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Professor Nalini Joshi AO has been named 2025 NSW Scientist of the Year as part of the NSW Premier’s Prizes for Science, awarded at Government House in Sydney on Wednesday evening. It is the first time a mathematician has received NSW’s highest honour for scientific endeavour.

The NSW Premier’s Prizes for Science for 2025 also recognised two other University of Sydney academics. Professor Anita Ho-Baillie, John Hooke Chair of Nanoscience in the University of Sydney Nano Institute and Faculty of Science, received the NSW Premier’s Prize for Excellence in Mathematics, Earth Sciences, Chemistry or Physics. Professor Paul Keall, Professor of Medical Physics in the Faculty of Medicine and Health, has received the NSW Premier’s Prize for Leadership in Innovation in NSW.

NSW Scientist of the Year 2025

Professor Nalini Joshi is a world-leading mathematician whose pioneering work has transformed the field of integrable systems. She was the first woman to be appointed as Professor of Mathematics at the University of Sydney and currently holds the position of Chair of Applied Mathematics.

Professor Joshi is applying her formidable expertise in mathematics to the urgent question of quantum cryptography. The development of quantum computers offers great promise for drug design, advanced materials science and solving computing problems beyond that of classical computers.

However, quantum computers also have the potential to crack open almost all of our cybersecurity protocols protecting our digital economy. Professor Joshi is concerned the public, government and industry are not prepared for the coming paradigm shift in cryptography and security.

“Twenty years ago we didn’t have smartphones. Now we rely on them for almost every part of our lives, from paying for coffee to checking our bank balances. In 20 years, we will be walking around with quantum-enabled devices filled with quantum money. But our industry base has very little knowledge of how to protect us in that future, and Australia has less than a dozen citizens with the expertise needed to help them,” she said.

The Payne-Scott Professor for Mathematics, Nalini Joshi has received many honours and was the first Australian Vice-President of the International Mathematical Union (2019-22). She is an elected honorary member of the London Mathematical Society, was a Distinguished Visting Fellow at the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences at Cambridge (2021) and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. She became an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2016 for services to mathematics. A graduate of the University of Sydney where she won the University Medal, Professor Joshi received her doctorate from Princeton University.

An ambassador for maths, women and minority groups, Professor Joshi is inspiring the next generation of leaders and demonstrating the powerful applications numbers can have in our complex world. She generously gives her time to mentor academics and students and in 2018 received the Eureka Prize for Outstanding Mentorship of Young Researchers.

NSW Premier’s Prize for Excellence in Mathematics, Earth Sciences, Chemistry or Physics

Professor Anita Ho-Baillie is at the forefront of developing next-generation solar cells. Her work on perovskite solar technologies is opening new possibilities for affordable, efficient and flexible renewable energy.

She said: “Winning this prize is an incredible honour, affirming our effort in developing next-generation solar cell technologies. Part of this work is on lightweight, radiation-tolerant and efficient space cells for powering satellites.

“Developing Australian sovereign space capability aligns with the NSW’s strategic goal to support the establishment of the National Space Industry Hub in Sydney. 

“This Premier’s Prize will continue to inspire me and my team to keep innovating, collaborating and training the next generation of scientists. It’s a reminder that bold ideas can lead to real-world impact.”

NSW Premier’s Prize for Leadership in Innovation in NSW

Professor Paul Keall is a medical physics researcher leading scientists, clinical partners and international collaborators to create novel cancer imaging and targeted radiation therapy methods, translating many of these into clinical practice.

His research has improved the lives of millions of cancer patients and delivered benefits for NSW more broadly by employing highly skilled workers, training the next generation of scientists, creating new medical devices and clinical trials, and generating economic returns.

Professor Keall said: “Receiving the Premier's Prize for Leadership in Innovation in NSW is recognition of the hard work from the many people in my teams, along with clinicians, consumers, managers and especially patients.

“These people have been part of a journey to create and transform basic scientific discovery into medical devices that improve the lives and livelihoods of cancer patients in NSW and globally. We have ambitious plans to develop a pipeline of innovative devices to halve the side effects for 90 percent of cancer patients receiving radiation therapy worldwide.”