Professor Lidia Morawska, the Australian scientist who led the global campaign to convince the World Health Organization that Covid-19 is airborne, has been awarded the Prime Minister's Prize for Science. The award, Australia's most prestigious science honour, comes with a 250,000 Australian dollar prize.
Morawska, an expert in air quality and health at the Queensland University of Technology, began contacting international colleagues after the WHO incorrectly stated in March 2020 that the virus was not airborne. She gathered 239 scientists to highlight the risk of airborne transmission, prompting the WHO and other authorities to update their guidelines.
Named one of Time magazine's most influential people in 2021, Morawska described receiving the prize as 'an amazing joy' but stressed the importance of bringing attention to her field. Her current research focuses on ultrafine particles, which are tens to hundreds of times smaller than PM2.5 and can penetrate deep into the human respiratory tract.
Morawska warned of an 'age of anti-science', particularly in the United States, where decisions are not based on science. She hopes to tackle this by uniting scientists as she did during the pandemic. 'If we operate individually, it's very easy to reject us,' she said.
In a new category, Professor Michael Wear received the prize for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems. A Malgana traditional custodian from Shark Bay, Western Australia, Wear founded Tidal Moon, the country's first Indigenous-owned sea cucumber fishery and marine restoration enterprise. Proceeds from cosmetic products fund seagrass restoration, with plans to restore 20 hectares next year.
Other recipients included Professor Yao Zheng, recognised for producing clean hydrogen from seawater, and Dr Vikram Sharma, founder of QuintessenceLabs, for translating quantum science into cybersecurity protections.
