Edith Cowan University’s early-to-mid career researchers have been recognised with the prestigious 2025 Young Tall Poppy Science Awards, celebrating excellence in research, science communication, and community engagement.
Among the recipients are two outstanding researchers from ECU’s Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute (NHIRI): Dr Myles Murphy, a postdoctoral clinician researcher at NHIRI, and Dr Masoumeh Zargar, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering.
Dr Myles Murphy
Dr Myles Murphy’s research focuses on the assessment, management and prevention of lower body musculoskeletal pain and injury. His research into muscle and tendon injuries helps these people recover and improve their quality of life. His research is informed by industry partner, and consumer needs to improve healthcare outcomes for people around the world. He has developed a globally adopted assessment tool for tendon pain and injury, trialled innovative clinical interventions that harness brainpower to improve rehabilitation outcomes, and collaborated with the WA Police Force and prestigious elite sporting organisations to reduce their burden of musculoskeletal pain and injury.
Dr Masoumeh Zargar
Dr Masoumeh Zargar is a Senior Lecturer and ARC DECRA Fellow in the School of Engineering, and a core member of ECU’s Nutrition Health Research Institute (NHRI). She leads the Advanced Materials and Membranes Research Group, supervising more than 10 PhD students and research assistants. She works closely with industry partners to develop advanced functional materials and membranes that tackle urgent environmental and engineering challenges. Her research focuses on removing PFAS, microplastics, and other persistent pollutants from water and wastewater, while also developing sustainable pathways for resource recovery in mining and desalination. She further explores broader applications of advanced materials, from hybrid composites for industrial systems to next-generation membranes for filtration, adsorption, photocatalysis, and food packaging.
Their work exemplifies the spirit of the Young Tall Poppy Awards, which are presented by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science (AIPS). The awards highlight not only scientific achievement but also a passion for sharing science with the broader community, qualities that mark these researchers as future leaders in Australian science.
Help us spread the word
Credit: ECU Newsroom