Health innovator recognised
Congratulations to Dr Maria Alejandra Pinero de Plaza, recipient of the Healthcare Innovator Award as part of the 2024 Women of Colour in STEM Awards. Dr Pinero de Plaza was recognised for her pioneering work in digital health and cardiovascular care.
Dr Pinero de Plaza’s pivotal work includes:
- her leadership of the Cardiac Rehabilitation for All (CR4ALL) initiative, operationalised in 15 cardiac rehabilitation programs across rural and remote South Australia and funded by the Flinders Foundation
- the PROLIFERATE_AI framework for evaluating and optimising human-machine AI-driven health innovations such as RAPIDx_AI in 12 emergency departments, funded by NHMRC
- research to raise awareness of the challenges faced by frail, homebound, and bedridden people (FHBP) in accessing equitable care, funded by the Caring Futures Institute.
“Honoured and humbled to receive the Healthcare Innovator Award at the WOC in STEM Awards 2024, an initiative by STEM Sisters to empower women of color to lead, innovate, and inspire,” said Dr Pinero de Plaza.
Updating conservation efforts
Professor Charlie Huveneers from Southern Shark Ecology Group contributed to several chapters in the seminal IUCN global report on the conservation status of sharks, rays, and chimaeras. The report provides an update from the previous report 20 years ago and compiles information from 158 countries and territories, written by a team of 353 authors. Read the report here.
Flinders grad to lead Guildhouse
Flinders University graduate Beth Neate has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Guildhouse.
A well-respected arts leader committed to furthering the South Australian arts sector, Beth comes to Guildhouse as the former Head of Production and Development at the South Australian Film Corporation and the current Chair of Tutti Arts.
Developing a sustainable healthcare system
Associate Professor Shohreh (Sherry) Majd received the SIM-PAC Sustainability Award for Outstanding ESG/SDG/Zero Carbon Strategy. This prestigious recognition was awarded for her work in developing a groundbreaking 350-page Sustainability Manual—the first of its kind globally—focusing on sustainability within the healthcare system, specifically in the emergency healthcare and ambulance sector.
An international voice
It’s been a busy few weeks of travel, conferences and presentations for Dr Tianchong Wang, who has presented at three international conferences recently.
The first was Closed Regional Focus Group Consultation on the AI Competency Framework for Teachers and Students in Higher Education, a virtual event organised by UNESCO IESALC and IBM. Dr Wang provided valuable insights as one of just two academic representatives chosen from the higher education sector across the Asia-Pacific region, where his expert contributions helped shape a comprehensive framework addressing the specific needs and challenges of AI implementation in the Asia-Pacific region’s higher education landscape.
He then travelled to Dubai to present at the 3rd UNESCO World Open Educational Resources (OER) Congress, a key global event held at the Dubai, United Arab Emirates from November 19-20, 2024. The congress, themed “Digital Public Goods: Open Solutions and AI for Inclusive Access to Knowledge,” brought together policymakers, educators, and innovators from around the world to explore the transformative potential of OER in advancing equitable access to knowledge.
Finally he visited Iddis Ababa, Ethiopia to attend the Continental Conference on Transforming Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in Africa, a landmark event co-organized by UNESCO and the African Union Commission (AUC). The event brought together key stakeholders including government ministers, business leaders, academic institutions, and international organizations, to identify the root causes of challenges hindering STEM education, research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in Africa, and to develop effective strategies to overcome them and unlock the continent’s development potential.
Diabetes research funded
Congratulations to Professor Jonathan Gleadle and Dr Tanja Jankovic-Karasoulous on their 2025 Diabetes Australia Research Program grants. Tanja will investigate the rise of gestational diabetes in Australia, and Jonathan will research the ‘diabetic kidney’.