WA innovators Michael Wear and Nikhilesh Bappoo receive prestigious Prime Minister’s prizes for science

A WA entrepreneur who is reviving Australia’s oldest export industry and a pioneer in medical technology have been recognised in this year’s prestigious Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science. Shark Bay Malgana man Michael Wear is the first winner of a new prize for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge systems for his work developing the nation’s first Indigenous-led sea cucumber fishery, Tidal Moon. And Perth-based biomedical engineer Nikhilesh Bappoo — who combined his love of medicine and engineering to develop new medical technology aimed at saving lives — has been awarded the prize for new innovators. The WA winners are among eight recipients of this year’s awards, announced on Monday night, which acknowledge outstanding Australian achievements in research, innovation and science teaching. Mr Wear has been recognised for improving Indigenous livelihoods through “the respectful practice of Aboriginal knowledge systems for sea country conservation and sustainable commercial practices”. He set up Tidal Moon to harvest sea cucumbers in 2017, determined to build a model that would include restoration efforts as well as collaboration between business knowledge and western science with an economic output. Considered a delicacy in China, sea cucumber — or trepang — has been harvested since around 1700 by fishermen sailing from Indonesia to the northern Australian coast, where they traded and worked with local Aboriginal people. Tidal Moon is partnering with scientists in a world-first seagrass conservation and restoration project at Shark Bay, which contains the world’s biggest seagrass meadows. The fishery is also working with scientists examining medicinal benefits of sea cucumbers, including potential treatments for cancer. Mr Wear said being awarded the prize was “unbelievable”. “My goal is to scale up Tidal Moon in a sustainable way so that we can help the ocean, help people and make sure there are jobs to be inherited by young people in the community,” he said. Dr Bappoo was recognised for developing “novel and accessible technologies”, driven by a vision where no life is lost because health care is too complex, too late or out of reach. He co-founded medical technology companies VeinTech, which developed a hand-held device to help doctors and nurses find the right vein to target with a needle to insert a cannulation tube, and Lubdub, which created a “heart health in a box” to monitor heart function without the need to travel to specialists. Dr Bappoo said biomedical engineering was not an option when he at university, so he did a double major in mechanical engineering and pathology. This helped him realise that mechanical engineering principles could be applied to the human body. News of the prize was an “incredible honour” that was still sinking in. “It’s really given me the confidence to continue pursuing this pathway where we can really improve outcomes for every patient, whether they’re in the metropolitan area or in rural and less-advantaged communities,” he said. “I hope it also puts Australia on the map and shows we’re punching above our weight in medical innovation.” Anthony Albanese said each year the prizes highlighted Australia’s exceptional achievements in science. “Australia is a powerhouse of science, innovation and research which has a global impact,” the Prime Minister said.