Trailblazer

The University of Wollongong's annual Trailblazer innovation competition was developed to reward innovative ideas and early-stage research, which have the potential to benefit Trailblazer 4 Promotional Pic the community, industry or business as well as generate a financial return. With $15,000 in prize money, the competition also rewards and stimulates innovative thinking.

Trailblazer is open to all UOW researchers and students. Entries from all research disciplines and across all Faculties are encouraged, whether they relate to businesses, products, services or technologies.

Now in its fifth year, the competition has helped UOW motivate and showcase the extraordinary talents of our researchers and students.

2009 Trailblazer Winners

Category	Name/Team Leader Faculty	Entry
Student Winner	Philippe Bouttefroy Informatics	Vehicle speed detection device
Open Winner	Dr Bridget Munro Health & Behavioural Sciences	Lymphoedema support device for breast cancer patients
Student Runner Up	Mitra Safavi-Naeini Engineering Physics	Small animal imaging technology
Open Runner Up	Dr Grant Mathieson Science	Flexalex Cistern
Student Highly Commended	Sheridan Gho Health & Behavioural Sciences	Better bras for women living with a breast cancer diagnosis
Open Highly Commended	Prof Anatoly Rozenfeld Engineering	Imaging technology to improve prostate cancer treatment outcomes

Trailblazer Winners
Pictured at the Trailblazer awards announcement for 2009 (from left) are Professor Judy Raper (Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research), Sheridan Goh (student – highly commended), Mitra Safavi-Naeini (student – runner-up), Phillipe Bouttefrot (student – winner), Professor Anatoly Rozenfeld (open – highly commended), Dr Gavin Recchia (sponsor, Davies Collison Cave), Dr Bridget Munro (open – winner), Mr Andrew Davis (UniQuest) and Dr Grant Mathieson (open – runner-up)

Other 2009 Trailblazer Finalists

Team Leader/Individual Entrant	Entry	Faculty
Shulei Chou	Carbon composite with high surface area	Engineering
Tim Coltman	Simulation-based management training tool	Informatics
Rebecca Dabbs	Immune system stimulation to fight cancer	Science
Sayne Dalton	Andy's Fun Food Adventures	Health and Behavioural Science
Bridget Dougherty	Web-based interface for relationships research	Arts
Xueyu Geng	Integrated track drainage and reinforcement system	Engineering
Sim Kim Lau	DVD resource kit for children with cerebral palsy	Informatics
Philip Whitten	Novel hydrogel production	Science
ZhiQuan Zhou	Algorithm for testing internet search engine	Informatics
Tao Li	Career counselling system for mature-age students	Faculty of Education