CPAN researchers gain inspiration at Young Scientists' Summit

Five days of access to 20 of the world’s most eminent science and technology leaders was an opportunity to be grasped for two early career researchers from Deakin’s Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research (CPAN).

Dr Nicky Ridgers and Dr Lukar Thornton were selected by the Australian Research Council (ARC) to attend the Global Young Scientists’ Summit (GYSS), which was held in Singapore recently.

The presenters included 12 Nobel Laureates, two Fields Medallists, two Millenium Technology Prize  winners and four Turing Award recipients.

An understanding of “how to ask the right questions” and greater appreciation of the value of patience, passion and perseverance were some of the benefits gained by the two Senior Research Fellows, who joined 300 other young scientists and researchers (PhD students and post-docs) from around the world at the summit.

Dr Ridgers, who is nearing the end of her ARC DECRA fellowship and whose research focusses on children’s activity patterns, said the summit was “brilliant,” providing an insight into the importance of taking opportunities when they present themselves.

“The summit helped us reflect on how we think about a problem as researchers and decide what are the important questions to ask,” she said.

“Winning a Nobel Prize is never the goal for scientists. Instead, it is about asking how we can contribute to science, solve problems and drive our field of science forward.”

One of the highlights for Dr Ridgers was hearing the story of Nobel Laureate and biophysicist Professor Michael Levitt, whose research experience epitomises the need for patience and perseverance.

“Professor Levitt’s Nobel winning research was achieved before he completed his PhD – but it was about 40 years before he received the Nobel prize,” said Dr Ridgers. “As well as being passionate and persevering, he emphasised the importance of taking time away from your research, as a means of providing perspective and time to process ideas.”

Dr Ridgers added that the summit was also a fantastic networking opportunity with colleagues from both Australia and overseas.

Dr Thornton’s research in CPAN focusses on food access within Australian communities, including the role of local council planning laws and analysis of how people make food purchases.

“The summit was thought provoking, encouraging us to identify the novel aspects of our work and reaffirming the importance of finding research topics that we’re passionate about,” he said.

“This has prompted me to bring more geography into my research because of its crucial role in helping us understand how people use their environments. People’s access to food depends on their personal circumstances - such as their health, socioeconomic background and their geographic location - and accessibility to good food can make a big difference to an individual’s health and well-being.”