A Queensland University of Technology PhD student working to prevent diabetes-related blindness in Indigenous communities is the inaugural winner of a new Queensland Women in STEM award category.
Clare Villalba, was awarded the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Jury Award for her work with the Inala Indigenous Health Service, where she is helping develop specialised, person-focussed eye checks to stop blindness for people with diabetes before it is too late. Diabetes is the leading cause of preventable blindness in Australia and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are particularly vulnerable.
The new award category, recognising the work of First Nations women, was established by Women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) in partnership with the BHP Foundation. BHP president James Ensor said the foundation fostered opportunities that allowed under-represented groups – including girls and Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander peoples – to fulfil their STEM potential.
“There is no doubt that a diverse and inclusive workforce drawn from the widest range of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences is critical to maximising innovation and creativity, which is vital to us as a society and an economy in the 21st century,” Mr Ensor said.
Dr Amanda Dawson was awarded the Women in STEM Jury Award for her work as a marine scientist investigating the impact of microplastics on seafood, while Dr Anu Choudhary won the People’s Choice Award for investigating how to tame weeds using gene-editing.
