Zhi Soon (Banks, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to celebrate the achievements of Dr David Khoury, a Peakhurst Heights local from my electorate of Banks, who's right up there in the gallery today. This week, Dr Khoury was awarded the Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year as part of the Prime Minister's Prizes for Science—a remarkable accomplishment. Dr Khoury is a Scientia fellow and the leader of the Infection Analytics Program at the University of New South Wales's Kirby Institute. He has been recognised for his work bringing his advanced mathematics background to public health research, with his use of quantitative methods to translate scientific research into actionable evidence to guide public health decisions, especially those related to drug and vaccine development, assessment and deployment.

Dr Khoury can be proud that his work has informed the decisions to protect some of the most vulnerable populations and contributed to saving thousands of lives around the world. I had the pleasure of meeting Dr Khoury this morning and hearing about his story and his research. Dr Khoury is a great local in Banks and an extraordinary Australian. I look forward to seeing what he can accomplish in the future. Congratulations, Dr Khoury, to you, your team and your family for a remarkable achievement. And to the young people of Banks: Dr Khoury is a great example of how a career in science can change the world.