Dr. Ifrah Abdullahi is among 10 young scientists to represent Australia at Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting

Ifrah Abdullahi is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, La Trobe University and holds a PhD in Medicine from The University of Western Australia. Ifrah`s PhD investigated the health and developmental outcomes of children of immigrant and minority backgrounds. With her interest in interdisciplinary research, she successfully coupled clinical medicine, paediatrics research, public health and psychology in contributing new knowledge to the newly emerging field of migrant and refugee developmental health. Ifrah’s research interests are in neurodevelopmental and developmental disorders, particularly autism spectrum disorders, and intellectual disability. Ifrah has expertise in perinatal and paediatric epidemiology and population-based data linkage skills. Ifrah is also a passionate and talented science communicator and a strong advocate for children of immigrant, minority and refugee backgrounds in Australia. (1)

She is among ten outstanding early-career researchers who have been selected to attend the highly prestigious annual gathering of Nobel Laureates and emerging scientists from around the world. 

Dr Ifrah Abdullahi

The delegates will represent Australia at the 70th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany. They are part of a group of 660 young scientists from 101 countries who will meet with 68 Nobel Laureates from the fields of chemistry, physics, and medicine and physiology, including Academy Fellows Professor Brian Schmidt and Professor Elizabeth Blackburn. 

The meeting will provide an opportunity for the young scientists to share their research, experiences and ideas with and gain inspiration from fellow emerging scientists and Nobel Laureates. 

The Australian delegation will be led by renowned Australian mathematician and Academy Fellow, Emeritus Professor Cheryl Praeger.

The Australian PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers attending are: 

• Dr Ifrah Abdullahi—Postdoctoral Fellow, La Trobe University, who investigates neurodevelopmental disorders in migrant and refugee communities
• Ms Nicole Foster—PhD candidate, University of Adelaide, who develops tools for the management and restoration of coastal plant communities facing climate change 
• Dr Emily Kerr—Postdoctoral Fellow, Deakin University Institute for Frontier Materials, who works on platforms for the diagnosis and management of chronic kidney disease  
• Dr David Klyne— Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Queensland, whose research in neuro-immunology focuses on understanding acute to chronic pain  
• Ms W. Y. Sarah Lau—PhD candidate, ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, who studies quantum technologies for secure communication channels 
• Mr Lukas Michalek—PhD candidate, Queensland University of Technology, whose research focuses on the surface characterisation of soft matter 
• Dr Yauhen (Eugene) Sachkou—Postdoctoral Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, who researches superconducting circuits, quantum fluids and optomechanics 
• Ms Kate Secombe—PhD candidate, University of Adelaide, who specialises in gastrointestinal physiology and oncology  
• Mr Adam Sutton—PhD candidate, University of South Australia, who specialises in green analytical chemistry applicable to fields such as nanotechnology  
• Dr Wenyue Zou— Postdoctoral Fellow, RMIT University, who focuses on applied chemistry research with applications such as sensor technologies

These researchers were nominated by the Academy and selected by the Council for the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings. They will receive a grant to enable their attendance at the event, which runs from 28 June to 3 July, through the generous support of the Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF).  

These young scientists from Australia will be part of a group of 660 young scientists and 68 Nobel Laureates at the Lindau Nobel Laureates Meeting in Germany.

The delegates will also have the opportunity to join a SIEF Research Innovation tour visiting laboratories and businesses in Germany.  

Source