Dr Ros Gloag from the Faculty of Science and Dr Brooke Nickel and Dr Louise Birrell from the Faculty of Medicine and Health have been announced as 2025 NSW Young Tall Poppy award winners, celebrated for their research and contributions to science and health care. 

Given annually by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science (AIPS), the awards recognise early career researchers who have made outstanding achievements in their fields. 

The Young Tall Poppy winners will receive opportunities to further share their research through media, networking, training, public engagement and education.

Dr Ros Gloag, School of Life and Environmental Sciences

Dr Ros Gloag is a biologist working to better understand the processes that generate and maintain earth’s biodiversity. She tackles fundamental questions in ecology and evolution by studying wild populations of bees. In doing so, she also works to advance the conservation of these important insects and their sustainable use as pollinators of crops.

In her current University of Sydney Robinson Fellow and Australian Research Council Fellow projects, she is investigating how coevolution within genomes can drive the evolution of new species, via the study of Australian native stingless bees. This work is advancing our understanding of the biology and population ecology of these bees, which are vital pollinators in Australia's tropical and subtropical forests. 

“Bees are fascinating creatures and I could watch them all day," said Dr Gloag. "They are also great systems for investigating big questions in ecology and evolution. They pollinate our crops and some make honey! We can learn alot about our world from researching bees. I hope to find ways to best conserve them and their vital pollination services."

Dr Brooke Nickel, Sydney School of Public Health

Dr Brooke Nickel is an NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow and part of the Sydney Health Literacy Lab and Wiser Healthcare Research Collaboration. She currently leads public health research related to understanding the benefits and harms of breast density notification, the impact of low-risk cancer communication, and the problem of and solutions for misleading medical marketing on social media.

"As a public health researcher, my goal is to ensure that health information provided to the public is based on the most reliable evidence, is not influenced by other interests, and is communicated at a level that people of all health literacy abilities can understand," said Dr Nickel. "This is essential to optimise benefits, minimise harms and ultimately reduce low value care to achieve the best possible health outcomes for all.

"Receiving the Tall Poppy award is truly an honour, and it’s incredibly exciting to have my work recognised in this way. However, this award isn’t just a reflection of my own achievement—it represents the collective efforts of my exceptional supervisors and mentors, whose guidance and support have been invaluable throughout my research journey.

"It also acknowledges the talented, inspiring and fun researchers and collaborators I’m fortunate enough to work with every day. This recognition motivates me to continue striving for excellence in my research, pushing the boundaries of knowledge, and contributing to public discussions on important and often complex health issues."

Dr Louise Birrell, Sydney Medical School

Dr Louise Birrell is an NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use. Her research focuses on adolescent health, digital prevention programs, and translating evidence into practice to support youth wellbeing. Dr Birrell is committed to improving mental health outcomes through innovative, accessible and scalable interventions.

"I'm incredibly honoured to be recognised as a NSW Young Tall Poppy," said Dr Birrell. "My research is inspired by the potential to make a meaningful difference in young people's lives—particularly during adolescence, a time of rapid change and vulnerability.

"I'm passionate about developing evidence-based strategies that promote mental health and wellbeing, and it's a privilege to contribute to research that can shape policy and practice. This award is a wonderful recognition of that work and the broader importance of prevention science."