UQ Senior Research Fellow Dr Carlos Salomon has been awarded a prestigious Young Tall Poppy for his research into exosomes, tiny sacs released from cells, and their role in ovarian cancer and pregnancy complications.
Dr Salomon said he was honoured to be recognised for his research output and work with the community.
“Exosomes essentially act as ‘letters’, travelling long distances via the bloodstream to deliver the message to other organs,” Dr Salomon said.
“They have the extraordinary ability to capture a snapshot of what’s going on inside the organs.
“My research has taken advantage of this characteristic of exosomes, and over the last six years, I have been working on developing early diagnostic tests for ovarian cancer and complications of pregnancies, based on circulating exosomes.
“An implementation of effective screening will significantly improve our ability to manage around 1500 Australian women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year.
“Additionally, early and accurate prediction of women who are at risk of developing pregnancy complications is now recognised as a critical step in improving the outcomes for affected mothers and babies.
“This will improve the quality of life for over 50,000 Australian babies that are put at risk by these complications annually.”
As a Young Tall Poppy, Dr Salomon has helped to bridge the gap between science and the public through regular community engagement.
In parallel to his scientific duties as Head of the Exosome Biology Laboratory, Dr Salomon presents his research to non-scientific audiences at local Lions Clubs around Queensland and international speaking engagements throughout the year.
“As researchers, we cannot forget that we are trying to explain health problems to help people,” he said.
“Community engagement for me is part of my responsibility as a scientist, and to try and lead younger generations into medical research.
“I feel happy and proud of being recognised as a Young Tall Poppy, alongside my team at the Exosome Biology Laboratory.
“This award is not only for me; it’s for all the people who have helped me in my research across the years.”
Dr Salomon extends his thanks to the Lion Medical Research Foundation (LMRF) and Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) for their support and funding.
UQ has five researchers recognised in the 2019 Young Tall Poppy Awards.
- Dr Carlos Salomon
- Dr James Kesby
- Dr Sara Herke
- Dr Laura Fenlon
- Dr Caitlin Curtis
Media: Dr Carlos Salomon, c.salomongallo@uq.edu.au; Faculty of Medicine Communications, med.media@uq.edu.au, +61 7 3365 5118, +61 436 368 746.
