in 2002 to honour and reward the outstanding achievements of WA's science and innovation community and to celebrate the State's best scientists, science communicators and science teachers in seven categories.

The winners will be announced on Thursday 8 December at 7pm at the Perth Convention Centre.

Media references

Michael Sinclair-Jones (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 3229  /  (+61 4) 00 700 783