Awarded to an outstanding postgraduate student who has demonstrated a commitment to science at an early stage and shows great promise in reaching the highest levels of excellence.
Now in its 24th year, the Premier's Science Awards recognises and celebrates the outstanding scientific research and engagement taking place in Western Australia.
This year, 4 finalists have been selected for the Student Scientist of the Year category:
Michael Dymock
The Kids Research Institute Australia and The University of Western Australia
Michael Dymock is a biostatistician and PhD student based at The Kids Research Institute Australia and The University of Western Australia.
Michael leads a program of research developing innovative statistical methods to increase the efficiency of clinical research through better use of resources and faster translation to policy and practice. He has implemented a novel clinical trial design that is applicable to any health context and improves the value of research for clinical decision-making.
Michael’s research is based on the belief that we have an ethical responsibility to conduct clinical research efficiently – accelerating research translation to achieve meaningful impact, sooner.
Shakara Liddelow-Hunt
The University of Western Australia and The Kids Research Institute Australia
Shakara Liddelow-Hunt is a Wajarri person completing their PhD at The University of Western Australia and The Kids Research Institute Australia. They are recognised as a national leader in research focused on the mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people.Their research is highly responsive to the priorities of their community, always focused on ensuring findings are communicated back to participants and supporters in an appropriate and accessible way that makes a meaningful difference to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ people.
Through building genuine partnerships, they elevate the voices of their communities.
Stephanie Enkel
The Kids Research Institute Australia and The University of Western Australia
Stephanie Enkel is an ambitious PhD candidate at The Kids Research Institute Australia and the University of Western Australia, pioneering upstream, place-based responses to preventable infections like Strep A.
Working alongside remote Aboriginal communities, she reframes disease prevention from a narrow biomedical lens to a whole-of-environment, culturally grounded approach that drives real policy action. Her research amplifies community voices, connects evidence to investment, and helps ensure that people in WA’s most remote communities benefit from research that translates into lasting change.
Through her leadership, outreach and advocacy, Stephanie demonstrates that research can be both rigorous and deeply driven by values.
Tammy Lee
Fertility North and The University of Western Australia
Ms Tammy Lee is an embryologist at Fertility North and a PhD Candidate at The University of Western Australia. As an embryologist, she works with eggs, sperm and embryos in the in vitro fertilisation (IVF) laboratory to help Western Australians achieve their fertility goals. Her PhD focuses on atypical appearances and behaviours of embryos, aiming to improve embryo selection and IVF success rates.
Tammy’s passion for reproductive science is deeply personal, as she is an IVF-conceived individual. She also volunteers to promote STEM education and excels in communicating complex science to a wide range of audiences.
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