Researchers honoured as 'Victorian Young Tall Poppies'
Six academics from across the University have been recognised at the 2026 Young Tall Poppy Awards.
Dr Ashleigh Hood from the Faculty of Science was named Victorian Young Tall Poppy of the Year at the Australian Institute of Policy and Science (AIPS) Awards Night, in recognition of her research on ancient reefs and sediments to understand the links between Earth’s long-term climate, environment and the evolution of life.
Run by AIPS, the Young Tall Poppy Awards celebrate rising scientists who deliver outstanding research while helping build a public understanding of science and its value to society.
The University of Melbourne’s five other Tall Poppies for 2026 are:
- Associate Professor Milad Haghani (Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology): For research in urban mobility and safety, and informing best practice and policy across Australia and globally.
- Dr Jarmon Lees (Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences): For research on conditions including Friedreich ataxia, diabetic heart disease and the complex relationship between the heart and kidneys.
- Dr Rebecca Morris (Faculty of Science) for research on the use of nature-based solutions to increase coastal resilience.
- Associate Professor Matthew Tam (Faculty of Science): For research in the development and analysis of efficient computational algorithms for solving optimisation problems.
- Dr Helena Wang (Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology): For research on how valuable and critical resources can be recovered from increasingly complex waste streams and returned to productive use.